All Forked Up
I dunno who said it, but paraphrasing whoever did:
Science progresses as a succession of funerals.
Even though more accurate and realistic models that characterize the behavior of mass and energy are continuously being discovered, the only way the older physics models die out is when their adherents kick the bucket.
The same dictum holds true for software development methodologies. In the beginning, there was the Traditional (a.k.a waterfall) methodology and its formally codified variations (RUP, MIL-STD-498, CMMI-DEV, your org’s process, etc). Next, came the Agile fork as a revolutionary backlash against the inhumanity inherent to the traditional way of doing things.
The most recent fork in the methodology march is the cerebral SEMAT (Software Engineering Method And Theory) movement. SEMAT can be interpreted (perhaps wrongly) as a counter-revolution against the success of Agile by scorned, closet traditionalists looking to regain power from the agilistas.
On the other hand, perhaps the Agile and SEMAT camps will form an alliance and put the final nail in the coffin of the old traditional way of doing things before its adherents kick the bucket.
SEMAT co-creator Ivar Jacobson seems to think that hitching SEMAT to the Agile gravy train holds promise for better and faster software development techniques.
Who knows what the future holds? Is another, or should I say, “the next“, fork in the offing?
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Bulldozer00's Blog 
“Here WE Go Again: Will TQM GO the Way of QWL ” an article I conceived and co authored in 1993.
There is nothing new in the world,the problem is to think of it again.
Ask your self what came before Deming,say for example during WW2 ?
I went into a GM plant in 1963and retired in 1999,think of a lll the “programs during those years,the different program flags flying over the plant roof,think of the GM Flint truck plant making HD pick up trucks do you really think any think that “getting from A to Z”has changed for a friend of mine that has been there for over 34 years ?
What would Deming Sat,TQM,TPS,that has morphed into LEAN(that no has so many variants no one can define it,SIX SIGMA(what color belt do you have)AGILE( will the real Agile please stand up ).
What will the corporate witch doctors come up with next.What witches brew of the above ,what will it be called.We have had papers on Deming and TQM (that he publicly rebuked)
Ah,enough said.
Hah! All great points Dick. I guess if one’s not busy doing real work, there’s plenty of time to conjure up (supposedly) new methods/processes/procedures for those doing the work to “follow”.