software modernization failures
Any suggestions for a book or article on software modernization failures, especially for large projects? Why do they seem common -- and apparently remain so? Thank you. Stay sane, Jonathan Jonathan Coopersmith Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Professor Emeritus Department of History Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4236 979.739.4708 (cell) "A Chief Skunk Looks Back," <https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/a-chief-skunk-looks-back/> (interview with Sherm Mullin) *Aerospace America* March 2023 It's taking longer to vote - especially if you are Black or Hispanic <https://theconversation.com/its-taking-more-time-to-cast-a-ballot-in-us-elections-and-even-longer-for-black-and-hispanic-voters-191711> , theconversation.com Preserving space archives: https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/ *FAXED. The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine* (Johns Hopkins University Press)
Dr. C, I think it’s generally a matter of complexity and scale. For those that recall the Big Dig in Boston, that modernize-while-operate approach is tough. In software, everything is always more complex once you get under the hood so to speak. Every software build that I’ve been a part of, inevitably and invariably a mod (DoD, Exec Agency, private sector) is a combo of fixing and adding features. The incentives are to get the software into production when it’s been validated as functioning per design requirements, but its generally not time/cost effective to test every permutation of the full range of all variable values, etc. To me it is naturally common and will continue to be so. It’s not entirely the same as the construction world’s notion of substantial completion, but it’s something like that. Software is just one of the layers of the whole lash up, with the physical and logical models other important elements and the differences and nuances across the range of hosting platforms, the particular maturities/legacies/etc. of the hardware etc. Not sure what else to say about this… Regards, Dave Dave Foster PhD Student Department of History Texas Tech University davidfos@ttu.edu linkedin.com/in/david-w-foster 806-282-4856 [47HZJ4QTcZx7w2e2Swgm4zzzgs9v9DxTQbyVFNkAgAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC] Learner | Intellection | Context | Ideation | Input From: Members <members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org> on behalf of Jonathan Coopersmith via Members <members@lists.sigcis.org> Date: Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 18:57 To: SIGCIS <members@sigcis.org> Subject: [SIGCIS-Members] software modernization failures This email originated outside TTU. Please exercise caution<https://askit.ttu.edu/phishing>! Any suggestions for a book or article on software modernization failures, especially for large projects? Why do they seem common -- and apparently remain so? Thank you. Stay sane, Jonathan Jonathan Coopersmith Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Professor Emeritus Department of History Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4236 979.739.4708 (cell) "A Chief Skunk Looks Back,"<https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/a-chief-skunk-looks-back/> (interview with Sherm Mullin) Aerospace America March 2023 It's taking longer to vote - especially if you are Black or Hispanic<https://theconversation.com/its-taking-more-time-to-cast-a-ballot-in-us-elections-and-even-longer-for-black-and-hispanic-voters-191711>, theconversation.com<http://theconversation.com/> Preserving space archives: https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/ FAXED. The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine (Johns Hopkins University Press)
Jonathan, Well, this goes back a long way - the phrase "second system syndrome" was coined by Brooks in "The Mythical Man Month" in 1975. Of course, it's got worse and worse as systems became bigger and more complex. I'm sure there must be many analyses in the software engineering literature. There are new examples almost weekly; I recently noticed this one: https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/03/edinburgh_uni_senate_report/ It seems pretty clear that the modern fad for outsourcing feeds the problem, because it leads to very ambitious replacement projects implemented by mercenaries who have no long-term interest at stake, so they make the sort of mistakes described in that article. In-house developers who want to keep their jobs are much more likely to do incremental changes, with proper testing, and to cover undocumented corner cases. External consultants will just stick to the specifications, which for large projects are always deficient. Regards Brian Carpenter On 05-May-23 11:56, Jonathan Coopersmith via Members wrote:
Any suggestions for a book or article on software modernization failures, especially for large projects? Why do they seem common -- and apparently remain so? Thank you.
