Making It Happen: A Non-Technical Guide to Project Management

12.2. When is the Design Complete?

That evening found me back on Martha's porch inquiring after her health.

"Never felt better!" she declared triumphantly. "Those doctors don't know what they're talking about. It's not the pipe that's killing me, it's time!" She chuckled, took a big pull on her pipe, and blew a smoke ring in my general direction. "How's the project coming?"

I couldn't believe my ears. "Don't you mean assignment, Martha?"

"Just testing, Willie," she said, chuckling some more. "You young people are just a mite too serious."

I brought her up to date, including Al's resignation and Sheila's ideas about the design process.

"That Sheila sounds like a bright girl!" Martha said. "Sounds like you'll be much better off with her as your designer."

"So what do you think about the design process itself?" I asked. "Does it look like it will work?" I felt like a little kid who knows he has 'done good,' and wants recognition from his parents.

Martha pointed the stem of her pipe at me. "You see what a little thinking does? You don't even need my help anymore. Yessir, Willie, I like the looks of your design process. It's right up my alley."

I felt pleased, but I still had concerns. "What do I look for to help the process go smoothly?"

Martha rocked and thought for a moment. "My first suggestion is this: make sure your designer understands the logic of how things must be done before she makes up a schedule for the detailed design. That seemed to be obvious, and I said so. "We'll ...