Comparison of construction engineering and software engineering

Similarities and differences of construction and software engineering
Pao Yi November 2002
Architecture is an ancient industry, starting from the pyramid, has been thousands of years of history; Software is a new industry, engineering is only 40 years old. But the software industry absorbs a lot of nutrients from the construction industry, such as patterns. The author also has two construction and software industry work experience, two industries for a simple comparison, please correct me.
Building	Software
Steps	Results	Play	Supervision	Steps	Results	Play	Qa
Overall design	Architectural Effect Chart	User/Architect	Master plan	General Design Book	User/Architect
Survey and Design	Geological Survey Report	Survey Engineer	Module design	Research Report	System Analyst
Design drawings (structure, hydropower, construction machinery, etc.)	Corresponding professional design Engineer	Module Design Book	Each module system analyst
Main construction	Building main body	Main construction Team	Coding	Execute Code Detail Design book	Programmer Tester
Decoration	Final completed Building	Decoration Construction Team	Packaging	Final SOFTWARE PRODUCT	Art, documentation, packaging, printing
In the construction process, the construction team includes workers, technicians, inspectors, equivalent to the software development process of the programmer, the main programmer, tester. Supervision is the equivalent of QA.
The different professions of architectural design need to cooperate with each other, for example, the design of hydropower pipelines must be designed with structure, and the bearing beam must be avoided when the pipe is accommodated. However, it is not possible to design all the details of the full consideration, such as the original design diameter of the water pipe perforation 10cm, can avoid load-bearing beam, but the construction of the use of different brands of water pipes, the diameter of the pipe will cause perforation diameter must be enlarged to 15cm, may conflict with beam and column. Other problems, such as the power line of the elevator should be separated from the power line of the telephone room to avoid interference, and completely rely on the relevant specifications and designer experience. In the construction process, it is often found that such details need to be adjusted in the construction site flexible processing, and will be modified to mark on the design drawings. The final construction drawings shall be subject to the revised drawings of the construction.
The number of details encountered in the construction shows the level of design, and whether the problem can be dealt with quickly, reflects the level of construction. The actual construction team before entering, the technician must first audit the design drawings, as far as possible to identify and solve such details problems.
In the process of building construction, the design scheme is adjusted less. This first because the designers understand that the design of the defects will lead to huge economic losses and even accidents, the design of the audit more attention, thus ensuring the quality; On the other hand, the owners know that the adjustment will lead to increased costs, generally will not easily adjust.
The cost increases in the software development process are more covert and often overlooked. Analysts, programmers out of goodwill and self-confidence, often underestimate the amount of work caused by change, rashly agreed to the user's request for change, while the user often made the request does not have the right to increase costs, in fact, did not pay any fees. Immature users, immature software developers, resulting in project changes out of control.
But software, especially management software, is always in flux. At present, there are two common countermeasures: one is to record a good document, the second is a number of iterations, at any time to give users a usable version, so that users can find the problem as soon as possible, as if the owners will often to the site to observe the actual progress of the same.
As with other industries, the adoption of any new materials and new technologies must be tested in advance to prove their reliability and can be applied in practice. In software projects, examples of the use of new technologies without validation are everywhere.
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