Stay sane,
Jonathan
Jonathan Coopersmith Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Professor Emeritus Department of History Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4236 979.739.4708 (cell)
"A Chief Skunk Looks Back," <https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/a-chief-skunk-looks-back/> (interview with Sherm Mullin) /Aerospace America/March 2023
It's taking longer to vote - especially if you are Black or Hispanic <https://theconversation.com/its-taking-more-time-to-cast-a-ballot-in-us-elections-and-even-longer-for-black-and-hispanic-voters-191711>, theconversation.com <http://theconversation.com/>
Preserving space archives: https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/ <https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/>
/FAXED. The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine/ (Johns Hopkins University Press)
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Jonathan and Brian, ERP modernizations are a special kind of beast. I sympathize with the Edinburgh example Brian mentioned, having successfully managed a university ERP modernization as the CIO. There are many problems that can occur as well as the outsourcing/lack of skin in the game that Brian mentions. The root issues for ERPs that make them difficult include: * Complexity and integration with many external systems – Almost all of the systems to run the back office or a company/university interface with it and have to be carefully migrated. So, often many of those other systems also have to be either upgraded, changed, or replaced. * Data migration issues – data may not be clean enough to easily migrate to the new systems or be in a different logical data model, forcing some hard choices to be made (delete data, take the time/expense to clean it, archive it, etc.). * Unique processes and modifications to support them – ideally, you try to fit your processes to the new system with as few modifications as possible. If the company/university wants/needs to keep unique processes that implies changing the system to work with them. I was also involved in a corporate migration where we spent years and 100s of millions of dollars modifying SAP (that was somewhat less successful). This is the hardest aspect to manage—changing the processes to fit the new system and avoiding modifications and needs serious support from the entire organization. * Timing and switching to the new applications(s) – Careful project management is required so that the organization can have the old data moved to the application, not have significant process interruptions (the Edinburgh example notes that the financial system was unavailable for month—something that’s hard to imagine), training everyone to be ready for the new system, and perhaps running both systems side-by-side for a while to make sure everything is working properly. Generally, these many integrated systems need to be running for the business processes to keep working as intended, so there’s a continuous operation problem. These are all in addition to the technical issues you have with any complex system that also can be hard to predict such as performance issues, reliability issues, and misrepresentation by the vendor of the systems capabilities that must be fixed when they are discovered. I don’t know of a great book or even article that describes this, probably because those of us that have been through it (even successfully) are just glad to have finished it. --Kim Kim W. Tracy Asst. Professor of Practice in Computer Science and Software Engineering (he/him/his) ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 5500 Wabash Avenue | Terre Haute, IN 47803-3999 Room: Moench D216 | tracy@rose-hulman.edu<mailto:tracy@rose-hulman.edu> Phone: 812.877.8343 | Fax: 812.877.8343 www.rose-hulman.edu<http://www.rose-hulman.edu/> From: Members <members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org> on behalf of Brian E Carpenter via Members <members@lists.sigcis.org> Date: Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 10:23 PM To: Jonathan Coopersmith <j-coopersmith@tamu.edu>, SIGCIS <members@sigcis.org> Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] software modernization failures [External Sender] Jonathan, Well, this goes back a long way - the phrase "second system syndrome" was coined by Brooks in "The Mythical Man Month" in 1975. Of course, it's got worse and worse as systems became bigger and more complex. I'm sure there must be many analyses in the software engineering literature. There are new examples almost weekly; I recently noticed this one: https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theregister.com%2F2023%2F05%2F03%2Fedinburgh_uni_senate_report%2F&data=05%7C01%7Ctracy%40rose-hulman.edu%7C37b2531de56149c19dd408db4d0fb33c%7C6c373827e5b745a7ae27b17e388fcad4%7C1%7C0%7C638188502078089186%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7iNbLqvBNGCRDtrQigCWFynnSoRo8QZBKkja7Ss%2Bcwc%3D&reserved=0<https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/03/edinburgh_uni_senate_report/> It seems pretty clear that the modern fad for outsourcing feeds the problem, because it leads to very ambitious replacement projects implemented by mercenaries who have no long-term interest at stake, so they make the sort of mistakes described in that article. In-house developers who want to keep their jobs are much more likely to do incremental changes, with proper testing, and to cover undocumented corner cases. External consultants will just stick to the specifications, which for large projects are always deficient. Regards Brian Carpenter On 05-May-23 11:56, Jonathan Coopersmith via Members wrote:
Any suggestions for a book or article on software modernization failures, especially for large projects? Why do they seem common -- and apparently remain so? Thank you.
