Closed. This question needs to be more focused. It is not currently accepting answers.
Want to improve this question? Update the question so it focuses on one problem only by editing this post.
Closed 9 years ago.
Improve this question
Does anyone know of any software or a good way for developers to build up a knowledge base of business rules that are built in to the software for help desk to use?
We already have a helpdesk software but we are not looking to replace this.
A wiki is definitely the way to go. Processes change, sometimes frequently, and in a fast-paced environment like a help desk a tool that allows quick, easy access and management of that type of content is extremely important to allow people to do their jobs effectively.
One of the greatest benefits I've found is the heiarchical sturcture of many wikis, allowing employees to find the correct content from a number of different customer angles.
Can you be more specific?
This may fall under "policies and procedures" management software. Here are some:
http://www.softscout.com/software/Human-Resources/Policy-and-Procedures.html
I'd like to find one that's more wiki-like or easier to integrate into a a website serving as a more general company knowlege base.
I would recommend a wiki wiht a "Wiki Gardener" role- someone who cleans up the duplicate entries and sorts.
Wiki technology with a Rich Text Editor option would useful if your Support Desk are not totally technical.
Having some structure is imperative, developing something in any Wiki that makes sense to the general editing populace, and has a low threshold to get from reading to editing. You will also possibly need a migration strategy for taking hundereds of little notes into something more readable and searchable.
Related
Closed. This question is opinion-based. It is not currently accepting answers.
Want to improve this question? Update the question so it can be answered with facts and citations by editing this post.
Closed 5 years ago.
Improve this question
I understand that it is better to discover requirements through iterative approaches in Agile, however I often hear of people rejecting projects on the basis that they are given up-front requirements.
Why is this the case? Why can't up-front requirements just be taken as-is, e.g. just added to a product backlog and then prioritized and implemented?
There's nothing wrong with up-front requirements. In fact it helps to know where you're heading before you set sail!
Agile is a lot about being able to be adaptable, so that should requirements change you're not locked into something you don't want.
The kind of up front requirements that would cause a developer to think twice about a project, would be those which indicate that the client are likely to be a nightmare to work with:
an obsession with one particular, unsuitable technology or presentation style
insisting on 'security' with glaringly obvious vulnerabilities
In an agile project, it's good to show a client the current state of the partially working system at an early stage, and get feedback, using this information to help design the subsequent parts of the system. If a client is too fixed on ideas of the final product then they might not be able to give useful feedback at this stage, and the final product may be not as good as it could have been.
This something that can be quite problematic with Agile. Some teams will use it as an excuse to not have a plan as they want to be 'adaptable'. Requirements can help to focus on the software architecture, which is something else that is not always given much focus in some Agile teams. It is points like these that lead me to believe that Agile should just be principles but not a methodology. Digital Animal wrote an interesting article about how Agile can be used in such a way that it stops being effective. For some teams, it is better to learn from what is great about Agile and use it to build a methodology that works for them. http://digitalanimal.com/blog/slaying-the-agile-dragon-the-game-of-thrones-methodology/?AT=CZcb6f
Closed. This question is opinion-based. It is not currently accepting answers.
Want to improve this question? Update the question so it can be answered with facts and citations by editing this post.
Closed 3 years ago.
Improve this question
I'm currently trying to write up some software specs for a large-ish project that I'd like to bid out on oDesk (maybe 3k-6k). I have a classical education in computer science, but minimal work experience and I've never worked in a corporate environment.
I've written up 15 pages of project specs for an API that I want to run on Google App Engine. I'm finding the subtleties difficult with issues such as: where to draw the line on what to specify and what not to; how to break the project up into pieces so that if one part goes wrong, other parts can still be used; where and how to set milestones; and how to screen for a candidate who has the skills to properly implement the specs.
I asked a friend what issues I should watch out for and he said:
Make sure specs do not have contradictory information
Make sure specs are not unnecessarily specific because this will turn off more skilled developers
What other pitfalls and common mistakes should I look out for while drawing up project specs?
While it is important to focus on the functionality of what you want to achieve, also keep in mind the non-functional requirements as well. Think about how you want it to perform, security considerations, etc.
One to add to the list
Make sure the specs are unambiguous. (Can only be interpreted one way...Hopefully)
I think these two links will help:
On Reqs And Specs: http://www.pragmaticmarketing.com/publications/topics/02/0204sj
Painless Functional Specifications - Part 2: What's a Spec?: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000035.html
Closed. This question does not meet Stack Overflow guidelines. It is not currently accepting answers.
