Defect Oriented Product Engineering

DOPE - defect oriented product engineering

Traditional product engineering assumes that we know what we want to build, i.e. we have a "vision". It then assumes that we know how to build it, i.e. we can "execute". Traditional methodologies attempt to bind vision to execution so that competent engineers produce what competent analysts expect. It rarely accounts for mistakes.

DOPE has vastly different assumptions. We start with a completely misguided vision and execute a set of misinterpretations and mistakes that we eventually label a product. Rather than correct human nature, we build a process to accomodate it.

The Product

A product is the most viable collection of mistakes and misinterpretations that can produce revenue.

Everything is a Defect

Products begin with a master defect and proceed to collect layers of design and implementation errors. The DOPE process assures optimal defect productivity, providing the richest possible defect set from which to define your products.

We follow a fictitious ATM system project to elaborate the methodology.

The Master Defect

Make it a whopper. This is your one opportunity to set the tone for the defects that follow. The master defect supplies a vision of the worst-possible outcome. Human nature allows people to understand mistakes and their corrections much more easily than intangible goals.

Judicious use of invective and insults provides an added assurance of adequate individual motivation will exist to produce an optimal defect flow.

Example: The engineers are an embarassment to their profession. The ATM machine takes weeks per transaction, distributes the entire cash supply to each customer, while it displays Ren and Stimpy episodes instead of data entry forms.