Essentials of Software Organization

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Essentials of Software Organization

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Changes in IT Business Environment Impact on
software organizations

• IT helps in aligning business at all global
  locations
• Comprehensive solution serving diverse global
  markets
• IT strategy aligned to business strategy
• IT solutions to meet business objectives not just
  technical solutions
• Complete Outsourcing \ Off shoring rather than
  ad-hoc projects
• Handle scale, Develop offshore delivery models,
  Ensure consistent and cost effective delivery
• Global competition
• Highly sophisticated and experienced global
  competitors Quality of outputs has become
  paramount. No longer a cost only issue
• Knowledgeable customers
• Focus enlarged from actual software work product
  requirements to customer defined quality,
  processes, project management SLAs

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Essentials of todays software organization
Earlier
Today

• Project management integrated with SDLC
• Quality processes - predictability and
  repeatability is important
• Delivery methodologies
• Industry / business understanding
• IT solutions Focus on systems value to the core
  business

• Programming based assignments
• Cost the only business driver
• Solutions perspective was missing
• Standalone project execution capabilities
• Focus on sound coding techniques
• SDLC knowledge was all the was required

Education system focussed on building technical
skills
Unfortunately education system has not kept pace
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Essentials of todays software organization
Earlier
Today

• Project management integrated with SDLC
• Quality processes
• Delivery methodologies
• Industry / business understanding
• IT solutions Focus on systems value to the core
  business

• Technical solutions
• Standalone project execution capabilities
• Focus on systems performance and sound coding
  techniques
• SDLC

Education system focussed on building technical
skills
Unfortunately education system has not changed
much
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Project Dynamics
Scope Size
Management Practice
Resources
Project Dynamics describe the way various factors
inter-relate in influencing project
outcomes. Predicting project outcomes is complex
and is often counter-intuitive
Project
Quality
Risk
Budget
Technology
Time Constraints
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Organization maturity in managing projects
Best Practice

• The overall maturity of managing projects is
  based on several factors of project management.
• A very quick snap-shot of an organizations
  maturity in regards to its ability to effectively
  manage projects.

• Improvement programs formal
• Good measurement enables optimization
• High risk projects successfully managed
• Respect support of projects
• Success rate better than 75

Competent

• Methodology standards well established
  supported
• Stakeholders understand accept accountabilities
• Discrete measures support good management
• End-to-end projects set up managed as such
• Risks clearly defined controlled
• Project Management accepted as profession
• Success rate less than 75

Aware
Seat of the Pants

• Projects formally initiated
• Plans endorsed
• Varying standards with few disciplines
• Methodologies introduced
• Stakeholders managed
• Projects become business-driven
• Success rate less than 60

• Projects just happen
• Poor project initiation
• Inadequate buy-in
• Poor communication
• Inter-dependencies not managed
• Insufficient planning
• Unknown benefits
• Poor standards (if any)
• Success rate less than 40

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Project Life-Cycle Project Management

• In its simplest representation, a project has 3
  phases it passes through
• It has a start
• It has a middle (where a lot of work is done!)
• It has a finish
• The application of the project life cycle to a
  particular project is called the Project
  Methodology

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Project Management Methodology and Development
Life-Cycle Relationship

• The development life cycle occurs within the
  project execution portion of the project
• Project Management and associated activities are
  independent of the specific development
  methodology selected

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Project Management Methodology
Benefits

• Provides a standard method and guidelines
• Ensure that IT projects are conducted in
  disciplined, well-managed, and consistent manner
• Promotes the delivery of quality products
• Results in projects that are completed on time
  and within budget
• Fixes accountability and responsibility
• Reduces redundancies
• Automatically creates knowledge repository to be
  effectively used next time without reinventing
  the wheel

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Project Management Methodology
How to prepare tomorrows IT professionals?

• Use PMI methodologies to teach Project Management
  Methodologies
• Encourage students to do certification courses
  run by PMI
• Provide exposure through sample projects
  (institute, organization sponsored, NGO) covering
  every aspect of project dynamics
• Key point Evaluate on project management
  methodology, not on the basis of delivered
  product
• Case studies Practice, Practice and Practice
• Show benefits compare projects done with project
  management methodology and without using it

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Essentials of todays software organization
Earlier
Today

• Project management integrated with SDLC
• Quality processes
• Delivery methodologies
• Industry / business understanding
• IT solutions Focus on systems value to the core
  business

• Technical solutions
• Standalone project execution capabilities
• Focus on systems performance and sound coding
  techniques
• SDLC

Education system focussed on building technical
skills
Unfortunately education system has not changed
much
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Quality Processes

• Process based project execution approach e.g.
• Risk management processes
• Defect prevention processes
• Change management processes
• Continuous improvement processes
• Provides objective measures to monitor, control
  and improve
• Metrics time, defects, costs
• Formal review and feedback mechanisms
• Use of globally recognized process assessment
  models
• CMM, CMMi, ITIL etc.
• Use of Six Sigma for continuous improvements

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A Widely Recognized Assessment Model
Capability Maturity Model

• 18 KPAs, 300 practices for software organization

An evolutionary improvement path for software
organizations from an adhoc immature
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Quality Processes
Benefits

• Consistent outputs
• Meeting of defined Service Level
  Agreements/Performance Guarantees
• Continuous improvement
• Reduced rework, on time delivery
• Higher motivation levels

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Quality Processes
How to prepare tomorrows IT professionals?

