Search  
RU EN

Boat Anchor

Source:
Views:
3383
Boat Anchor favorites 0

AntiPattern Problem

A Boat Anchor is a piece of software or hardware that serves no useful purpose on the current project. Often, the Boat Anchor is a costly acquisition, which makes the purchase even more ironic.

The reasons for acquiring a Boat Anchor are usually compelling at the time. For example, a policy or programmatic relationship may require the purchase and usage of a particular piece of hardware or software. This is a starting assumption (or constraint) of the software project. Another compelling reason is when a key manager is convinced of the utility of the acquisition.

A sales practice called "very important person (VIP) marketing" targets the sales pitch at senior decision makers who have buying authority. VIP marketing often focuses on chief executive officers of small- to medium-size corporations. A commitment to the product is made without proper technical evaluation.

Anchor

The consequences for managers and software developers are that significant effort may have to be devoted to making the product work.

After a significant investment of time and resources, the technical staff realizes that the product is useless in the current context, and abandons it for another technical approach. Eventually, the Boat Anchor is set aside and gathers dust in some corner (if it's hardware).

Refactored Solution

Good engineering practice includes the provision for technical backup, an alternative approach that can be instituted with minimal software rework. The selection of technical backup is an important risk-mitigation strategy.

Technical backups should be identified for most infrastructure technologies (upon which most software depends), and for other technologies in high-risk areas. Technical backups should be evaluated along with critical-path technologies in the selection process. Prototyping with evaluation licenses (available from most vendors) is recommended for both critical-path and back-up technologies.

Related AntiPatterns

Rational decision making is explained in the solution to the Irrational Management AntiPattern. Rational decision making can be used as an objective technology selection process to identify Boat Anchors prior to acquisition. The solution to the Smoke and Mirrors AntiPattern describes the practices for prepurchase technology evaluation, including review of product documentation and train-before-you-buy.

Similar
Oct 17, 2024
Author: walter Torricos
Intro What is the Result pattern? Basically it is a great way to write error-tolerant code that can be composed. Do you feel that phrase sounds familiar? If you like F# you are right, I’ve taken it from the Results...
Sep 6, 2023
Author: Kenji Elzerman
To write files with C#, you have to know how to do it. The basics aren’t rocket science. There are a few lines of code you need to know. But writing and reading files with C# is something every beginning...
Jan 18, 2023
Author: Denilson Nastacio
Naming, but not in the way you think. Our knowledge represents a minute portion of reality. Names are the visible portion of that knowledge. Phil Karlton once said, “there are only two hard things in Computer Science: cache invalidation and...
Oct 21, 2023
Background This is one of the most common AntiPatterns in the industry. Frequently, a vendor, specifically a database vendor, will advocate using its growing product suite as a solution to most of the needs of an organization. Given the initial...
Send message
Type
Email
Your name
*Message