For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Lean: The New Business Technology Imperative

Lean Thinking Is Central To The Shift From IT To BT

by Connie Moore, Clay Richardson, John R. Rymer, Ted Schadler, Dave West, September 29, 2009

Everyone wants to be lean these days, whether when stepping off a scale in the morning or reviewing the cost of running a successful business. But just how do you define "Lean" — especially in the context of business and technology? Do you think of Lean . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Economic Forces Drive Lean BPM Trends And Adoption  (631 KB PPT)

by Clay Richardson, September 18, 2009

Data chart with key findings from the April 2009 Global Lean BPM Online Survey. Results include data on BPM initiative ownership, budgets, tools, and SaaS.

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Jeppesen's Customized Software Development Process Delivers Compliance And Flexibility

by Dave West, September 16, 2009

In the past 10 years, building highly complex navigation systems has become more difficult. New markets, technological advances, and new partnerships have increased product complexity, while intricate sourcing models and increasingly global development . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Software Size Matters, And You Should Measure It

Find The Right Software-Sizing Technique For Your Development Organization

by Mary Gerush, Dave West, July 27, 2009

It is critical for application development professionals to be able to effectively and objectively answer the question "how big is your software project?" in order to provide effective metrics, improve estimation practices, target improvement initiatives, . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

From Agile Development To Agile Engagement

Agile Might Start In Development, But It Can't Stop There

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., May 6, 2009

Agile development practices continue to spread across development functions in technology companies. When technology companies adopt Agile practices in the development organization, these changes have ripple effects on other departments whose work is . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Function Points And Application Outsourcing

Usage Is Still Constrained, But Looks Set To Rise

by Bill Martorelli, April 23, 2009

Services buyers increasingly look for a standard, unambiguous way to evaluate the productivity of numerous outsourcing partners so that they can keep their suppliers "honest." Moreover, outsourcing consultants increasingly recommend using function points . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Best Practices: Software Development Processes

A Framework For Improving And Modernizing Your Software Development Life Cycle

by Dave West, April 15, 2009

Software development processes are in a state of transition, with lightweight Agile development approaches challenging traditional software development life cycles (SDLCs). Professional organizations add to the confusion with approaches such as The Project . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Case Study: Cynergy Employs Developer-Designers To Harness The Power Of RIAs

Resolving The Conflict Between Development And Design

by Dave West, April 15, 2009

With the advent of rich Internet applications (RIAs), Cynergy Systems had to change from a traditional software development house into a service provider that fuses design-house graphical flair with the virtues of traditional software development processes. . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Just Do It: Modernize Your Requirements Practices

Incorporate Agile Techniques To Better Meet Business Needs In Five Easy Steps

by Dave West, Mary Gerush, April 15, 2009

Developing sound requirements is one of the most important aspects of any software development project. When requirements are clear, concise, and comprehensive, all other aspects of the process are easier and more successful. But requirements approaches . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Behind "Cloud" Is Your Future Application Environment: Ultra Modular Computing

Shift Cloud Excitement To Your Own Data Centers

by Charles Brett, Jeffrey S. Hammond, April 6, 2009

Cloud computing is all the rage, but its greatest benefit may be to teach IT organizations how to build flexible and cost-efficient private data centers. The technical foundations of cloud computing — commodity hardware, virtualization, elastic workload . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Case Study: Microsoft Speeds Tool Delivery With Agile Development

by Dave West, March 27, 2009

Microsoft's TeamArch, which is responsible for the Visual Studio Team System 2010 Architect product, faced multiple challenges that interfered with its ability to rapidly deliver a plug-in tool with the right capabilities. Some of the challenges included . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Ensure Success For Agile Using Four Simple Steps

A Simple Approach To Agile Adoption And Implementation

by Dave West, March 24, 2009

In the effort to improve the way applications professionals develop and deliver software, Agile methods focus on changing traditional software development and delivery activities, artifacts, and responsibilities. Application development professionals . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Company Agility Evaluator  (145 KB XLS)

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., February 24, 2009

This tool helps measure agility on two levels: 1) the speed with which a development team that employs Agile methods can adapt and deliver; 2) the ability of other groups within the company to work effectively with the development team. The tool also . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

The PMBOK And Agile: Friends Or Foes?