Stay sane,
Jonathan
Jonathan Coopersmith Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Professor Emeritus Department of History Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4236 979.739.4708 (cell)
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Hey Jonathan, all, PhD student on the cusp of my comprehensive exam on information infrastructures reporting in! On this topic I particularly like Marianne Bellotti's *Kill It With Fire: Manage Aging Computer Systems (and Future Proof Modern Ones) <https://nostarch.com/kill-it-fire> *for its combination of in-the-trenches anecdotes and analysis of how and why early computer adopters (such as government) have deferred maintenance and modernization projects. Ciborra et al's *From Control to Drift <https://global.oup.com/academic/product/from-control-to-drift-9780199246632?cc=us&lang=en&> *was really helpful for me, particularly the short introduction chapter by Ciborra and Hanseth and the chapter by Braa and Hanseth ('Who's in control'). LOGIC magazine did an issue theme of 'care' <https://logicmag.io/care/> in 2020; the 'Maintenance Window <https://logicmag.io/care/maintenance-window/>' articles and interviews there are pertinent (s/o to Mars Hicks' article <https://logicmag.io/care/built-to-last/> on COBOL). I guess I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Star & Ruhleder's classic article <https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/isre.7.1.111>; I think it's not often referenced this way, but the empirical case in their analysis is a failed digital transformation project. A somewhat parallel literature exists around troubles with software/data standards; when a software project gets to the scale and complexity of an infrastructure, standardization issues can be decisive. Millerand et al 2013 <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0162243912437221?casa_token=gSb0DdjarvIAAAAA:q3vjHw0z2WZBJN6iBEe58a-cUDFZ2q8A_DaiE15qRK-0nL6I3ZexMPllEs_eZALzRLuzvEppVuRu> and Edwards et al 2011 <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0306312711413314?casa_token=TNAaV8iDJBEAAAAA:Ck0_Gaki4ZQz6-_JgydyLJpr_RjX139xssXN8aMZQ1OHbFW8osOXzHhyNK4vzO2Z9KmYi3MixXfl> are both very good here. *Sorting Things Out* (Star & Bowker) is, you know, the GOAT. Hope some of these are apt for you! Best, Ben ------------------------- bengansky.com <http://www.bengansky.com> | freemachine.org <http://www.freemachine.org> national science foundation citizen-centered smart cities research trainee @ ASU's human & social dimensions in science and technology PhD program he/him ------------------------- On Fri, May 5, 2023 at 8:30 AM Tracy, Kim via Members < members@lists.sigcis.org> wrote:
Jonathan and Brian,
ERP modernizations are a special kind of beast. I sympathize with the Edinburgh example Brian mentioned, having successfully managed a university ERP modernization as the CIO. There are many problems that can occur as well as the outsourcing/lack of skin in the game that Brian mentions. The root issues for ERPs that make them difficult include:
- Complexity and integration with many external systems – Almost all of the systems to run the back office or a company/university interface with it and have to be carefully migrated. So, often many of those other systems also have to be either upgraded, changed, or replaced. - Data migration issues – data may not be clean enough to easily migrate to the new systems or be in a different logical data model, forcing some hard choices to be made (delete data, take the time/expense to clean it, archive it, etc.). - Unique processes and modifications to support them – ideally, you try to fit your processes to the new system with as few modifications as possible. If the company/university wants/needs to keep unique processes that implies changing the system to work with them. I was also involved in a corporate migration where we spent years and 100s of millions of dollars modifying SAP (that was somewhat less successful). This is the hardest aspect to manage—changing the processes to fit the new system and avoiding modifications and needs serious support from the entire organization. - Timing and switching to the new applications(s) – Careful project management is required so that the organization can have the old data moved to the application, not have significant process interruptions (the Edinburgh example notes that the financial system was unavailable for month—something that’s hard to imagine), training everyone to be ready for the new system, and perhaps running both systems side-by-side for a while to make sure everything is working properly. Generally, these many integrated systems need to be running for the business processes to keep working as intended, so there’s a continuous operation problem.
