Sunday, June 22, 2008
Book Review: Making Things Happen
Jun. 7, 2008 (Blogcritics.org delivered by Newstex) -- In Making Things Happen we have an "in-your-face" text from Scott Berkun. While case studies are an integral part of any (project) management handbook, the author had used anecdotes and virtualized examples from his extensive experience in the IT giant Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) to good effect as a continuous logic and before you know it you have finished reading the book.The idea that project management is an art is a powerful one and in spite of the availability of many tools and techniques like XP (Extreme Programming) and Agile project management, hard-pressed Project Managers would definitely like the sage advice of people in as much or more difficult situations they face on a daily basis as part of the job responsibilities.One of the impressive treatments is in the way that the author has brought focus to the various technical terms used in project management on a regular basis.
Friday, June 13, 2008
How to sell SOA (Part II)
In my previous post, I introduced a few key concepts to sell SOA, including: Shining a light on existing limitations Creating the business case Creating the execution plan Delivering the goods Let's add to that list. Creating the business case refers to the process of actually putting some numbers down as to the value of the SOA to the enterprise or business. This means looking at the existing issues (from the previous step), and putting dollar figures next to them. For instance, how much are these limitations costing the business, and how does that affect the bottom line? Then, how... READ MORE
2008-6-13 Friday
CGI Group Inc. has won two contracts totaling $29.6 million to provide enterprise resource planning software systems to state and local government customers in California.
Under one contract, CGI will deliver its Web-based AMS Advantage 3 ERP and business intelligence solution to the California Transportation Department to address its financial management needs.
The technology solution includes business intelligence tools and a data warehouse to provide reporting and data analysis, the company said. It is designed to link to the department’s existing and future systems.
Under the other contract, CGI will furnish its AMS Advantage ERP software suite for Monterey County, Calif. The ERP package will address the county’s financial, budgeting, human resource and payroll systems.
The ERP system is designed to integrate financial planning, budget development, financial statements, procurement, payroll processing and personnel record administration, the company said. The county will use the system to establish a foundation for e-government initiatives, streamline strategic planning and improve daily operations.
Both contracts have four-year terms.
CGI Group Inc. is based in Montreal with U.S. headquarters located in Fairfax, Va. It ranks No. 73 on Washington Technology’s 2008 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
How to win with SOA ... fourth, remember the people
SOAs are not built by computers; they are built and managed by people. As such, you have to consider the impact to the humans as well as the impact to the enterprise architecture. There are two places to focus here. First, focus on the SOA-ability of the people building the SOA. Second, focus on those who will be using the services and interfaces of the SOA. Those tasked with building a SOA need to have a firm grasp of traditional enterprise architecture, and the notion, approaches, and technology of SOA. For most organizations that's a tall order, and outside consultants... READ MORE
Part II: SOA vendors focus too much on integration and not enough on architecture
I seem to have hit a nerve with my last post "SOA vendors focus too much on integration and not enough on architecture." You can read the comments, but the reaction was: Vendors…no like (based on IP addresses). End users…confused (based on IP addresses). Let me be clearer. A few core reactions and my guidance. SOA vendors don't need to understand architecture. They do indeed, this includes architecture in general, and "an architecture" specifically…yours for instance. The fact of the matter is that when you're selling technology, it's a tad helpful if you understand its logical fit within the SOA.... READ MORE
Monday, June 9, 2008
How to win with SOA ... third, focus on understanding
\While many may understand the notion of SOA by now, very few have any idea how to get there. Truth-be-told, there is no hard and fast rule as to how one builds an SOA in their organization. Clearly, SOA is a situational thing and your mileage may vary. However, some common patterns are emerging which may assist you in understanding how to implement SOA. Here are a few things to think about when building your SOA, and really where the rubber meets the road in terms of insuring your success…understanding your own issues and requirements. Understand your business objectives, and... READ MORE
How to win with SOA ... second, define the value
We implement SOA for two major reasons. First is the ability to save development dollars through reuse of services. These services may have been built inside or outside of the company, and the more services that are reusable from system to system, the more ROI from our SOA. Second is the ability to change the IT infrastructure faster to adapt to changing needs of the business. This, of course, provides a huge strategic advantage and thus allows for the business to have better chances of survival long-term. While determining the ROI on agility is difficult to figure out in hard... READ MORE
How to sell SOA (Part I)
Many organizations out there don't really have to sell SOA. They instead understand that the hype is the driver, and in essence leverage the thousands of articles and books on the topic to sell this architectural pattern. However, in most cases SOA has to be sold within the enterprise. Indeed, if you're doing SOA right you'll find that the cost quickly goes well into the millions, thus you'll need executive approval for that kind of acceleration in spending. However, the benefits are there as well, including the core benefit of agility that could save the company many times the cost... READ MORE
Sunday, June 8, 2008
SOA: Focus on the fundamentals
I've noticed that those charged with building enterprise SOAs are working on establishing approaches to the implementation of their SOA instance -- they are not yet looking for "key enabling SOA technology," at least not yet. This means that they are setting up methodologies, defining deliverables, and determining how all of these artifacts are related. What's more, they are focusing on education, and understanding just what they are doing before they do it. We have learned from the past that quick movements towards a technology trend without the proper amount of upfront thinking typically results in failure. So, what are... READ MORE
Friday, June 6, 2008
ERP Diagnostic: 3 Steps to Successful ERP
In this blog, we've written about a number of reasons for ERP challenges and failures. In fact, the most recent high-profile blunder is related to Waste Management's attempted implementation of SAP (click here to read the related article). We all know that it's usually the business, process, or people issues that contribute to ERP challenges,
Monday, June 2, 2008
Is BPEL irrelevant?
Some time ago I wrote about the issues with the new 2.0 version of BPEL, namely backward capability. Many of those issues, according to people using the technology, came true. The movement to 2.0 was somewhat of a challenge. However, the challenges around BPEL may not be around backward compatibility these days; it may be more around not being made irrelevant in the context of SOA. OK, perhaps it's just me but I don't see BPEL that much these days, either around its use within SOA problem domains I'm tracking, or a part of larger SOA strategies within enterprises. Understand,... READ MORE
