The Hindu Business Line : Get the full value

So many applications. Don't know which one to choose? And if you have already chosen, scared whether it will cause problems during Application Maintenance Lifecycle (AML)?

If you have bagged a fixed price contract and cannot afford to spend money on un-calculated risks, an optimisation package might make sense.

This package is a framework to help improve business efficiency. A recent CHAOS report by Standish Group International says only 29 per cent of all projects are completed on time, within the allocated budget and with required features and functions. The rest are challenged in all these aspects. Of that about 18 per cent are failures (cancelled or un-delivered).

"Software is no longer an art. We do not need newer technologies but better aligning of existing technologies," says Satyen Parikh, Managing Director, Borland India. Borland has a software delivery optimisation package called "Accelerate" that looks at optimising manpower, processes and technology.

"Projects must be directly aligned with business goals and undergo the same type of risk and return analysis found in any other type of business initiative," says Ashok Reddy, Program Director, Rational Product Offerings Management, IBM Software Group. IBM's optimisation package is included in the IBM Rational software development platform.

Optimisation defines requirement at the architectural level (coding) and then integrates all applications from a business view - looking at low cost, high value and easy maintenance. Hence the scope of optimisation is not restricted to verticals, platforms or projects.

A common problem, such as using multiple platforms for the same project, can be tackled using optimisation techniques.

Choosing the right application depends on the scope of the project. For instance, one can use both MS Word and MS Excel to make tables. For mere data representation, MS Word may be fine. But if one would be computing data from the table, MS Excel would be simpler and more relevant.

This may be a simple example but how does one look at optimisation in a larger context? At the project level, optimisations would mean meeting business needs using available resources, and having transparency in the project, says Reddy. At an organisational level, it means managing resources across projects while ensuring compliance with regulations.

Parikh feels that looking at optimising projects is not the solution. "Organisations have to identify processes and approach optimisation as a standardisation drive and not merely a project standard," he says.

Borland's optimisation package can be implemented for any technology, process, platform or application while IBM's package is agnostic to platform and application.

This helps old and new technologies work together besides utilising both in-house and outsider optimisation practices.

"In today's distributed environment if companies still manage software development the conventional way, it will lead to loss of efficiency," says Parikh. Changes are imminent to projects. They may be anticipated but if they are not accounted for, it leads to overspending.

"To complete projects on time, companies may eventually compromise on quality," he says. For big companies quality is key and they would rather overspend than compromise on quality. But in small companies, when costs increase, optimisation cannot be ignored.

This does not mean optimisation is relevant only to small companies. "Large companies tend to leverage global resources and have more complex projects. They will benefit from optimisation solutions," feels Reddy.

"Projects fail irrespective of the company size. All companies need optimisation. But the extent of deploying them would differ," says Parikh.

Optimisation solutions are strategic for India, as we deliver projects globally.

According to a recent IDC report, India's share in the AML market is about $7 billion and we also hold a sizeable chunk of the $6.1-billion global testing market. If manpower has been our advantage so long, business efficiency would be a key differentiator for the future.

At a glance...

The BPM Forum report on "Software gain" or "Business Drain" says

Companies are highly challenged to keep their software infrastructures aligned with current business strategies and needs.

The problem is not only difficulty in building the right software but also not being able to get rid of it when it becomes obsolete.

IT infrastructures are crowded with redundant, obsolete, deficient and unused applications - all of which hamper business performance and drain IT resources.

Companies are more focused on bringing new software into the enterprise than on measuring its value and tracking its use once applications come online.

archana@thehindu.co.in