earned value
I am researching how to apply earned value, with appropriate adjustment to my organization. Not really as it was defined by those guys in DoD. Again, software projects have more complexity than other projects. Lots of intangible things. Cost of labor is hard to be measured. Well, actually the cost is not so hard, but the expertise is.
Well, maybe it’s not that complicated as it seems. But I am still thinking…
What do I really want? Measurable individual contribution to project success. Earned value is promising. But I don’t want too much complexities. It has to be very practical. One consideration is that earned value requires project plan to be detailed. Total cost or value have to be well defined. Can I just make it simple? Maybe yes, maybe not.
Some professionals do one or two weeks project, 1 person only, and their company get 15000-20000 USD. I remember when I moved from smaller company to bigger one, my old company yearly target is equal to price of one single project.
Just like art work. Great artists get their painting sold many times than beginner.
I can say, it’s a matter of engagement. Big company deals with big company using large number of money. And so medium vs medium, deals in medium scale. The issue is how to get from here to there.
Make good enough decision each day. So…. let me do my research. Let me develop my own theory: the earned value of artist’s work. Actually I have prepared many to follow… How to manage the intangibles, how to certainly manage the uncertainty without being a wizard.
Also, how to be a lovely pooh…. 
