Application Development Throughput

The challenge

• As we work more and more using agile techniques, teams tend to optimize their areas of responsibility.
• IT will still release lower-quality applications when there is a lack of clarity around the core SDLC processes.
• Software development teams continue to struggle with budget and time constraints within their releases.
• Typically each group claims to be optimized, yet the final deliverable falls short of the expected quality.

Our advice

Insight

• Database administrators know this all too well: Optimizing can you perform worse. The software development lifecycle (SDLC) must be optimized holistically, not per area or team.
• Separate how you work from your framework. You do not need "agile" or "extreme" or "agifall" or "safe" to optimize your SDLC.
• SDLC optimization is a continuous effort. Start from your team's current capabilities and improve over time.

Impact and results 

• You can assume proper accountability for the implementation and avoid over-reliance on the systems integrator.
• Leverage the collective knowledge and advice of additional IT professionals
• Review the pitfalls and lessons learned from failed integrations.
• Manage risk at every stage.
• Perform a self-assessment at various stages of the integration path.

The roadmap

Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:

Get started.

Read our executive brief to understand our approach to SDLC optimization and why we advocate a holistic approach for your company.

• Create a Horizontally Optimized SDLC to Better Meet Business Demands – Executive Brief (ppt)
• Create a Horizontally Optimized SDLC to Better Meet Business Demands – Phases 1-3 (ppt)

Document your current state

This phase helps you in understanding your business goals and priorities. You will document your current SDLC process and find where the challenges are.

• Create a Horizontally Optimized SDLC to Better Meet Business Demands – Phase 1: Document the Current State of the SDLC (ppt)
• SDLC Optimization Playbook (xls)

Find out the root causes, define how to move forward, and set your target state

• Create a Horizontally Optimized SDLC to Better Meet Business Demands – Phase 2: Define Root Causes, Determine Optimization Initiatives, and Define Target State (ppt)

Develop the roll-out strategy for SDLC optimization

Prioritize your initiatives and formalize them in a roll-out strategy and roadmap. Communicate your plan to all your stakeholders.

• Create a Horizontally Optimized SDLC to Better Meet Business Demands – Phase 3: Develop a Rollout Strategy for SDLC Optimization (ppt)
• SDLC Communication Template (ppt)