These are all in addition to the technical issues you have with any complex system that also can be hard to predict such as performance issues, reliability issues, and misrepresentation by the vendor of the systems capabilities that must be fixed when they are discovered.
I don’t know of a great book or even article that describes this, probably because those of us that have been through it (even successfully) are just glad to have finished it.
--Kim
*Kim W. Tracy *
Asst. Professor of Practice in Computer Science and Software Engineering
(he/him/his)
*ROSE**-HULMAN* *INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY*
5500 Wabash Avenue | Terre Haute, IN 47803-3999
Room: Moench D216 | tracy@rose-hulman.edu
Phone: 812.877.8343 | Fax: 812.877.8343
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*From: *Members <members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org> on behalf of Brian E Carpenter via Members <members@lists.sigcis.org> *Date: *Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 10:23 PM *To: *Jonathan Coopersmith <j-coopersmith@tamu.edu>, SIGCIS < members@sigcis.org> *Subject: *Re: [SIGCIS-Members] software modernization failures
[External Sender]
Jonathan,
Well, this goes back a long way - the phrase "second system syndrome" was coined by Brooks in "The Mythical Man Month" in 1975. Of course, it's got worse and worse as systems became bigger and more complex.
I'm sure there must be many analyses in the software engineering literature. There are new examples almost weekly; I recently noticed this one: https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theregister.com%2F2023%2F05%2F03%2Fedinburgh_uni_senate_report%2F&data=05%7C01%7Ctracy%40rose-hulman.edu%7C37b2531de56149c19dd408db4d0fb33c%7C6c373827e5b745a7ae27b17e388fcad4%7C1%7C0%7C638188502078089186%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7iNbLqvBNGCRDtrQigCWFynnSoRo8QZBKkja7Ss%2Bcwc%3D&reserved=0 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/03/edinburgh_uni_senate_report/__;!!IKRxdwAv5BmarQ!ZUSj1LY2tf92Hoj3oIKn7DqIuYNfhMo6VP9gEqdvRm8FSA-t5hGEbDkQhvKK6YRICjyU-k2SNcr12ZEKm76g$>
It seems pretty clear that the modern fad for outsourcing feeds the problem, because it leads to very ambitious replacement projects implemented by mercenaries who have no long-term interest at stake, so they make the sort of mistakes described in that article. In-house developers who want to keep their jobs are much more likely to do incremental changes, with proper testing, and to cover undocumented corner cases. External consultants will just stick to the specifications, which for large projects are always deficient.
Regards Brian Carpenter
Any suggestions for a book or article on software modernization failures, especially for large projects? Why do they seem common -- and apparently remain so? Thank you.
Stay sane,
Jonathan
Jonathan Coopersmith Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Professor Emeritus Department of History Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4236 979.739.4708 (cell)
"A Chief Skunk Looks Back," < https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Faerospaceamerica.aiaa.org%2Fdepartments%2Fa-chief-skunk-looks-back%2F&data=05%7C01%7Ctracy%40rose-hulman.edu%7C37b2531de56149c19dd408db4d0fb33c%7C6c373827e5b745a7ae27b17e388fcad4%7C1%7C0%7C638188502078089186%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=UOjajQ%2BApc0G5dc1OJmmQ%2FHFGKvT%2FHfT5rjPZosD0GM%3D&reserved=0 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/a-chief-skunk-looks-back/__;!!IKRxdwAv5BmarQ!ZUSj1LY2tf92Hoj3oIKn7DqIuYNfhMo6VP9gEqdvRm8FSA-t5hGEbDkQhvKK6YRICjyU-k2SNcr12R7-HmH9$>> (interview with Sherm Mullin) /Aerospace America/March 2023
It's taking longer to vote - especially if you are Black or Hispanic < https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Fits-taking-more-time-to-cast-a-ballot-in-us-elections-and-even-longer-for-black-and-hispanic-voters-191711&data=05%7C01%7Ctracy%40rose-hulman.edu%7C37b2531de56149c19dd408db4d0fb33c%7C6c373827e5b745a7ae27b17e388fcad4%7C1%7C0%7C638188502078089186%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=kOkT3GvCzohY1TT3eFj6R%2BRzWrxymdE1sxAHlRZSz0o%3D&reserved=0 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://theconversation.com/its-taking-more-time-to-cast-a-ballot-in-us-elections-and-even-longer-for-black-and-hispanic-voters-191711__;!!IKRxdwAv5BmarQ!ZUSj1LY2tf92Hoj3oIKn7DqIuYNfhMo6VP9gEqdvRm8FSA-t5hGEbDkQhvKK6YRICjyU-k2SNcr12QMoWboE$>>,
