Lessons Learned on Five Large-Scale System Developments

This paper considers five categories lessons learned on an equal number of large-scale projects. The lessons concern project difficulties caused by thinking that's stuck in the present, excessive faith in code re-use, failure to see the big picture, absence of independent failure analysis, and estimation processes driven by fear and ignorance. The first step for minimizing these difficulties is to recognize them. The next step, as a goal, is to encourage thinking that benefits the entire organization rather than the project.