Reconcile The Tension Between The Two To Achieve A Healthy Balance

by Mary Gerush, Dave West, January 22, 2009

Development organizations strive to optimize software delivery. Application development leaders commonly use the Project Management Institute's A Guide To The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). They may also investigate Agile development methodologies . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

In An Abysmal Economy, Application Development Pros Can Prevail

Three Strategies To Help You Win During Challenging Economic Times

by Mary Gerush, January 14, 2009

We're reading a lot these days about the poor economy and falling stock markets. These tough times can force organizations to make drastic changes in the form of budget cuts, office closings, and staff reductions. At the same time, organizations need . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Make Agile Lean To Boost Business Impact

How Lean Thinking Improves The Effectiveness Of Agile Development

by Dave West, December 17, 2008

Over the past five years, Agile development methods have become very popular, but their adoption can be problematic and difficult. Lean thinking focuses organizations on eliminating waste, motivating cross-functional teams, and delivering just what the . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Lean Software Is Agile, Fit-To-Purpose, And Efficient

by John R. Rymer, Dave West, Mike Gilpin, December 12, 2008

Bloat kills. Whether it's excessive complexity in the application, its underlying platform or architecture, or the process used to deliver it, overloaded platform software and heavy processes impede delivery of the solutions the business demands. Yet . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Application Development Pros: Must-Read Research In Any Economic Downturn

by Mike Gilpin, October 28, 2008

Whether the economy slips into recession or not, many firms are starting to tighten their budgets. Although this means even more limited resources than usual, the business will continue to expect application development teams to deliver high-quality, . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Agile Product Management Makes Agile Technology Companies

Product Managers Needed To Take Full Advantage Of Agile

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., October 7, 2008

Getting the most out of Agile development practices inside technology companies depends, in part, on the role that product managers play. At the minimum, Agile makes product managers responsible for helping the development team make smart product decisions . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Inquiry Insights: Agile Development

The Demand Exists, But People Need Help To Get Started

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., October 6, 2008

Inquiries from Forrester clients clearly indicate that Agile adoption is in an early stage. Questions from our clients point to challenges crafting a concrete understanding of the specific benefits and costs Agile would bring to their organizations. The . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Stretching Your Project Management Muscles

Five Steps To Increase The Flexibility Of Your Project Management Function

by Mary Gerush, July 8, 2008

Business success requires innovation and adaptation, and technology approaches are evolving to keep pace, employing flexible concepts such as service-oriented architecture (SOA) and Agile development methodologies. But, if your project management function . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Strong Project Managers Drive Successful Web Design Projects

by Craig Menzies, July 8, 2008

In a recent survey of the European Interactive Agency Peer Research Panel (IAPRP), Forrester learned that project management is clearly a mission-critical issue: Clients considered it a key element of their Web design partner selection criteria, and agencies . . .

For Information & Knowledge Management Professionals

Case Study: IBM's Visionary Foray Into Web3D

by Connie Moore, June 20, 2008

IBM is a microcosm of all that's happening in Web3D. Since the company announced it would invest millions of dollars in Web3D (in IBM's terminology, the 3-D Internet) in late 2006, the company has set up an emerging business opportunity business unit . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Enterprise Open Source Use In 2007  (410 KB PPT)

by Jeffrey S. Hammond, June 9, 2008

These data charts discuss trends seen in enterprise open source usage in 2007.

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Best Practices: Estimating Development Projects

by Carey Schwaber, April 22, 2008

Poor estimates and the resulting poor project plans cause project failures. Application development organizations' estimates are fairly accurate for small projects, but they often fall short for large or complex projects. Good estimates and plans result . . .