Technical Documents - Express More with Less

It is not uncommon for systems analysts, software developers and architects to produce series of documentation during all the phases of software development life cycle. We call these documents by many names. Business Requirement Document (BRD), System Requirements Specification (SRS), Functional Requirements Specification (FRS), System Design Documents (SDD) and Technical Design Document (TDD) are some examples. Many people and organization call these documents by various names; but they more or less serve the same purpose.

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XML Transformation - Use XSD please...

Whenever organizations share data in XML format they may end up taking the following steps to process the data:

1)      Transform XML to an internal standard

2)      Process the transformed data

Please note that the data sharing strategies, processes and complexity can vary significantly from one organization to another. Therefore, the steps outlined above may not cover all scenarios. Here, I’m just trying to highlight a simple XML driven data exchange scenario.

Rigid vs Flexible SDLC

Most organizations follow some type of methodology for their software development life cycle (SDLC). Waterfall, Agile, Scrum, Lean and XP are some of the principals many corporations are trying to utilize to effectively build software products. There are definitely no shortages of books on these methodologies, and the number of great blogs is countless.  I certainly don’t want to try to publish one more blog on promoting a specific software development principal, or discuss the pros and cons. Instead, I feel I need to look at why an organization establishes SDLC to begin with, and what type of methodology we should try to use.

App Law?

Most organizations use some type of home-grown application for one reason or the other. These applications can be as simple as a single user Excel spreadsheet or as complex as interdependent line-of-business software products servicing 100s of users. All these applications, regardless of their complexity (or simplicity), usually run their courses… Sometimes we end up spending a great deal of money to replace the product only to find ourselves in the same situation within a short period of time.

COTS vs. Home-Grown Software

We are at an age where businesses must transform and adapt fast. As a result, organizations, especially the ones in the service sector, must find a way to introduce products and services rapidly. So, increasing number of technology executives, architects and developers are facing a newer challenge – build custom software or purchase commercial of-the-shelf (COTS) software.

System of Engagement?

It is amazing to see how social media has transformed our lives today. Social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube are not only playing a huge part in our personal lives; but are also starting to influence the corporate world in a major way. We all know that many organizations are utilizing social media to promote businesses and expand network. Is that it?? Not at all…