Pick the Integrator/Partner, then the Software

Posted by Robert Merrill on January 26, 2011 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Most firms buy (license, actually) most of their software. This is true even of software-intensive firms that can and do build software for their own use. This is common knowledge. If commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) or open source software does what you want, and the cost (direct or opportunity) of what it doesn’t do is small, it’s a much better value to buy than build.

The hard part is deciding what to buy. Firms spend a lot of time and money on software vendor selection, and software vendors and trade publications spend a lot of time and money informing (and hoping to influence) your decision. And no matter how long you take or how hard you work at it, there are always mistakes and surprises. It’s a draining, angst-ridden, process. Then we have to then choose a firm to help us get the software installed and working. Often we just go with the vendor’s recommended or local partner because now we’re feeling the pressure from above to get the software in service.

I think that’s backwards. Read more of this article »

Madison Area Business Consultants, Thursday 10/14

Posted by Robert Merrill on October 6, 2010 under Software-Intensive Businesses, Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Robert’s speaking on “The Software-Intensive Business—What every non-techie needs to know about computer and web programming for profit (and fun)” at the Madison Area Business Consultants monthly meeting on Thursday, October 14th, MG&E Innovation Center, 7:30 AM (in the morning).

Agile User Experience Development

Posted by Robert Merrill on May 4, 2010 under Agile Methods, Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

I’m always on the lookout for where I need to be heading with my practice, and the idea of Agile User Experience Development is now on the short list.

I’ve been on teams with some fairly good usability/user experience people over the years, and they love the waterfall. Identify all the users, develop all the personas, and then make a complete set of wireframes and subject them to some level of user testing before doing a whole lot else. The result can be months of calendar time and up to 20% of the project budget gone, and you still don’t have any working code, and therefore the accompanying established team velocity that lets you hold the ever-present launch-date wolves at bay and keep the project from turning into a Death March. Read more of this article »