Comments on: Does code base structure follow organization structure? http://p.einarsen.no/does-code-base-structure-follow-organization-structure/ Thu, 14 Jul 2011 22:53:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Trevor http://p.einarsen.no/does-code-base-structure-follow-organization-structure/comment-page-1/#comment-1169 Trevor Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:47:06 +0000 http://p.einarsen.no/does-code-base-structure-follow-organization-structure/#comment-1169 Well, organization and code structure could be similar if the people creating the organization's hierarchy are also the same kind of people doing the employing, or at least managing the things that determine whether employees stay with the organization or leave. The chances are, though, that at any time there will be a mix of employees at least to some extent trying to reproduce the type of code structure in which they believe. Whether this would be a good or bad thing, in my opinion, is whether the customer can accept the product. Even though most of the code might be transparent to the customer, when it comes time to talk about new features one might find that a hierarchically structured code lacks the flexibility to match the changing needs of a customer with a more flat structured organization. And vice versa. In terms of business success as a supplier, it might be worth having on board people capable of understanding the essential need in people for hierarchical, or flat, structures so that the code produced does not lock out the other type of structure. Well, organization and code structure could be similar if the people creating the organization’s hierarchy are also the same kind of people doing the employing, or at least managing the things that determine whether employees stay with the organization or leave. The chances are, though, that at any time there will be a mix of employees at least to some extent trying to reproduce the type of code structure in which they believe.

Whether this would be a good or bad thing, in my opinion, is whether the customer can accept the product. Even though most of the code might be transparent to the customer, when it comes time to talk about new features one might find that a hierarchically structured code lacks the flexibility to match the changing needs of a customer with a more flat structured organization. And vice versa. In terms of business success as a supplier, it might be worth having on board people capable of understanding the essential need in people for hierarchical, or flat, structures so that the code produced does not lock out the other type of structure.

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