ALM: applying a business process-oriented paradigm
IT organizations have a difficult time making the business case for improving software development processes. Their typical rationale, encompassing arguments for improving efficiency or software quality, has fallen flat on C-level executives because IT has not translated that to business benefit. IT’s inability to present the business case for improving the application lifecycle has proven a serious hurdle for application lifecycle management (ALM) vendors as well.
The solution is for customers and ALM providers alike to view software development as the business processes that they are. By viewing ALM processes as business processes, IT is forced to bake the business impact of their proposals into their arguments and make promises to track key performance indicators (KPIs) once the results enter production. By adopting a business process-oriented outlook, IT organizations can identify high-impact application development processes that are ripe for automation, while vendors gain better traction selling to C level. ALM goals should be recast; for instance, software development process consistency could be equated with improved predictability of business outcomes. This report is a primer for customers and vendors on how to represent ALM activities as business processes and enumerate the business benefits.
The solution is for customers and ALM providers alike to view software development as the business processes that they are. By viewing ALM processes as business processes, IT is forced to bake the business impact of their proposals into their arguments and make promises to track key performance indicators (KPIs) once the results enter production. By adopting a business process-oriented outlook, IT organizations can identify high-impact application development processes that are ripe for automation, while vendors gain better traction selling to C level. ALM goals should be recast; for instance, software development process consistency could be equated with improved predictability of business outcomes. This report is a primer for customers and vendors on how to represent ALM activities as business processes and enumerate the business benefits.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
IN A NUTSHELL
OVUM VIEW
ALM NEEDS A FRESH LOOK
APPLY A BPM APPROACH TO ALM PROJECTS
ALM VENDORS MUST HELP CULTIVATE IT AWARENESS THAT ALM MEANS BUSINESS
ALM CUSTOMERS MUST FRAME THE BENEFITS TO THE SPECIFIC BUSINESS THAT THEY ARE SUPPORTING
ALM NEEDS A FRESH LOOK
OVERVIEW
MAKE ALM GOALS SPECIFIC, NOT TO SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, BUT TO THE BUSINESS
WE’RE NOT CALLING THIS BPM FOR ALM
IT’S NOT HARD TO FIND BUSINESS REASONS FOR ADOPTING ALM
WHO OWNS BUSINESS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT OF ALM?
LIKE ANY PROCESS IMPROVEMENT EFFORT, IT STARTS WITH PEOPLE
FOR ENTERPRISE CUSTOMERS
FOR VENDORS
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USERS AND VENDORS
FOR CIOS
FOR VENDORS
ALM TRUTHS AND MYTHS
TRUTH: ALM IS LITERALLY ABOUT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT
ALM HAS MYTHS THAT MUST BE KILLED
ALM IS PROCESS, NOT PRODUCT
ALM SOLUTIONS ARE NOT BOUGHT AS MONOLITHIC SUITES OF PRODUCTS
ALM SOLUTIONS ARE NOT COOKIE CUTTER
HIGH-IMPACT ALM PROCESSES
PRIME EXAMPLES
THERE ARE BASELINES FOR ALL APPLICATION LIFECYCLES
THERE ARE CORE TECHNOLOGY BUILDING BLOCKS
COST METRICS/ROI ARE ESSENTIAL TO ANY SOLUTION
KEEPING THE CUSTOMER HAPPY BY GETTING THE MARCHING ORDERS RIGHT
BUSINESS WHITEBOARDING
REQUIREMENTS/TESTING ACCOUNTABILITY
GETTING BUSINESS PRIORITIES STRAIGHT
PROJECT AND PORTFOLIO ALIGNMENT
MAKING SOFTWARE WARRANTIES REAL
THE SOFTWARE QUALITY – PERFORMANCE LOOP
BUSINESS AGILITY
ENTERPRISE AGILE MANAGEMENT
MODEL-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT
PROMOTING PRODUCT INNOVATION
MANAGING EMBEDDED SOFTWARE IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
SECURING THE ENTERPRISE
ENTERPRISE APPLICATION SECURITY
IN A NUTSHELL
OVUM VIEW
ALM NEEDS A FRESH LOOK
APPLY A BPM APPROACH TO ALM PROJECTS
ALM VENDORS MUST HELP CULTIVATE IT AWARENESS THAT ALM MEANS BUSINESS
ALM CUSTOMERS MUST FRAME THE BENEFITS TO THE SPECIFIC BUSINESS THAT THEY ARE SUPPORTING
ALM NEEDS A FRESH LOOK
OVERVIEW
MAKE ALM GOALS SPECIFIC, NOT TO SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, BUT TO THE BUSINESS
WE’RE NOT CALLING THIS BPM FOR ALM
IT’S NOT HARD TO FIND BUSINESS REASONS FOR ADOPTING ALM
WHO OWNS BUSINESS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT OF ALM?
LIKE ANY PROCESS IMPROVEMENT EFFORT, IT STARTS WITH PEOPLE
FOR ENTERPRISE CUSTOMERS
FOR VENDORS
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USERS AND VENDORS
FOR CIOS
FOR VENDORS
ALM TRUTHS AND MYTHS
TRUTH: ALM IS LITERALLY ABOUT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT
ALM HAS MYTHS THAT MUST BE KILLED
ALM IS PROCESS, NOT PRODUCT
ALM SOLUTIONS ARE NOT BOUGHT AS MONOLITHIC SUITES OF PRODUCTS
ALM SOLUTIONS ARE NOT COOKIE CUTTER
HIGH-IMPACT ALM PROCESSES
PRIME EXAMPLES
THERE ARE BASELINES FOR ALL APPLICATION LIFECYCLES
THERE ARE CORE TECHNOLOGY BUILDING BLOCKS
COST METRICS/ROI ARE ESSENTIAL TO ANY SOLUTION
KEEPING THE CUSTOMER HAPPY BY GETTING THE MARCHING ORDERS RIGHT
BUSINESS WHITEBOARDING
REQUIREMENTS/TESTING ACCOUNTABILITY
GETTING BUSINESS PRIORITIES STRAIGHT
PROJECT AND PORTFOLIO ALIGNMENT
MAKING SOFTWARE WARRANTIES REAL
THE SOFTWARE QUALITY – PERFORMANCE LOOP
BUSINESS AGILITY
ENTERPRISE AGILE MANAGEMENT
MODEL-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT
PROMOTING PRODUCT INNOVATION
MANAGING EMBEDDED SOFTWARE IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
SECURING THE ENTERPRISE
ENTERPRISE APPLICATION SECURITY
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Sample business benefits for selected high-impact ALM processes
Table 1: Sample business benefits for selected high-impact ALM processes
