Mark,
This can be an issue, however I think it is easily solved.
1) Use a mean between the most efficient and least efficient programmers times, since it could be either one (and probably both) who work on it.
In many situations, your more efficient programmer is managing your less efficient programmers, so the more efficient one will have an idea of what that 'mean' time will be, and maybe even give that to you from the start knowing full well that he/she might not do all the work on it.
2) Keep good programmers around.
This is not as simple as is sounds, since we all know programmers (me included) are moody beasts. But I know for me, if I am challanged and feel respected, I will stick around. Its only when I am bored and don't feel like I am contributing and respected that I will start surfing the job boards during my lunch hour.
The basic idea is that you try to avoid having too much of a difference between the most efficient programmers and the least efficient, and therefore reduce this problem as a whole while also increasing the quality of your product (and you can see all the futher benefits I'm sure).
Hope this helps.
BTW - Interesting thread, it got me thinking more analytically about my own approach.
Steve
On Nov 4, 2004, at 10:18 AM, Mark Stosberg wrote:
I also have a follow-up question:
Another real world constraint is that sometimes by the time the client approves the quote, I'm involved in another project and it works better logistically to have another programmer complete the task (or help with it).
Since programmers are not "plug and play units", we have different levels of efficiency.
What, if anything, do you to do address this in estimates? Perhaps you
feel there's generally "programmer parity" and don't worry so much about
this.
I, for one, know I can feel uneasy if I have to work on a budget for programming work that I didn't contribute to myself.
Mark
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