Isolation does not foster innovation in IT
- Posted:
- 17:08 14 Oct 2004
- Topics:
- Software Development
IT cannot deliver value in business
applications without the board understanding the need for
development within a more standardised framework
A failed application development project not only has cost
implications that could affect the company's finance, but its
effect on business strategy could leave embarrassing questions from
shareholders for the board to answer.
Application development work spans integration projects, deployment
of new technologies, productivity applications for internal
employees or customer-facing access applications. The scope of
application development has changed from large application
development projects to more fragmented ones. The new danger is
that smaller projects, which generally mean faster deployment, work
in isolation of the bigger picture.
There can be a significant difference between articulated business
strategy and vision and the execution in the supporting software
build process. The gap between strategy (theory) and software
delivery (practice) is often poorly mapped and, in too many cases,
dealt with insufficiently. It is one of the main reasons why
software development projects, and the IT departments responsible
for their delivery, often fail to meet the needs of the
business.
So if sloppy implementation of IT is the problem, why does this
come about? The answer almost certainly lies with senior
management's unwillingness to understand the development processes
behind their IT.
There is little evidence to suggest that senior level management
applies much discipline to managing changes. They are, for the most
part, not interested in getting bogged down with technical issues.
So despite the fact that chief executives know that change poses a
risk - and changes to IT systems pose even greater risks - there is
a tendency to avoid the issue rather than face it.
Changes to business processes often trigger changes to IT systems.
So when a new business process is raised, or a significant
modification is required, the CEO needs to ascertain from the chief
information officer whether this change will have an impact on the
company's IT systems.
If there is an IT impact there is a business requirement to have
the appropriate tools and processes, together with sufficiently
skilled people, to implement the changes.
Companies often fail to approach software development with the same
type of discipline generally applied to engineering and
manufacturing projects - the same principles that govern any
successful business unit.
Too often, core principles such as well-defined processes,
standards, discipline, design, patterns and the use of
well-established frameworks are lacking in software development
practices. This is partially the fault of IT departments, which are
often seduced by new technologies and strategies rather than being
guided by a long-term plan.
Innovating from tried-and-tested implementations is another maxim
that underpins more mature disciplines such as civil engineering.
However, constant reinvention plagues many software development
approaches, resulting in delay, lack of consistency and poor
quality.
Where too much choice has increasingly been a problem rather than
an advantage, software suppliers could justifiably stand accused of
reacting to the market rather than shaping it. This, however, is
starting to change.
Software firms are now taking more of a lead in driving discipline
into the software development and delivery process. They have
recognised the push for greater accountability at all levels of the
organisation.
The focus from the likes of IBM, Microsoft, Borland and Compuware
has been on making the development process more robust, predictable
and capable of delivering quality. All have launched initiatives
and products that go right to the core of addressing the problems
within the software development process.
For example, standards bodies such as the Object Management Group
have been driving processes and formal frameworks for developing
applications that, while targeting the supplier community, better
serve the end-user. Innovation still exists but within a more
standardised framework. So developing and delivering maintainable
applications, which integrate well and capitalise past technology
and application investments, is certainly within the reach of all
organisations.
Businesses will never realise the value of IT while those on the
board, in particular the CEO and the chief financial officer - who
are ultimately responsible for directing the business strategically
and financially - abdicate the responsibility of enforcing
standards within the software development process.
Although having the correct technology in place is important,
process and methodology, which are often overlooked, are equally
important. The development process is as much about project
management and execution, business cultural acceptance, politics
and effective communication as it is about coding. The success of a
software development project requires buy-in from all parts of the
organisation, staff, business units and senior management.
If your business is planning to rely on software applications to
deliver valuable and vital business goals, then the software
development process needs to be on the board's agenda. After all,
like any other process that affects the success of the business, it
deserves their attention.
Key drivers for development success
- Better tool support that focuses on process, communication and roles. IBM and Microsoft have driven this direction, but are being closely followed by other tools suppliers such as Borland and Compuware
- Maturity in the integrated development environment with wide industry support rallying around two leading environments: Eclipse and Visual Studio
- Supplier-wide initiatives focusing on optimising the development process with improved quality and corporate control: for example, Borland's application lifecycle management strategy and Compuware and Mercury Interactive's software testing and corporate governance stance
- Growing recognition within the supplier community of the overlapping relationship between software development, integration and business process management
- The drive and support by suppliers for better approaches to the development and deployment of services-based applications
- Greater support for automation, project execution, resource management, design and more disciplined approaches that are based on widely adopted standards, patterns and frameworks.
Source: Ovum
Bola Rotibi heads the application development research stream
of Ovum's Software Architectures Advisory service