On 05-May-23 11:56, Jonathan Coopersmith via Members wrote: theconversation.com < https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2F&data=05%7C01%7Ctracy%40rose-hulman.edu%7C37b2531de56149c19dd408db4d0fb33c%7C6c373827e5b745a7ae27b17e388fcad4%7C1%7C0%7C638188502078089186%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=sNfrdxLr5pwcUh0G%2BgEXI4ewqDhNts50M7M6eduEMwQ%3D&reserved=0 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://theconversation.com/__;!!IKRxdwAv5BmarQ!ZUSj1LY2tf92Hoj3oIKn7DqIuYNfhMo6VP9gEqdvRm8FSA-t5hGEbDkQhvKK6YRICjyU-k2SNcr12a_uA--a$>
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Hi, Jonathan! and all, If there is a good book on why software adoption/modernization fails so often I have missed it, but I have really enjoyed the work of Robert Charette on the topic. I think his first piece on it was simply titled "Why Software Fails <https://spectrum.ieee.org/why-software-fails>" and was published in IEEE Spectrum. He has written several follow ups since then. Bob is easily approachable via email and has a wealth of knowledge about these topics. By the way, he is also the author of the recent 12 part series "The EV Transition Explained," which was also published as an ebook <https://spectrum.ieee.org/ev-transition-explained-ebook> and demonstrates his characteristic insights into system dynamics. Lee On Thu, May 4, 2023 at 7:58 PM Jonathan Coopersmith via Members < members@lists.sigcis.org> wrote:
Any suggestions for a book or article on software modernization failures, especially for large projects? Why do they seem common -- and apparently remain so? Thank you.
Stay sane,
Jonathan
Jonathan Coopersmith Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Professor Emeritus Department of History Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4236 979.739.4708 (cell)
"A Chief Skunk Looks Back," <https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/a-chief-skunk-looks-back/> (interview with Sherm Mullin) *Aerospace America* March 2023
It's taking longer to vote - especially if you are Black or Hispanic <https://theconversation.com/its-taking-more-time-to-cast-a-ballot-in-us-elections-and-even-longer-for-black-and-hispanic-voters-191711> , theconversation.com
Preserving space archives: https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/
*FAXED. The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine* (Johns Hopkins University Press)
_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org
-- Associate Professor Department of Science, Technology, and Society Virginia Tech leevinsel.com @STS_News
Hi Jonathan (et al.), You might be interested in the piece I did for IEEE Spectrum in 2020 “Inside the Hidden World of Legacy IT Systems <https://spectrum.ieee.org/inside-hidden-world-legacy-it-systems> ” – at the end you’ll see a short list of legacy-related failures going back a decade. I also did a podcast <https://spectrum.ieee.org/legacy-system> regarding the article as well. You can also refer to a multi-piece set of articles I wrote for IEEE Spectrum in 2015 that was a follow-on to the 2005 “Why Software Fails” article Lee mentioned titled “Lessons from a Decade of IT Failures <https://spectrum.ieee.org/lessons-from-a-decade-of-it-failures> .” You’ll see a number of IT modernization project failures discussed. If you are focused on government IT systems, you might like to peruse the article I wrote for IEEE Computer, “Dragging Government Legacy Systems Out of the Shadows <https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7562333> ” in 2016. A May 2023 US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report titles, “Agencies Need to Continue Addressing Critical Legacy Systems” <https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106821> illustrates not much has changed from what I highlighted. BTW, I’ll also be doing a podcast for Red Hat on legacy software later this summer. The short answer to your question as to why modernization Failures are so common and remain so is, as Les Hatton Emeritus Professor of Forensic Software Engineering, Kingston University said long ago, “The most significant reason software fails is that we don’t learn from our mistakes.” Cheers, Bob Charette From: Lee Vinsel <lee.vinsel@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, May 29, 2023 11:23 AM To: Jonathan Coopersmith <j-coopersmith@tamu.edu> Cc: SIGCIS <members@sigcis.org> Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] software modernization failures Hi, Jonathan! and all, If there is a good book on why software adoption/modernization fails so often I have missed it, but I have really enjoyed the work of Robert Charette on the topic. I think his first piece on it was simply titled "Why Software Fails <https://spectrum.ieee.org/why-software-fails> " and was published in IEEE Spectrum. He has written several follow ups since then. Bob is easily approachable via email and has a wealth of knowledge about these topics. By the way, he is also the author of the recent 12 part series "The EV