August 21, 2000

Printer ready

Methodologies
Continuous Process Improvement

Using a proven methodology can help bring order to the chaos that often plagues busy IT departments. Managing IT processes in a formal and consistent manner can help managers establish best practices and infuse their organization with an ethic of quality.

By Charles Trepper

More on project management:

sidebar: Methodologies Vary According To The Project PDF file: Methodology Options The Joys Of Project Management (6/19/00) Managing Offshore Resources (6/12/00)

Send Us Your Feedback

anaging IT is often perceived as riding a wave of chaos that threatens to overpower everyone involved--IT staffers and users alike. One way to bring order to this chaos is to apply as much organizational control over the endeavor as is humanly and technically possible.

Before a company can begin refining its development or operational processes--or, for that matter, sharing best practices among its IT staff--it must begin by selecting or creating a standard approach, or methodology, that it will use for pretty much everything it does. Once an overarching approach is selected, a company can begin to apply standard process-management techniques.

Managing IT processes in a standard, formal manner provides the mechanism to share the best practices created or discovered by the company's staff. The capstone in the process is the application of the knowledge possessed by the company to improve processes continuously.

The beginning of the IT process for gaining control over a company's processes, procedures, and knowledge base is a broadly implemented methodology. A methodology is a collection of principles, tools, and techniques for designing and implementing information systems. It's also a mechanism for capturing the collective experience of a company's IT professionals.

Using a standardized methodology can significantly improve the quality of IT products and services. As a nontrivial bonus, the structure and discipline impressed on the systems-development process can greatly reduce the defects upon delivery rate. Methodologies also help IT departments present a consistent look to users, customers, and suppliers--which, in turn, improves confidence and promotes an overall aura of professionalism and trust.

Setting standards and using a common approach improves a company's ability to measure performance and status in a meaningful way. A methodology engages both business management and IT management. Both must agree on a joint approach--including the process, tools, deliverables, and results. All these benefits result in better-quality systems developed in a standard manner, which ultimately results in lower maintenance costs.

Implementing a methodology provides many benefits. Companies can reduce the cycle time for the delivery of systems. Standard processes, tools, and techniques accelerate the process because the learning curve is reduced for both experienced personnel and entry-level new hires. Methodologies can also slash costs. Consistent methods help IT departments spread scarce resources that can be shared across projects. This can even result in the reduction of the number of people that need to be hired. Methodologies reduce failures, rework, and confusion over what to do next. They also facilitate the reuse of common code and data, which reduces costs throughout the life of the system.

The use of a methodology can transform not only the IT area, but the business as well. A methodology sets IT on the path to becoming a disciplined function within the business. Too often, IT people aren't viewed as a part of the business simply because their communication and behavior don't demonstrate a consistent discipline. For example, accounting has defined universally meaningful processes, methods, and reporting vehicles.

Bringing IT to a similar level of discipline lets it demonstrate a level of professionalism that's in sync with that of other core business functions. A methodology is the means of providing systems with a consistent look and feel, systems that are integrated across departments, and databases that yield more meaningful results.

In many cases, technology is the business. It's the critical vehicle that carries products onto the Internet, communicates with suppliers, and manages back-office paperwork. Use of a methodology ensures that all the pieces fit together. Going forward, the business plan and the IT plan begin to merge.

Strategic use of technology is discussed, rather than focusing the discussion on IT budget and costs. Partnerships with vendors--selling IT products--open new business opportunities. A methodology allows an easier transition to new businesses and provides the ability to assess the impact of change and incorporate innovation.

Implementing a methodology can dramatically transform an IT department. A methodology adds structure and standardizes the development process, says Sandra Dower, a process-management consultant in Minneapolis. A standard approach creates certainty surrounding the development process, which reduces the chance of missing critical steps. Most methodologies also add quality checkpoints to avoid errors later.

Manufacturing operations have used quality checkpoints for many years to monitor and improve quality. Considering the average quality of software developed today, the IT industry is desperately in need of this type of monitoring and continuous-improvement process. Methodologies also help developers nail down requirements earlier to avoid changes and scope creep. By forcing users and developers to work more closely together, developers have a better chance of meeting user requirements the first time--a tremendous plus for IT departments.

However, there are potentially significant problems that methodologists face during implementation. The culture shock to developers can be extreme. Developers who have worked for years without any specific structure will probably develop resistance to the rigor a methodology places upon the development process. Getting their buy-in before the actual implementation--and getting them to participate in the pilot project--will help smooth ruffled feathers before things get out of hand.

continue on to page 2

Back to This Week's Issue
Send Us Your Feedback
Top of the Page

---