Question to those that develop business apps...

[StormRider]

For example, say you're a software developer working on business applications involving areas such as payroll, funding and planning, business resource management, financial and contract management, reporting etc.

Do you guys actually have to know about financial management and stuff? Because this stuff seems boring and stupid to me and I'm only interested in "computer" and "electrical engineering" stuff.

I recently had my performance evaluation and my supervisor kind of suggested that I might take a course on financial and contract management as an elective for my masters program in CS. When I read the description of the course in the catelog, I just went, "ewwww, I don't wanna take this".

 

[XZeroII]

Yes, you have to know about what you are developing. I developed some estimating software for a wholesale crane company and I had to pretty much learn the trade to do it.

 

[Argo]

Same here, I develop J2EE portal application dealing with CPG industry and I've learned a lot about it. In fact, I know more about it, than I ever wanted to know.

 

[Maverick]

developing that crap is for MIS majors...CS majors will be bored to death in jobs like that.

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: Shiva112
developing that crap is for MIS majors...CS majors will be bored to death in jobs like that.

yeah You're CS and doing that? I mean yeah if you just want to code for the business world you are gonna have to do that, but it seems you could have found a different route besides CS...

 

[kranky]

Writing software that doesn't require any knowledge of the process is the type of work that is being sent overseas to be done. If you understand the business and a little about finance, your value is much higher.

I've practically made a career out of identifying where software can be used to save money. I know how the business works, I know a little about the finances, and I know a bit about programming. Even though I can't program, and I'm not an accountant, and don't have an MBA, the combination of the three areas I know have enabled me to do very well.

Your supervisor is giving you good advice, trust me.

 

[StormRider]

Originally posted by: Shiva112
developing that crap is for MIS majors...CS majors will be bored to death in jobs like that.

I think I don't fit in well in my current group because of that. I have an EE/CS/Math background and this stuff is boring as crap to me. I was lucky to get this job during the job boom market but I really wish I could move to another group that is better suited for my interests. This is one of the reasons why I am taking courses and working for a MS in CS. A lot of the teachers also work in the place I'm working at and I hope that if I do well in their course, it will make it easier for me to move to another department/group.

 

[StormRider]

Originally posted by: kranky
Writing software that doesn't require any knowledge of the process is the type of work that is being sent overseas to be done. If you understand the business and a little about finance, your value is much higher.

I've practically made a career out of identifying where software can be used to save money. I know how the business works, I know a little about the finances, and I know a bit about programming. Even though I can't program, and I'm not an accountant, and don't have an MBA, the combination of the three areas I know have enabled me to do very well.

Your supervisor is giving you good advice, trust me.

Yeah, you're probably right. I would rather learn about the business processes as part of a task doing a "requirement analysis" phase of a software project though. I prefer the emphasis on my career to be on software engineering instead of as a "financial type guy".

 

[CChaos]

I really know very little about the business side of the application I work on. I don't know if it's because there are so many developers and we just focus on the interface, but I'm more concerned with what I need to do and how to do it than why it needs to work a certain way. In other words, the data folks worry about the business logic.

 

[kranky]

Originally posted by: StormRider
Yeah, you're probably right. I would rather learn about the business processes as part of a task doing a "requirement analysis" phase of a software project though. I prefer the emphasis on my career to be on software engineering instead of as a "financial type guy".

Ah! That's EXACTLY why you should take the course! You need that background in order to properly do a requirements analysis. It won't make you a "financial type guy" but it will make it possible for you to understand users, who are pretty bad at articulating their needs.