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Dariel Solutions provides SAPPI with a new development methodology
Companies that have taken on the task of developing their own software are aware of the soaring costs and increasing complexities of internal development, especially when it comes to maintaining and enhancing existing applications over their useful lifespan. All too often, a dispersed enterprise will find different development styles and methodologies in various parts of the company, making it impossible to ensure all software adheres to corporate standards and to effectively manage it from a central location.
"In some cases, software written and used in one branch can not be applied in another without further development and adaptation," says Malcolm Rabson, MD of Dariel Solutions. "It's no surprise that designing and implementing an enterprise-wide, consistent development methodology and architecture has become a critical task for IT departments the world over. Of course, hiring expensive consultants and spending the required money on designing the optimal architecture for your business does not mean your problems are over. The most difficult aspect of consistent development methodologies is the implementation and getting every relevant employee to commit to it."
No matter how good the design and how many experts were involved in the process, if every developer does not adopt the principles, the process is a waste. Getting buy-in and adherence to the methodology is easier if all programmers are located in one office, but can be a nightmare if they are dispersed around the country or even the world.
Dariel Solutions was exposed to a unique, local solution for overcoming these difficulties when asked to design a development methodology for Sappi, a global producer of coated fine paper and chemical cellulose. Sappi runs the SAP business application and employs numerous developers located in mills nationwide to create additional applications to support the company's day-to-day operations. This support can range from designing new reports to more in-depth programming assignments.
To keep development at the same standard across the enterprise, a development methodology needed to be developed and rolled out across the corporation. Instead of wanting the usual process documentation with complex diagrams and formulas - normally about the size of an encyclopaedia - Sappi's management asked for a simplified approach that staff could and would commit to.
"Sappi knew that by simply imposing a complex methodology across the board it would only be ensuring it never became part of its internal development processes," explains Rabson. "Management knew methodology was about changing the culture within the company, demonstrating the value the new processes delivered and, above all, keeping it simple."
Instead of the big bang approach, the company adopted a simplified, step-by-step process to instil new development values and methodologies. Each step was broken down into components and these were presented as a guide to IT staff. Each guide was only one laminated page in size with a process diagram on one side and a checklist on the other - ensuring everything was kept as simple as possible. Should a manager request a new report, for example, the relevant diagram provided the process to follow and the checklist broke it down into its simplest components.
"Taking small steps in this way helped ensure that everybody knew what was required of them and made it easy to comply," notes Rabson. "There were no complicated manuals for 15-minute jobs that took 60 minutes to read, only simple one-page instruction sheets."
The brochure-approach made it simple for staff to adhere to the new methodology and recognise its value. Furthermore, any changes required were easy to implement since they were documented in a readable fashion. Instead of throwing a completely new methodology for everything at users, each step handled one aspect of the architecture.
"Sappi proved that implementing an enterprise wide development methodology is not an impossible task, but quite easy if addressed in small steps," says Rabson. "Instead of large cumbersome changes forced upon employees, the company implements its architecture in small doses that are easy and painless to accept and absorb into the culture of the organisation, ensuring everyone wins and that development is always carried out according to the corporate standard."
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