Abstract :
I work in software development for process control and test. In the last nine months I have encountered the same worrying scenario four times. A company has a new project involving a relatively complex system. They decide to get the software written by a programmer (either an employee or a contractor) who has only a little experience. It takes a long time to complete and they have to draft in extra help from another programmer or two. Everyone is under a lot of stress but eventually it gets completed.