• Guest lectures \ demonstrations from quality
  professionals from QAI or CMM assessed companies
• Build process oriented culture in the institute
• Document various institute processes
• Have process awareness workshops with all the
  students reviewing the processes and
  reengineering them to make them more efficient
  and effective
• In case of issues look at the processes for
  systemic failures

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Essentials of todays software organization
Earlier
Today

• Project management integrated with SDLC
• Quality processes
• Delivery methodologies
• Industry / business understanding
• IT solutions Focus on systems value to the core
  business

• Technical solutions
• Standalone project execution capabilities
• Focus on systems performance and sound coding
  techniques
• SDLC

Education system focussed on building technical
skills
Unfortunately education system has not changed
much
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IT Service Delivery

• IT Service Delivery is a complex set of services,
  some of them are
• Process Management
• like replicating existing software processes,
  process reengineering
• Application Management
• like application evaluation, reengineering scope
• IT Service Management
• like IT Governance, IT Transformation, Service
  Driven Operations
• Infrastructure Management
• like Network Services Management, Print
  Management, Windows Management
• Industry Management
• like use of knowledge around manufacturing,
  Automotive, Pharmaceutical industry, Utility
  industry
• Life-Cycle Management
• SDLC
• Service Management through help desk and support
• Real time delivery, help desks
• Configuration Management
• Versions, baselines
• PC Change and Server Change Management
• Others Finance\Usage management, support
  services etc.

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IT Software Service Delivery Model Roadmap
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Global Integrated Delivery

• One organization of integrated specialist teams
  working together across the world. One team,
  spread across several locations.
• One Single Delivery with multiple Sub-Deliveries.
• A project or service delivered from multiple
  sites is executed as if it were on a single site.
  One Plan with multiple sub-plans.
• All the teams work to a single quality plan for
  the project/service with agreed procedures and
  standards.
• All documentation is held as a common repository,
  accessible by all the team.

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IT Service Delivery
Benefits

• Smooth workflow of work products
• Appropriate mix of skills and capabilities
• Lower costs
• 24x7 model
• Minimizes risks associated with global delivery
• Ease of problem resolution and builds customer
  confidence
• Opportunity to grow existing business
• Clear expectations and better understanding of
  business requirements
• Need of the hour for long term outsourcing
  engagements

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IT Service Delivery
How to build tomorrows IT professionals?

• Fortnightly discussions on current IT service
  delivery trends
• Research and presentations by group of students
  on how major IT companies are using global
  delivery models
• Case Studies
• Assignments on managing service delivery for a
  large engagement

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Essentials of todays software organization
Earlier
Today

• Project management integrated with SDLC
• Quality processes
• Delivery methodologies
• Industry / business understanding
• IT solutions Focus on systems value to the core
  business

• Technical solutions
• Standalone project execution capabilities
• Focus on systems performance and sound coding
  techniques
• SDLC

Education system focussed on building technical
skills
Unfortunately education system has not changed
much
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Industry / Business Understanding

• Industry knowledge basic understanding of
  functioning and common terms insurance, banking,
  healthcare, utilities etc.
• Business understanding core processes, support
  processes, systems approach, markets, customers
  etc.

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Industry / Business Understanding
Benefits

• Helps in understanding the requirements
• Helps in processes and application reengineering
• Brings users/customers perspective
• IT solutions for core business needs and to solve
  business problems
• Valued by clients, as it helps in transforming
  their business

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Industry / Business Understanding
How to build tomorrows IT professional?

• Create groups to focus on specific industries
  e.g. Banking, Insurance, Healthcare
• Provide them with guidance/support/motivation to
  learn about at least one industry in terms of
  understanding its processes, typical usage of IT
  etc.
• Encourage them to get certifications in the
  industry of their choice.
• Simulation games replicating the manual
  operations of industries and then thinking of
  using IT

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Essentials of todays software organization
Earlier
Today

• Project management integrated with SDLC
• Quality processes
• Delivery methodologies
• Industry / business understanding
• IT solutions Focus on systems value to the core
  business

• Technical solutions
• Standalone project execution capabilities
• Focus on systems performance and sound coding
  techniques
• SDLC

Education system focussed on building technical
skills
Unfortunately education system has not changed
much
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IT Solutions

• Focus on the usage of system to serve end
  customers better, not building a superior
  software with excellent coding, low CPU time,
  less I/O interface etc.
• IT for supporting business and solving business
  problems
• ATM
• Electronic cheque clearance etc.

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Takeaways

• Think like a organization selling in a market
  place
• Students (and their skills) are the product, IT
  companies are the buyers
• Every institute is teaching technology to its
  students
• They have better brand name and therefore benefit
  from it in terms of attracting IT companies
• You cannot hope to beat them at their own game.
• Marginal improvements will not help.
• Therefore suggested strategies
• Create a niche for yourself by creating all
  rounded IT professionals
• Impart business orientation to students
• Develop their problem solving skills
• Make them good in Project Management, IT
  processes, Service Delivery etc besides the
  technical competencies etc.
• Convert project management, quality processes,
  service delivery, domain knowledge from being
  considered as soft skills to hard skills
• Bring incentives
• Heavy component for for evaluation
• Make it interesting and valuable - Industry
  tours, show results, simulations etc.

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Questions ?