Communication for the Software Consultant

A hypothetical situation introduces the reader to the software consultant, an independent businessman who writes computer programs for others and who is a professional communicator. With the customer and a systems analyst to assist the customer, the consultant engages in a communication process which is the core of his business. Each of the three parties has different goals and abilities which affect the design and development of the computer programs. By the use of a simple communication model, a typical software development project is reviewed. Communication is seen as a composite for the project, with the process at each stage forming part of the whole. The paper is descriptive in nature, leaving development of a prescriptive model for the software consultant to future investigation.