Prototyping is the transition from talking about it, to doing just enough of it to see where it takes our ideas. Not until we build a semblance of our solution can we test to see if our ideas stick. Prototyping drives the feedback loop and becomes the launch point for ideas we want to invest in. Where does prototyping fit? In Design Thinking, we progress through: Empathy to understand our users...
The old school project/program/portfolio management office (PMO) is a relic from the command-and-control models of the past. It worked well for managing predictable solutions. But it’s where agility and innovation dies. Bring on the revolution. Recognize This? When I see old school PMOs (and these are more common than you think), I see: A drive for compliance with processes and standards...
The notion of the application as the best way to package software capabilities is losing relevance. Digital business cuts across application functions, inside and outside the organization. Modern value streams require breaking up application capabilities and dynamically reassembling the digital assets like Sir Mixalot. Remember the Album? Before music streaming, the album was the dominant...
Emerging architecture is a characteristic of agile software development. Instead of the Big Design Up-Front, software architecture emerges along with development activities. This becomes difficult for large projects, so enterprise agile approaches balance forward thinking with the rapid development of features that create business value. With a bit of planning, an architecture focus doesn’t...
Agile projects are a dance between the business and project teams. While many organizations use agile approaches, too often, adoption is limited to the mechanical process. There is a lack of real commitment from the business. But it takes two to agile tango. The Requirements Shuffle Traditional project management approaches are sequential. They are also based on the fallacy that business and the...
Shadow IT refers to business users developing their own solutions, outside of organization’s IT groups. It is often seen as risky and problematic. This article puts the practice in a different light and offers a way forward. Three certainties Death, taxes and the inability of your organization’s IT group to deliver all the solutions that the business needs. Not only are these...