We don’t allow questions seeking recommendations for books, tools, software libraries, and more. You can edit the question so it can be answered with facts and citations.
Closed 3 years ago.
Improve this question
The company is growing and we're starting to implement more and more complex software designs. I feel a need for some tracking software... I just don't know if it exists.
I currently maintain a Google Doc Folder (shared by our 3 developers) with a well-organized doc for each module. A doc is also created per major upgrade to a module or modules. For all other "tracking"... we have interal forums.
I want the following:
I want get an immediate printout of all Project_01 features or bug fixes on a particular project with the option to hide or show developer comments that have been implemented in the last X number of days.
This clearly suggests a web-based system where developers enter issues, bugs, and features with appropriate tagging. Entries should be commentable, taggable, dated, editable and reporting should be based upon tags, dates, developers, projects, etc.
I figure I'm going to be perceived as naive by the grizzled veterans floating around here, though I've been running this business for 4 years (so I've been around). I don't think we have the resources to absorb the overhead of implementing something like CMMI... but then again, I don't really know what's best.
My personal evolution to using Google Docs per Application Module + internal phpbb forums for everything else has been pretty nice compared to the way we started out (marker boards, Microsoft Word docs). I just feel like I can go a long ways towards exceeding client expectations if I had the ability to track features/bugs/issues better with superior on-demand reporting.
Thoughts?
Update: Went with MediaWiki integrated with Mantis
Take a look at fogbugz. It looks like it meets all your requirements.
Also, take a look at this other SO question: Free/Cheap Task/Bug Management software
I've good experiences with mantis. http://www.mantisbt.org
Yes, FogBugz and Trac are recommended.
I hope it helps.
I find this comparison of issue tracking systems either interesting or overwhelming.
I think with 3 developers, in the same building, you probably can get by without software tools. But, adopting something now, before you're so big/complex that you can't survive without it may save a lot of future pain.
Closed. This question is opinion-based. It is not currently accepting answers.
Want to improve this question? Update the question so it can be answered with facts and citations by editing this post.
Closed 5 years ago.
Improve this question
We have been asked to provide a data reporting solution. The followng are the requirements:
i. The client has a lot of data which is generated everyday as an outcome of the tests they run. These tests are run at several sites and they get automatically backed up into a central server.
ii. They already have perl scripts which post process them and generates excel based reports.
iii. They need a web based interface for comparing those reports and they need to mark and track issues which might be present in those data.
I am confused if we should build our own tool for this or we should go for already exiting tool(any suggestions?). Can you please provide supportive arguments for the decision that you would suggest?
You need to narrow down your requirements (what kind of data needs to be compared, and in which format?). Then check if there is already a software available (commercial or free) that fulfills your needs. Based on that, decide if its better (i.e. cheaper) to implement the functionality yourself, or use the other software.
Don't reinvent the wheel.
There are quite a few tools out there that specialise in this sort of thing, my gut feeling is that you can find something ready made that does what you need.
As a side note, that tool may also be a better solution for creating those excel reports than the perl scripts.
Closed. This question is opinion-based. It is not currently accepting answers.
Want to improve this question? Update the question so it can be answered with facts and citations by editing this post.
Closed 6 years ago.
Improve this question
There are a million and one CMS' that do a good job but the interface and usability of it let the entire system down (like a lot of websites out there).
Whenever I need to develop a bespoke system for content management I always try and draw on my past experiences and those of my clients to work out what works well and what doesn't. So each time I do one there is a similarity to the last but with some extra tweaking to make it that much better.
So the question is what CMS interface / features have you found a pleasure to work with and why?
Note: This could be editing pages, products, sitemaps, just about anything you needed to manage through a CMS
I personally think inline-editing is a massive speed boost for clients and developers.
Drupal 6's draggable menu reordering is a great feature. It is faster and more intuitive than the weight system from Drupal 5 and the up/down arrows I have seen elsewhere.
I agree with jchrista, drag-and-drop is very nice. This is the feature that initially drew me to Sitefinity. There is an online demo of this here.
I hate InterWoven (just because I find it slow and non intuitive--subjective..), but it has a nice WorkFlow setting that enables you to control the versions you have on the server between what you have been working on and what should be deployed.
Also a good (go back to before the screw up) productivity tools
MOSS has lots of interesting features that are supposed to do the same thing also, which I will look forward to test as we move towards that platform.