lean management for it functional specifications

Lean Management for IT by Jean Louis Lequeux is available under the terms of Creative Commons License - No Commercial Use - No Modification 3.0 Unported. Based on a works at http://weltram.eu.

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Lean Management forIT Functional Specifications

Jean Louis LEQUEUX http://weltram.eu

V 1.2 – May 4th, 2011

La Gestion Allégée pour les Spécifications Fonctionnelles

December 6th, 2010 QHSE Series, Jean Louis LEQUEUX http://weltram.eu2



Summary

1. What is Lean Management?2. Pledging for Lean Functional

Specifications3. How to apply Lean Management to

Functional Specifications




Prerequisite

Existing situation: Specifications are often uncompleted Delivery are sometimes useless for

IT Corporate implication in project

If not corporate commitment, make sure of the degree of autonomy of Client’s Management…




Envision project Envisioning the project in order to:

Estimate real size Evaluate urgencies Detect critical points

The initial "big picture" might be revised

On which points: Budget may slip? Costs could sky-rocket?




Objectives Prevention of waste

Waste of personnel occupation Expenses waste Time waste

Shorten delays Of Interviews Of Restitutions and Reporting

Improve quality




How to avoid waste? Quick & clear description of:

Corporate Objectives Business Métier Internal Organization Environment

Availability of key users For Interviews For validations

Be sure of the real State-of-the-Art




Reaching targets Define

Main targets Secondary targets

For each, define: Steps Delivery cycle




Time shortening In internal relations between members

Define efficient processes Use electronic communications

In relations with clients Avoid unnecessary meetings Trace




Readiness Use Models!

For questions… For Interviews Management

Formalize answers Make sure it’s possible!

Define format with savvies Be sure of expertise

If NO: detect demands which are beyond-reasonability

No copy-past of other reports!!




A double Lean approach Apply LM

Internally to specification team members To relations with eventual subcontractors

Try to apply LM to clients interviews Reduce waste time Target savvy interviewees




Necessary preliminary approach

Understand internal stake-holders: Tact Diplomacy Persuasion




Tapping existing sources… Where to find real requirements? In:

Existing Applications Excel sheets, Personal tools Hidden practices:

good Bad Unwritten practices

Challenge expressed requirements with “real requirements”




Improve synthesizes Define

Format Content

Be sure of: Limitations Dates




Track non-value-added sources In:

Practices Generally admitted habits or non-professional

Processes Written

External Internal

Unwritten External Internal




Use productivity tools

Collaborative applications Groupware Workflow

Requirements mgt sys Shares:

Local Cloud




Organize specification team Three competency levels are requested:

Managers Experts Analysts




Lean LAN, WAN or Cloud? Physical contacts are

not necessary Sometimes impossible

team members need Collaborative docs on-the-clouds docs

Security issues Compliancy issues




Exploitable output Important: reports must be

Readable by non specialists Exploitable by

Analyst … in some cases, even directly

exploitable by developers




Continuous process Double synchronization:

Internally to Specification Team With clients’ representatives Externally, with clients’ partners




Specification Project management

The two main issues are Delay Quality

However, deliveries must Be complete Meet expectations




IT Models Define Methodology

Prior to missions … with tools

What types of models? Whatever: UML or others, providing:

Both teams (clients and contractors) are practicing it “fluently”

If NOT:

Preliminary Training compulsory




Reviews & Revisions Reviews

Frequency Who? Validation

Revisions in case of non-validation Define a quick process!

Possible sources of delays!




Evolutions Evolutions could be appeared as

necessary during the mission: Examine all Bypass possibilities Define extra budget! Important issues:

Loops on criticized points Focus on critical points




User Interface The GUI is often “forgotten” …

… because its importance is denied Or, because it depends the Software

Package Anyway,

It is fundamental to the appropriation of the applications by users

The User friendliness “formula” is: WYSIWYx!X = Get or Sign or will Order, etc.




Ergonomic interface Ergonomic interface equals… better

Productivity Less errors Better quality Client satisfaction

It must be part of any specification mission




Conclusions LM4IT Specification is

Key for a complete Lean Management for it Key for optimization




More on:

http://weltram.eu/leanit.aspx

lean management for it functional specifications

Technology

clients management

lean management

clients interviews

interviews management

lean functional specifications

internal relations

real requirements

specification team members