Business and IT: How Can You Repair the Dysfunctional Relationship?

Posted on: October 24th, 2012 - Written by: Tom Metz

The relationship between business departments and IT is often a very dysfunctional one that is a result of dashed expectations, failed follow-through and unparalleled thinking and planning. A by-product of this dysfunctional relationship is the lack of purposeful IT innovation (according to what recent industry research uncovered). In fact, the relationship has degraded to the point, [...]

User Preferences Take the Lead

Posted on: September 24th, 2012 - Written by: John Blomberg

In a January issue of Dr. Dobb’s Journal, Andrew Binstock enlightens readers to his thoughts on the most profound change that has occurred in the way software is built. We’ve reversed the thought process from a development focused one to a process that gives the user the center of attention. Initially, this reversal in focus [...]

Make Sure Your IT Hires are Top Performers

Posted on: September 10th, 2012 - Written by: John Blomberg

Research shows that a few as 25 percent of all new employees ever emerge as top performers. Hiring top performers can turbo-charge your company’s performance. This applies to IT as well as to the general employee base. The big concern is hiring the right person for each job. In assembling a development team, putting the [...]

Agile Helps Answer the Big Software Development Deadline Question

Posted on: September 10th, 2012 - Written by: Tom Metz

One of the most critical concerns in managing software projects is making the deadline. In many situations it could be that the deadline is just as or even more critical than price. So how do you ensure that the speed at which you’re moving the project along is going to enable you to meet the [...]

More is Less in Brooks’ Law Software Development Scenario

Posted on: July 26th, 2012 - Written by: Tom Metz

Avoid the “Salvage” Situation with Proper Analysis Brooks’ Law: A principle in software development. “Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later”. The principle was coined by Fred Brooks in his 1975 book The Mythical Man-Month presenting that there is an incremental person who, when added to a project, makes it take more, [...]

How to Challenge Waterfall Project Management

Posted on: July 26th, 2012 - Written by: Tom Metz

Waterfall project management is basically a relic of how IT worked in the slower and more predictable 20th century. Its prevalence is deteriorating – giving way to more responsive ways of operation in our 21st century real-time environment – such as agile project management. At a very basic level, the difference in the two is [...]

What is Agile Project Management

Posted on: April 4th, 2012 - Written by: John Blomberg

Agile project management is an iterative method of determining requirements for engineering and information technology development projects in a highly flexible and interactive way. Jim Highsmith, a foremost expert on Agile and author of books on the topic, defines Agile in his book Adaptive Software Development by writing “… the ability to adapt and respond to change … agile organizations view [...]

Basic Introduction To Agile

Posted on: April 4th, 2012 - Written by: Tom Metz

The Agile Methodology for developing and managing product creation grew out of frustrations with the existing traditional approach. Once you see the difference in the two, it is obvious why many are changing their attitudes to Agile. Traditional Approach The Traditional Development Approach follows a set procedure where one activity cannot begin until the other [...]

Is Agile Scrum? Is Scrum Agile?

Posted on: April 4th, 2012 - Written by: Tom Metz

Agile and Scrum are terms used in project management. The Agile methodology employs incremental and iterative work cadences that are also called sprints. Scrum, on the other hand is the type of agile approach that is used in software development. Agile The Agile methodology is used in project management and it helps project makers to [...]

Using Social Media as a Tool for Project Management

Posted on: February 1st, 2012 - Written by: Tom Metz

Technology has changed the several ways in which we conduct business today or even the several different methods we can now use to talk to family and friends, with text messaging, Skype, Smart Phones, and several social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+. In the case of Project Management, social media has provided [...]

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