Transition Explained," which was also published as an ebook <https://spectrum.ieee.org/ev-transition-explained-ebook> and demonstrates his characteristic insights into system dynamics. Lee On Thu, May 4, 2023 at 7:58 PM Jonathan Coopersmith via Members <members@lists.sigcis.org <mailto:members@lists.sigcis.org> > wrote: Any suggestions for a book or article on software modernization failures, especially for large projects? Why do they seem common -- and apparently remain so? Thank you. Stay sane, Jonathan Jonathan Coopersmith Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Professor Emeritus Department of History Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4236 979.739.4708 (cell) <https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/a-chief-skunk-looks-back/> "A Chief Skunk Looks Back," (interview with Sherm Mullin) Aerospace America March 2023 It's taking longer to vote - especially if you are Black or Hispanic <https://theconversation.com/its-taking-more-time-to-cast-a-ballot-in-us-elections-and-even-longer-for-black-and-hispanic-voters-191711> , theconversation.com <http://theconversation.com/> Preserving space archives: https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/ FAXED. The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine (Johns Hopkins University Press) _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org <http://sigcis.org> , the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org -- Associate Professor Department of Science, Technology, and Society Virginia Tech leevinsel.com <http://leevinsel.com> @STS_News
Hi Lee, Do not know if this would be of any interest or use...I wrote a short book chapter case or failure study of the Control Data Corporation's Advanced Logistic System for the USAF--software and real time networked global system. CDC was the main contractor on this system to coordinate all supplies, weapons, personnel, food, medicine, etc. in real time. It would have been the largest logistics system in the world if it worked. The system never worked in real time, its whole purpose. It was a giant failure, roughly a $250 million plus software project in the first half of the 1970s. As such, it is one of the largest failed software projects up to that point (perhaps the largest) in the 1970s. As I cite, Willis Ware (who I interviewed and I also researched his papers and did research at the RAND Archives) was Chief Scientist of the Air Force (in addition to head of CS at RAND) and he warned the Air Force it would fail and he was right. Jeffrey R. Yost. Materiel Command and the Materiality of Commands: An Historical Examination of the US Air Force, Control Data Corporation, and the Advanced Logistics System in Arthur Tatnall's History of Computing IFIP Proceedings published by Springer (2010). Here is the link Title (springer.com) <https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-642-15199-6_10.pdf> Best, Jeff *Please connect at:* *Mastodon <https://mastodon.social/@JustCodeCulture> Twitter <https://twitter.com/justcodeculture> ** Linkedin <https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-yost-b714566>* *Jeffrey Yost, Ph.D. * Director, Charles Babbage Institute <http://www.cse.umn.edu/cbi>; Research Professor, History Sci/Tech/Med 222 21st Avenue South, University of Minnesota; Minneapolis, MN 55455 *Studies in Computing and Culture book series, Johns Hopkins U. Press * Co-Editor *PI, NSF-funded CBI project "Mining a Useable Past: Perspectives, Paradoxes, and Possibilities with Security and Privacy."* *Blockchain & Society Blog and Site* <https://www.blockchainandsociety.com> (Founder/Leader) *Interfaces: Essays and Reviews in Computing and Culture <https://cse.umn.edu/cbi/interfaces> *Co-Editor (w/ Amanda Wick) *Committee Member, National Academy of Engineering Extraordinary Engineering Impacts on Society* *Making IT Work: A History of the Computer Services Industry (MIT Press) <https://amzn.to/3gqe4R6>* On Mon, May 29, 2023 at 10:23 AM Lee Vinsel via Members < members@lists.sigcis.org> wrote:
Hi, Jonathan! and all,
If there is a good book on why software adoption/modernization fails so often I have missed it, but I have really enjoyed the work of Robert Charette on the topic. I think his first piece on it was simply titled "Why Software Fails <https://spectrum.ieee.org/why-software-fails>" and was published in IEEE Spectrum. He has written several follow ups since then. Bob is easily approachable via email and has a wealth of knowledge about these topics. By the way, he is also the author of the recent 12 part series "The EV Transition Explained," which was also published as an ebook <https://spectrum.ieee.org/ev-transition-explained-ebook> and demonstrates his characteristic insights into system dynamics.
