Don't accept thin rationales for customization. "Our users wanted the UI redone to suit our corporate needs, so we're serving the customer," is one familiar refrain--until deadlines start slipping. By the end of the project, assuming it isn't killed, you start hearing, "We have to limit the amount of change ... " or "This project is too far over budget--what can we cut?"
I'm an application developer by choice. Customization makes us feel like we have more control, but reinventing the wheel costs us millions of dollars each year. Help your users understand that customization is the path of last resort.
In the end, most users would be happier with an on-time implementation that doesn't quite meet each little requirement than a project that runs months over schedule or thousands of dollars over budget. Understand what your users really need. Know how to explain the costs to them clearly, in their own terms. Wherever possible, simplify projects to deliver them on time.
Don MacVittie is a technology editor at Network Computing. Previously, he worked at WPS Resources as an application engineer. Write to him at [email protected].
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