Comments on: The Unproductiveness Factor http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/ Lidor Wyssocky's Blog on Optimizing Software Development Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:46:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 Comment on The Unproductiveness Factor by: Getting Things Done and Hating It: Productivity Paranoia « Full Tilt Blogging http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-30474 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:04:24 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-30474 [...] Art Here. [...] […] Art Here. […]

]]> Comment on The Unproductiveness Factor by: Old Cynic http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-28749 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 05:10:44 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-28749 Are you proposing to measure output by volume? If so, that just encourages people to just shovel out more cr*p and not create quality output. I could write the same logic in one line of code... or I could use several! Are you proposing to measure output by volume? If so, that just encourages people to just shovel out more cr*p and not create quality output.

I could write the same logic in one line of code…
or
I
could
use
several!

]]> Comment on The Unproductiveness Factor by: Office Drone http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-8619 Thu, 15 Feb 2007 07:37:55 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-8619 Why not just measure productivity by output and get it over with? Why not just measure productivity by output and get it over with?

]]> Comment on The Unproductiveness Factor by: Dan Bernier http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-4717 Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:17:17 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-4717 "There has to be some kind of balance, IMHO heavily weighted towards a person’s primary output (e.g. not lines of code but yes working features delivered on time)." Tom, how do you size and count features? Should bigger features count for more than smaller ones? What if a feature is small, but it takes a lot of time because you have to refactor first? I agree there needs to be balance, but I think it'll need to come from judgement and context, not quantification. “There has to be some kind of balance, IMHO heavily weighted towards a person’s primary output (e.g. not lines of code but yes working features delivered on time).”

Tom, how do you size and count features? Should bigger features count for more than smaller ones? What if a feature is small, but it takes a lot of time because you have to refactor first?

I agree there needs to be balance, but I think it’ll need to come from judgement and context, not quantification.

]]> Comment on The Unproductiveness Factor by: SDLC Blog » WDz vs. Traditional Mainframe Development Tools Productivity Study http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-4687 Tue, 28 Nov 2006 00:36:56 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-4687 [...] PD: But if you think you’re going to increase the productivity in terms of the number lines of code per developer per unit of time, the number of bugs per tester per unit of time, etc, you’re wrong, remember the unproductiveness factor. [...] […] PD: But if you think you’re going to increase the productivity in terms of the number lines of code per developer per unit of time, the number of bugs per tester per unit of time, etc, you’re wrong, remember the unproductiveness factor. […]

]]> Comment on The Unproductiveness Factor by: Tom Harris http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-4682 Mon, 27 Nov 2006 22:09:34 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-4682 The article's examples were, to say the least, surprising. I haven't a clue why this vendor singled out marketing people as time-wasters. They're trying to sell a service to estimate ROI. Of course they admit that the only way to "corroborate" (that's "tell if it's true" for simple people like me) such estimates is to check output after a period of time. That said, I don't think we can go too far into the post-modern "everything that makes you a better person" is OK for an unlimited amount of working hours. There has to be some kind of balance, IMHO heavily weighted towards a person's primary output (e.g. not lines of code but yes working features delivered on time). In a supportive environment people can relax a little around the screen or the water cooler, and definitely spend time reading and learning as needed. But I can't see the justification for, e.g., major game-playing when you're supposed to be working. The article’s examples were, to say the least, surprising. I haven’t a clue why this vendor singled out marketing people as time-wasters. They’re trying to sell a service to estimate ROI. Of course they admit that the only way to “corroborate” (that’s “tell if it’s true” for simple people like me) such estimates is to check output after a period of time.

That said, I don’t think we can go too far into the post-modern “everything that makes you a better person” is OK for an unlimited amount of working hours.

There has to be some kind of balance, IMHO heavily weighted towards a person’s primary output (e.g. not lines of code but yes working features delivered on time).

In a supportive environment people can relax a little around the screen or the water cooler, and definitely spend time reading and learning as needed.

But I can’t see the justification for, e.g., major game-playing when you’re supposed to be working.

]]> Comment on The Unproductiveness Factor by: Brian http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-4673 Mon, 27 Nov 2006 19:57:09 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-4673 I am one that believes happiness and "quality of life" is crucial in being productive. Sure, you can try to measure productivity by the quantity of output, but like Lidor explains here, not all things that add to productivity are quantitative. Like right now; I'm at work reading this article and posting this comment. Am I wasting the company's time because I'm not coding software? I think not because I am expanding my knowledge thinking about how I can work better - which will, in turn, make me a better (happier) worker and will lead to better quality output (products). Anything that can/does/might make you a better person by enhancing your view on working is never, ever a waste of time or money. I am one that believes happiness and “quality of life” is crucial in being productive. Sure, you can try to measure productivity by the quantity of output, but like Lidor explains here, not all things that add to productivity are quantitative.

Like right now; I’m at work reading this article and posting this comment. Am I wasting the company’s time because I’m not coding software? I think not because I am expanding my knowledge thinking about how I can work better - which will, in turn, make me a better (happier) worker and will lead to better quality output (products).

Anything that can/does/might make you a better person by enhancing your view on working is never, ever a waste of time or money.

]]> Comment on The Unproductiveness Factor by: Nono http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-4659 Mon, 27 Nov 2006 11:10:36 +0000 http://blog.qualityaspect.com/2006/11/25/the-unproductiveness-factor/#comment-4659 Nice article that leads me to a question: if productivity is not easily measurable, how do you detect a decrease in productivity ? By carefully watching factors such as staff motivation/happiness ? Nice article that leads me to a question: if productivity is not easily measurable, how do you detect a decrease in productivity ? By carefully watching factors such as staff motivation/happiness ?

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