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Showing posts from June, 2006

Requirements - a False Sense of Security

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The Challenge In an industry with over 35 years of software engineering experience, it's amazing that we have failed to produce any significant breakthrough that improves the ability of executing successful software projects . The brightest minds have been humbled battling the tide of anarchy that persistently undermines the progress of their complex initiatives. "Discipline and control", the gurus cry, will help curb our irresponsible creative surges. Envying their manufacturing counterparts, knowledge workers have reached out to embrace disciplines that have reduced the insanity while simultaneously eroding innovation and creativity beneath the weight of bureaucratic process and fragmented work distribution. In this protected environment, the "sigh of relief" eventually evaporates into a new level of panic, as emerging competitors run roughshod across existing markets with disruptive innovations. Successful assembly and delivery of complex artifacts is ulti

Communication Bridge: Picture my Business

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Each year, millions of dollars dissipate via projects that provide little residual value to their sponsors and end users. The source of the problem: an ever-widening communication gap between complex business needs and convoluted technical capabilities. Yet there is hope. One of my favourite bridging devices is a powerful visual modeling standard called Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) . Currently undergoing acceptance by the OMG , BPMN aptly crosses the chasm, clarifying business value and contextualizing technical capability through the following characteristics: Uses a common modeling language, easily understood by business and technical stakeholders Facilitates efficient process knowledge sharing for Business to Business (B2B) applications Addresses problems with previous attempts in using "software oriented" UML notation for business modeling Provides round trip engineering with XML based business processing languages like BPEL4WS Download an HTML version o