https://cio-wiki.net//index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Brooks%27s_Law 2026-06-04T07:04:08Z Revision history for this page on the wiki MediaWiki 1.35.1 https://cio-wiki.net//index.php?title=Brooks%27s_Law&diff=17562&oldid=prev 2023-09-04T18:10:10Z

<p>Created page with &quot;&#039;&#039;&#039;Brooks&#039;s Law&#039;&#039;&#039; is an observation about software project management according to which &quot;adding human resources to a late software project makes it later.&quot; This counterintui...&quot;</p> <p><b>New page</b></p><div>'''Brooks's Law''' is an observation about software project management according to which &quot;adding human resources to a late software project makes it later.&quot; This counterintuitive principle was coined by Fred Brooks in his 1975 book &quot;The Mythical Man-Month.&quot;<br /> <br /> <br /> == History ==<br /> Fred Brooks, an American computer architect and software engineer, introduced Brooks's Law in &quot;The Mythical Man-Month,&quot; a book that has become a seminal work in software engineering. The law has been widely acknowledged and cited in software project management literature.<br /> <br /> <br /> == Explanation ==<br /> Brooks's Law suggests that increasing the number of software developers on a project that is already delayed will not speed up the project and may even cause further delays. The reasons for this include:<br /> *Communication Overhead: Adding more people increases the number of channels for communication, leading to complexity.<br /> *Training: New members need to be trained, and this training often comes at the expense of productive team members' time.<br /> *Limited Divisibility of Tasks: Not all tasks can be easily divided among multiple people. Some tasks require specialized skills or are sequential in nature.<br /> *Implications: Understanding Brooks's Law can guide managers to make informed decisions in software development projects, particularly those that are running late. It helps them realize that throwing more manpower at a problem isn't always a solution and may be counterproductive.<br /> <br /> <br /> == Exceptions and Limitations ==<br /> *Simple Tasks: For projects where tasks are independent and don't require specialized skills, adding more people may indeed speed up the project.<br /> *Long-Term Projects: In the context of projects with a long time horizon, the initial slowdown caused by adding more people may be offset by the eventual increase in productivity.<br /> <br /> <br /> == Applications ==<br /> Brooks's Law has been applied not only in software engineering but also in other fields where project management and human resources are key components, such as construction and event planning.<br /> <br /> <br /> == Related Concepts ==<br /> *[[Critical Path Method (CPM)]]<br /> *[[Agile Methodology]]<br /> *[[SCRUM]]<br /> <br /> <br /> == See Also ==<br /> *[[Software Engineering]]<br /> *[[Project Management]]<br /> __NOTOC__</div>

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