Hi Gerry,

With this story I totaly agree!

I also think the 80/20 rule should be implemented a lot more. Just like the Deming Circel (Plan Do Check Act) is a good handle on making you're project more efficient..

I haven't been arrount as long as you have in this stuff..(Actually you're experience is my exact age!)

Personally I love to work with checklists up front. You can catogorize Word in to different areas and for al off those areas I have checklist that I can discuss with the client. (And they do help with don't forgetting stuff)

So that's the rough part..after that you build a lite sollution and have them test that...(and yes the questions and changes are rolling in right now...but you expect this)

After this fase you put on paper what the client exactly want's and double confirm on his agreements. (And agree on the fact that al afterward changes to the design will be coded in a totaly different project will start on after this one is accepted)

Now you're ready to normalize you're sollution and start coding..(The path to follow allready there in the code)

Then comes the testing, implementing, doing the helpdesk part..documentation...

And making shure the customer is happy with the sollution provided.

Propably forgetting a lot that is going on but that isn't the issue..

But yeah it is word thinking about stuff in front..that saves the most headaces and Time related issues whit the project..

Hope on seeing you arround!