Advanced Delivery Methodology

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Advanced Delivery Methodology

• Courtesy of

Data Management That Works
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Why use a Methodology?

• To help use resources wisely
• To help ensure that systems meet owners and
  users expectations
• To help standardize projects so that lessons may
  be learned can become part of the Enterprises
  culture

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Standish Group 1995 Study

• They talked to IS executives and managers and
  evaluated 385 companies in major industries like
  banking, manufacturing, retail, health care,
  insurance, and government.
• The research represented 8,380 applications in
  development or deployed in 1995.

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Staggering Statistics

• US Organizations spend more than 250 Billion
  each year on more than 175,000 Information
  Technology projects.
• 31 of these projects will be cancelled, 81
  Billion spent without results.
• About half of projects cost nearly twice their
  original estimates (53 189).
• About 59 Billion is spent for projects that
  eventually complete, but exceed original time
  cost estimates.
• Overall, 16 of software projects are completed
  on time and in budget, only 9 in largest
  organizations studied.

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More Staggering Statistics

• Projects completed by the largest companies have
  only 42 of originally proposed features and
  functions.
• For smaller companies, 78 reach deployment with
  at least 74 of their original features and
  functions.

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Factors for Success

• The Standish Group found these key factors for
  excellence in IT project delivery
• User involvement
• Clear requirement statement
• Executive and management support
• Formal methodolgy

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Comparison of Methodologies

• Traditional Systems Development Methodology
• Typical of shops using 3GL
• Analyze --gt Specify --gt Design --gt Develop --gt
  Test Debug --gt Deliver
• Advanced Delivery Methodology
• As practiced by UniDatas professional services
  teams using SB 4GL, postrelational application
  environment
• Expertize in 4GL tools and business processes --gt
  Analysis through Joint Application Design
  Prototyping --gt Specification --gt Dynamic Rapid
  Application Development --gt Quality Assurance by
  Developer Acceptor --gt Delivery

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Traditional Methodology
Test Debug
Analysis
Design
Development
Iterations
SystemSpecification
DeliverableSystem
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All too often...
Test Debug
Analysis
Design
Development
Iterations
SystemSpecification
DeliverableSystem
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Problems withTraditional Methodology

• It is not flexible
• End-user is restricted by initial specifications
  and doesnt know it until post-delivery
• No user buy-in, little influence in specification
  or design
• It is risky
• Developers dont communicate with end-users for
  most of the design development trade-offs and
  decisions
• Deliverable systems may miss the boat
• Long Delivery Cycles
• High costs
• Not responsive to business needs

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A Modern Methodology

• Advanced Delivery Methodology (ADM)
• Development team knows 4GL environment and is
  familiar with users applications and
  expectations
• Joint Application Design (JAD) workshops involve
  developers and end-users
• Ensure and encourage high end-user involvement
  and ownership in software design and
  implementation
• Enables ongoing and instant feedback on
  work-in-progress and deliverable, avoids missing
  the boat
• Enhances and develops communications and
  relationships with the customers (KEY success
  factor!)
• Goal is a prototype, not a deliverable
  application system

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Friendly JAD

• Design workshop with developers and end-users

Team of Users Developersdo Joint Application
Design
Developers use Rapid ApplicationDevelopment
toprototype systems
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Advanced Delivery Methodology

• Features software prototyping with minimal
  commitment to final design
• Ensures functional objectives are being met
  through interim checkpoints
• Provides the ability to identify changes in scope
  quickly and cost-effectively
• Encourages user involvement in system design and
  trade-offs, executives and management see results
  and costs
• Enhances and develops communications with the
  customers

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Dynamic RAD Approach
Reports - Forms - Menus
Presentation
Validations - DefaultsNavigation Flow - Security
Business Logic
Database Schema
File Definitions Transaction Update
Definitions
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An Application Module
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Dynamic RAD
Vertical Prototyping
HorizontalPrototyping
G/L Tax
Purchasing
Scheduling
Order Entry
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Application Development
JAD
RAD
Development
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Development Standards

• Feature a set of pre-defined rules and standards
  for developers to follow
• Presentation, navagation, coding, design
  standards
• Promotes consistency through application life
  cycle
• Encourages use of Best Practices by developers
• Customization is specifically for each project
• Allows continuous enhancement and update

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Advanced Delivery Methodology
JAD
RAD
QA
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Quality Assurance

• ADM features an easy method to provide
  QA-on-the-fly
• Unit testing rather than module testing
• Facilitates easy problem isolation
• Minimizes programmiing errors (bugs)
• Reduces QA time requirements
• Traps significant design issues well in advance

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Advanced Delivery Methodology
JAD
RAD
QA
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Structured Project Management

• Each phase in the methodolgy is treated as a
  project with
• a particular end-product
• a deliverer
• an acceptor
• The project management process is easily adapted,
  since the principles remain the same.

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Formal Project Management

• Utilizes formal procedures
• Estimating
• Deliverable Acceptance
• Scope Changes
• QA Testing
• Project Status Reporting Tracking
• Project Book includes
• Estimating templates, deliverable acceptance,
  change requests, unit test results, QA
  checklists, project status reports, project time
  sheets

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Formal Project Management

• Tools Include
• Task based estimating
• Estimating using formal methods benchmarks
• Project scheduling using Gantt Pert charts
• Monitoring budget vs. actual
• Time tracking per task/resource
• Progressive, periodical project reporting
• Allows early warning on task slippage
• Enables delivery on-time within budget

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Advanced Delivery Methodology
SystemisDelivered
JAD
RAD
QA