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I would imagine that completing a software project ahead of schedule is like being told by your doctor that you’re too healthy, or having your accountant tell you that you have too much money, but apparently it does happen. The forums on Dice.com prove it.
So what should one do if they find themselves in this situation? Play Spider Solitaire? Chit chat with co-workers? Name all the South American countries on Sporcle.com? While those ideas are well and good, there are slightly more productive ways of spending your free time. Here are a few suggestions:
Make sure you’re really done! Of course, in the broader sense, there is no such thing as “done” when it comes to software development projects. Certain tasks might be done – iterations even – but there is always work to be completed. This especially true if you’re working in an Agile environment or adhere to continuous integration and testing. Here’s an excerpt from a recent Gartner report on agile development on the importance of properly defining “done”:
It is important that the definition of done be comprehensive. Because of agile’s focus on finding the simplest solution to the problem, there is a tendency to try to have no design, end user or operation documentation. This should be addressed by including the required documents in the definition of done. Done can include a review by stakeholders such as architects, database administrators and security/compliance officers.
Consider the corner cases. This one is specifically for testers. It can be tempting to complete a set of test cases and consider it a job well done. But as others have pointed out, many serious issues won’t be discovered this way. As Michael Bolton once wrote on our blog:
“Real testing, to me, should be based on investigating how the software allows people to deal with what we call ‘exceptions’ or ‘corner cases.’ That’s what we call them, but if we bothered to look, we’d find out that they were a lot more common than we realize; routine, even.”
Figure out what’s next. This is for the independent contractors out there. This very honest answer comes from the Dice.com thread mentioned earlier. Take a look (emphasis added):
All of my projects in the last two years have been completed on time, ahead of schedule or way ahead of schedule. As a consultant working for a client finishing a project early can end my gig early. Try looking within the company for the next project to manage or at least get involved in some existing project as a facilitator. The bottom line is you want to do the best possible job for your client, even if that means you’re looking for another engagement sooner than you had planned. If you just keep busy you hurt the client and yourself. Keep your mind fully engaged and active. Even if the client doesn’t mind paying to keep you on hold until another project comes along, unless you’re in your cubicle studying for a certification or earning PDUs, you’re going to disadvantage yourself in the end.
What do you do when a project is completed ahead of schedule? Let us know in the comments section below.
