How do software engineers architect and design software in the era of agile/scrum?
We embrace scrum with short cycles but that seems to drive out design time in favor of code in order to get it done. What passes for software design these days in the modern age of agile SCRUM?
It seems design is considered top-down, waterfall thinking, but when you step away from a white board the code produced is not usually traceable back to a white board, which essentially a high-level macro.
So what tools or approaches are being used in the white board's place?
6 Replies
Agile SCRUM vs White Board
Consultant 1983-2023: White Board
I am a highly skilled programming language, microcontrollers, IoT, robotics and etc; with over 45 years of experience in various industries. I graduated from McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada with B.Sc. and D.D.S. degrees. I started consulting with small and medium-sized businesses in my native Canada in the mid-eighties and by the mid-nineties I was consulting for large corporate clients like Fannie Mae, KPMG Peat Marwick, Chase Manhattan Foreign Trade Division (Hong Kong), Warner Lambert and a variety of other firms in the Washington, DC and New York City area. Later on I worked with clients in Europe, Mexico, and Latin America.
I have worked, lived and traveled all over the world and I am a trilingual (English, French, and Spanish).
Over the years I have been the CTO of various early stage IT startups, the owner of an IT consulting company (desktop, web, mobile, microcontroller and embedded systems) with clients worldwide, in charge of R&D projects to integrate hardware and software solutions in innovative ways, director of technology for a business software development company, designer and integrator of electronic hardware and head developer on a variety of software and technology projects.
I have seen many trends come and go, good and bad, and lived through many major industry changes. I do deplore some of the current state of the industry, and applaud some of the new trends. My wife had been telling me for years to write about the the industry as we discuss things a lot and she always tells me that I was born to teach, or preach when I get excited about a subject. Since my motto has always been to learn something new daily, and that a wasted day is one where you learn nothing new, I decided to share some of that hard-earned let’s call it "Wisdom" for lack of a better term.
I know that I am considered as a dinosaur in this business where you are considered old when you hit 25, but there are some of us old fogies at over twice that, that are still active and can still provide a full contribution to this or these fields. Besides consulting and custom programming, I also offer electronic hardware integration and design, hardware/software integration as well as R&D services.
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Your extensive experience and diverse background in programming languages, microcontrollers, IoT, robotics, and various industries make your insights invaluable. The contrast between Agile SCRUM and the use of a White Board is interesting, reflecting the evolution of methodologies over the years. It's evident that your wealth of knowledge and trilingual capabilities have contributed to a successful and dynamic career. Sharing your wisdom and experiences in the industry is a commendable way to pass on valuable insights. With your extensive experience spanning over four decades in diverse roles and industries, have you found a particular project or technological trend that stands out as the most impactful or memorable in your career journey?
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Some of the IT Projects Luc Paquin Developed Over the Years (1972-2023)
-Darkroom Enlarger Prints => 555 => 1 second
-Mortgage Pre-Qualification System
Handled the complete development of the database structures, database conversion, database maintenance modules, reporting utilities and various other utilities.
-MaxTan 1 - 5
MaxTan version 1 to 5 is a modular POS system for the indoor tanning industry.
-Decision Support System for the Pharmaceutical Industry
Decision support system and data analysis tool for the pharmaceutical Industry.
-Medical Portal Database System
As part of a major web based medical portal, designed the database backend of the Doctor's information database. Also created applications to automate the searching and extraction of relevant information from various web sources using Internet Explorer automation.
-Kameleon / JLPSoft
Multilingual business management and security solutions that include POS, ticketing, decision support, information (POI)/Point Of Profit (POP)/POS/ticketing kiosks, as well as smartcard and RFID based loyalty schemes. Markets are hospitality (hotels, spas, resorts, fast food, restaurants, bars, etc.), entertainment (cinemas, theatres, sporting events, museums, trade shows, etc.), transportation ticketing, retail, banking, security, and a large variety of other markets.
-Wireless Admission Control System
Integrated wireless admission control system for various venues like theatres, museums, sporting events, etc. The system supports tickets with barcodes, magnetic strips, and RFID tags.
-Airplane Washing System
Touch screen-enabled interface and control software for an automated airplane washing system.
-Switch Testing System
Touch screen-enabled interface and control software for automated airplane thermal switch testing. Integrates control and data logging of thermal dry well, salt calibration thermal bath, oil calibration thermal wet bath, data acquisition of switch test results, output of graphic reports, data output to Oracle, and integration with enterprise-wide ERP.
-Custom Mobile, Web, Kiosk, and Desktop Solution for Grocery and Retail Shopping
Shopping list and shopping management solution that include custom hardware, mobile applications, as well as web, kiosk, and desktop components. The solution utilizes the mobile component in innovative ways including OCR, ICR, barcode, RFID and a push component.
-Deep Meditation Facilitating System
Hardware and software solution that uses various biosensors (EEG, EKG, pulse, skin resistance, skin temperature, dissolved blood oxygen, etc.) to facilitate deep meditation in patients that suffer from chronic pain. We did the preliminary research, tested various types of sensors to find the solution yielding the best results, constructed proof-of-concept prototypes, and planned production prototypes.
-Sport Telemetry System
Wireless hardware and software solution with imbedded sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, etc.) in sporting equipment that tracks the equipment’s movements in real-time. I did the preliminary research, tested various types of sensors to find the solution yielding the best results, constructed proof-of-concept prototypes, and planned production prototypes.
-Etc...
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Your diverse range of IT projects over the years is impressive and showcases your versatility. From developing a Darkroom Enlarger with remarkable precision to intricate projects in the pharmaceutical industry, retail, aviation, and even innovative solutions like the Deep Meditation Facilitating System, each project reflects a unique set of challenges and solutions. Which of these projects stands out to you as the most personally rewarding or challenging, considering the breadth of your experience?