The Process of Making Technology Work pt. 6 June 29, 2009
Posted by tdickey72 in Uncategorized.add a comment
Think of documentation like a road map combined with a short book. All documentation provides a history for others to read.
People who work on a system or a software application need to know the thought processes behind the way that the product was created. Similar to journalism’s 5 W’s and How, the documentation answers key questions related to the planning, testing and operation of the system. Without the documents, people are inclined to through out all the hard work and start from scratch.
The first principle of documenting the system or software should be K.I.S. – keep it simple. When it takes more time to write about the system or software than it does to build it or create it, something is really wrong. The disclaimer is that if the project deals with human lives, it probably should have more thorough narration than if it will run a counter on a gasoline pump.
The Process of Making Technology Work pt. 5 June 15, 2008
Posted by tdickey72 in Uncategorized.Tags: CPI, efficiency, responsiveness, SDLC, tailoring
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When I speak to technology people about a System or Software (you can swap these words at will) Development Life Cycle(s) (SDLC), I notice an almost immediate resistance to the practice of using the SDLC. I’ve heard most of the standard answers like, “It takes too long to write the details required in the document” or “I have so many documents to complete that I don’t have time to do my real work.” I have to agree with them, to an extent. I challenge them to improve the way the documents are formatted or to revise the content so that it is tailored to help make their job easier. As well, I like hearing how the process can be revised to be more efficient and responsive. The consumer ultimately makes or breaks the process!
The Process of Making Technology Work pt. 4 June 14, 2008
Posted by tdickey72 in Uncategorized.Tags: continuous process improvement, CPI, SDLC, software, system
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System or Software (you can swap these words at will) Development Life Cycle(s) (SDLC) is a formal process that helps to guide the creation of an Information System. I have been asked which SDLC I prefer. My answer is “all of them.” Each has its strengths and weaknesses, but all of them are a framework that provides a history of the work being completed. The SDLC is more or less the way to write the ‘book’ that will become a finished system. This includes narrative, diagrams, pictures and the like to capture the idea and qualify its end state as a tangible, working product.
The Process of Making Technology Work pt. 3 June 13, 2008
Posted by tdickey72 in Uncategorized.Tags: CPI, intelligent, Process, project, solution, variation
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I briefly touched on some processes that make technology work to go from idea to solution. I’m fond of the idea that process, depending on how it’s applied, can either kill a project or make it fly. By that I mean, if the process is too rigid or applied in such an absolute way that variation is not allowed, it can stifle creativity. When it’s applied intelligently, process provides a story or narrative as to why things were done a certain way so that some else can improve on the technology later if needed. This ultimately leads to quality as well.
The Process of Making Technology Work pt. 2 June 12, 2008
Posted by tdickey72 in Uncategorized.Tags: CPI, improvement, Process
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Do you like rice crispy treats? I know that I do! Process works like this. Imagine you’re making those treats. Think about process as the marshmallow stick stuff that you pour over the rice crispy things to make them all stick together. Process is like glue; hold all the pieces in place until you can get a good finished product. If you don’t have the sticky stuff, you might over-engineer your widget. There are several different processes that make tech work, like system or software development life cycle or project management. Each one is for a specific purpose and all of them make the finished product, a rice crispy treat, really good!
The Process of Making Technology Work pt. 1 June 11, 2008
Posted by tdickey72 in Uncategorized.Tags: CPI, GPS, miami, orlando, Process
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My good friend and I have been discussing how the make technology work. It’s really not an easy thing to do since it’s part art and part science. I think that a lot of it has to do with the right process being in place to make it work. Of course, if you have an over-engineered widget that simply does too much, you probably won’t get the process to work not matter how hard you try. Think of process this way, it’s like a road map to get you from one point to another. I know, as a man, I don’t need a map to get me from Miami to Orlando (just GPS navigation!). Process is really that simple. When process and technology meet, the outcome can be really cool! I’ll give more detail in another post, so think about this one in the meanwhile.
Total Process Improvement 