Software Deployment

I'd say the biggest factors are speed and stability of their packages. Then again, how would you measure it? Some apps take longer to package than others. Some apps are easier to stabilize in a package than others. Some apps require complex custom actions, some don't. Without long-term packaging records, the only way to measure it is have all the packagers package the same application. Not exactly feasable.

What are you trying to measure? Skill level of the group as a whole, or individuals in that group?

thats what i'm thinking.. have them package a single application and do a simple evaluation from individual packages they created.. and also we're doing a per individual evaluation..

thanks very much for your reply..
rick

The "packaging test" approach will kill their productivity for a fairly sizable time period. If they've been working together for a while, you might also want to take a "peer review" approach. Interview each one of them privately and discuss the skill level of their peers. The packagers know who has the skill and knowledge. Who to go to when you have a question, etc. Look at the responses from two angles. First look at the opinions supplied by a single person and consider if the opinions are honest or if there is an alterior motive in there. Then look at all the opinions regarding a single individual, considering any trends you might have noticed in the first step. That will give a good indicator of an individual's true skill level.

thanks vikingloki.. i'll start on this first.

warm regards
rick

I have 2 simple tests to test someone.

Adobe Reader......any version.
Winzip with the commandline interface ...any version.

You can't use the vendor msi's and you can't place any files in the System32 folder.

These always seem like they would be easy but they aren't as we all know.

Adobe Reader has to run FIRST time from a number of scenarios.....like from a html page or perhaps opening an attachment pdf in an email so its not as easy as it sounds. Not everyone is going to run it from the advertised shortcut first time. It has HKCU keys that have to populate.

Winzip is the same and you also have to take into consideration removing it cleanly for the next version which has almost identical registry keys....remember I said "almost". If Winzip doesn't find the exact keys its expecting then it reports to the user that it isn't installed correctly.

I reckon those 2 would test a person :)

I agree with VikingLoki too and perhaps you should try to find the "go to" guy in the team and get his feedback on the others and theirs on him.