Always remember that computer systems have humans at both ends

We should never forget that computing is a human activity that should be used to improve human lives. All computer systems ultimately have humans at both ends: the humans that use the systems, and the humans that build and run those systems.

Unfortunately, the business of building, running and maintaining computer systems can often be so difficult that, in the process of organising programmes, building teams, hiring partners, and writing plans, we forget about the humans. Indeed, for many years, the methods most large companies companies followed to build computer systems seemed designed to squeeze the humanity out of those methods and systems.

If you work for a large enterprise, you have probably been involved in some way in a technology project, even if you have never worked as part of a technology team. You may have been on the receiving end of new software or changed systems, or may have had the opportunity to define requirements or test changes. You may also have heard the term ‘waterfall project’ and picked up the impression that we don’t like waterfall projects any more - even though we still seem to spend huge amounts of time, effort and money executing them.