Lee
On Thu, May 4, 2023 at 7:58 PM Jonathan Coopersmith via Members < members@lists.sigcis.org> wrote:
Any suggestions for a book or article on software modernization failures, especially for large projects? Why do they seem common -- and apparently remain so? Thank you.
Stay sane,
Jonathan
Jonathan Coopersmith Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Professor Emeritus Department of History Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4236 979.739.4708 (cell)
"A Chief Skunk Looks Back," <https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/a-chief-skunk-looks-back/> (interview with Sherm Mullin) *Aerospace America* March 2023
It's taking longer to vote - especially if you are Black or Hispanic <https://theconversation.com/its-taking-more-time-to-cast-a-ballot-in-us-elections-and-even-longer-for-black-and-hispanic-voters-191711> , theconversation.com
Preserving space archives: https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/
*FAXED. The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine* (Johns Hopkins University Press)
_______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org
-- Associate Professor Department of Science, Technology, and Society Virginia Tech leevinsel.com @STS_News _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org
To add to then case studies, the situation with the UK Postal Service and the Fujitsu-developed software, named “Horizon,” led to some postmasters being convicted of theft and embezzlement, and some even ending their own lives, when the faulty software — which Fujitsu knew did not work properly — made it seem that thousands of pounds were missing from numerous postal offices around the country. It is still unresolved, to my knowledge: Fujitsu: How a Japanese firm became part of the Post Office scandal https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61020075 I personally often recall the PeopleSoft disaster that took place at the University of Wisconsin about 25 years ago. Considering that these systems are typically sold on a claim that they can reduce personnel overhead and streamline operations — and invariably run millions, if not billions, over and rarely, if ever, are able to deliver the full gamut of features and functionality promised — one must ask just what exactly the point is. Enriching private corporations from publicly-funded entities seems like one key answer… —Sarah ——— S a r a h T. R o b e r t s, P h. D. Faculty Director, UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry | Co-Director, Minderoo Initiative on Technology & Power https://www.c2i2.ucla.edu/ Associate Professor Department of Gender Studies University of California, Los Angeles https://gender.ucla.edu/ Department of Information Studies School of Education & Information Studies University of California, Los Angeles https://is.gseis.ucla.edu/ Behind the Screen (Yale University Press) https://www.behindthescreen-book.com/ TO SCHEDULE ONLINE MEETING: https://calendly.com/dr-sarah-t-roberts and choose category **Please note: I’m increasingly finding email unmanageable. If I don’t respond and your issue is urgent, please resend and indicate that in the subject line. Thank you. On May 29, 2023, at 10:32, Jeffrey Yost via Members <members@lists.sigcis.org> wrote: Hi Lee, Do not know if this would be of any interest or use...I wrote a short book chapter case or failure study of the Control Data Corporation's Advanced Logistic System for the USAF--software and real time networked global system. CDC was the main contractor on this system to coordinate all supplies, weapons, personnel, food, medicine, etc. in real time. It would have been the largest logistics system in the world if it worked. The system never worked in real time, its whole purpose. It was a giant failure, roughly a $250 million plus software project in the first half of the 1970s. As such, it is one of the largest failed software projects up to that point (perhaps the largest) in the 1970s. As I cite, Willis Ware (who I interviewed and I also researched his papers and did research at the RAND