Project Management Not Cheaper By the Dozen
The annual salary for an Indian programmer is $5000 while a
programmer in the United States makes $50,000. That's a 10X
difference. You can hire a 19-year old wunderkind in the U.S.
for $30,000. Why not send all your development work to India,
Russia, or even get an army of smart kids to do it?
eWeek reports in U.S.
Coders as Capable as Offshore Counterparts that the myth
that Indian programmers are more productive is nonsense.
Ray White, president of Scoutwest comments on this issue.
Software development is not yet a commodity market; it's
still an artisan's business. Well-written software products
that are expected to last a decade require certain advanced
skills. As any market matures, so do the skills required to
produce those products. Procedures, policies, and experience
develop over the years and result in a bar of entry to
newcomers. Established market leaders have developed project
management skills, policies, and procedures from their years
of trial and error. This wealth of intangible knowledge is a
major factor in creating good products. This is obvious from
other markets that have had more time to mature, such as the
auto industry.
Companies eager to reduce their expenses can mistakenly
discount this body of knowledge, and embrace the notion that
programmers come cheaper by the dozen, and if we hire enough
of them they'll get the job done. Before handing a project to
an offshore development team, or a group of eager youngsters,
make sure you have the management bases covered by experienced
people. Also consider that a 20% reduction in cost can result
in a 20% reduction in productivity, or worse, a 50% reduction
in quality. The law of nature is that you get what you pay
for. Nothing is free.
This is not about advocating the use of high-paid
engineers; it's about recognizing the need for experienced
craftsmen at the helm. It's about knowing the need for
procedures and policies that guarantee success. And knowing
that youthful energy is not a replacement for sound project
management techniques. The 90's Internet boom should have
taught us that much.
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