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Gaps in responsibility is a major factor (Score:1)
'Because she didn't understand one of the lines of the spec, her software deletes cancelled products rather than marking them as "discontinued."'
This is an example of a gap in product knowledge. Alice certainly is technically capable of marking products discontinued. Not enough attention was put into managing the product. This is different than project management, which focuses on ensuring the project is proceeding according to schedule and has adequate resources.
There are three distinct managerial roles here. The first is technical, which involves ensuring that the product is technically sound. The second is product, which ensures the pragmatic goals being touted to the client are going to be met. The third is administrative. Make sure the project is on time, has enough resources, and handle the balance between the multifaceted goals of the project
Each role requires different skills, and most people who are good at one of the three niches are that way because they are focused on that niche. The programmer can fill the technical managerial role, a sales/marketing/qa person can fill the product role, and the operations person can fill the administrative role in smaller companies if necessary. But one thing I have found common to projects which succeed in all of these three metrics is good communication between the three different roles. That is the key to delivering a solid solution which is low on defects and meets the deadline.
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