Archives) was Chief Scientist of the Air Force (in addition to head of CS at RAND) and he warned the Air Force it would fail and he was right. Jeffrey R. Yost. Materiel Command and the Materiality of Commands: An Historical Examination of the US Air Force, Control Data Corporation, and the Advanced Logistics System in Arthur Tatnall's History of Computing IFIP Proceedings published by Springer (2010). Here is the link Title (springer.com)<https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-642-15199-6_10.pdf> Best, Jeff Please connect at: Mastodon<https://mastodon.social/@JustCodeCulture> Twitter<https://twitter.com/justcodeculture> Linkedin<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-yost-b714566> Jeffrey Yost, Ph.D. Director, Charles Babbage Institute<http://www.cse.umn.edu/cbi>; Research Professor, History Sci/Tech/Med 222 21st Avenue South, University of Minnesota; Minneapolis, MN 55455 Studies in Computing and Culture book series, Johns Hopkins U. Press Co-Editor PI, NSF-funded CBI project "Mining a Useable Past: Perspectives, Paradoxes, and Possibilities with Security and Privacy." Blockchain & Society Blog and Site<https://www.blockchainandsociety.com> (Founder/Leader) Interfaces: Essays and Reviews in Computing and Culture<https://cse.umn.edu/cbi/interfaces> Co-Editor (w/ Amanda Wick) Committee Member, National Academy of Engineering Extraordinary Engineering Impacts on Society Making IT Work: A History of the Computer Services Industry (MIT Press)<https://amzn.to/3gqe4R6> On Mon, May 29, 2023 at 10:23 AM Lee Vinsel via Members <members@lists.sigcis.org<mailto:members@lists.sigcis.org>> wrote: Hi, Jonathan! and all, If there is a good book on why software adoption/modernization fails so often I have missed it, but I have really enjoyed the work of Robert Charette on the topic. I think his first piece on it was simply titled "Why Software Fails<https://spectrum.ieee.org/why-software-fails>" and was published in IEEE Spectrum. He has written several follow ups since then. Bob is easily approachable via email and has a wealth of knowledge about these topics. By the way, he is also the author of the recent 12 part series "The EV Transition Explained," which was also published as an ebook<https://spectrum.ieee.org/ev-transition-explained-ebook> and demonstrates his characteristic insights into system dynamics. Lee On Thu, May 4, 2023 at 7:58 PM Jonathan Coopersmith via Members <members@lists.sigcis.org<mailto:members@lists.sigcis.org>> wrote: Any suggestions for a book or article on software modernization failures, especially for large projects? Why do they seem common -- and apparently remain so? Thank you. Stay sane, Jonathan Jonathan Coopersmith Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Professor Emeritus Department of History Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-4236 979.739.4708 (cell) "A Chief Skunk Looks Back,"<https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/departments/a-chief-skunk-looks-back/> (interview with Sherm Mullin) Aerospace America March 2023 It's taking longer to vote - especially if you are Black or Hispanic<https://theconversation.com/its-taking-more-time-to-cast-a-ballot-in-us-elections-and-even-longer-for-black-and-hispanic-voters-191711>, theconversation.com<http://theconversation.com/> Preserving space archives: https://www.toboldlypreserve.space/ FAXED. The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine (Johns Hopkins University Press) _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org<http://sigcis.org>, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org -- Associate Professor Department of Science, Technology, and Society Virginia Tech leevinsel.com<http://leevinsel.com> @STS_News _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org<http://sigcis.org>, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org
participants (9)
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Ben Gansky -
Brian E Carpenter -
Foster, David -
Jeffrey Yost -
Jonathan Coopersmith -
Lee Vinsel -
rncharette＠ieee.org -
Roberts, Sarah -
Tracy, Kim