nFold Software
Minute
19 June 2007
Focusing on the lighter side
of software matters for managers, this newsletter is released every
few weeks and should not take more than a minute to read; unless you
have to follow along with your finger and mouth the words, in which
case: just pass it on to a friend.
At a round table discussion hosted by Brainstorm
recently, the eternal question of whether it is better to build or
buy software came up again in passing. The table had no corners, but
the room did have opposite ends. nFold sat squarely in the "packaged
software" corner, arguing that if packaged software meets
60-80% of your needs and can be configured, there is
no need to re-invent the wheel. In the "bespoke
software" corner, sat Malcolm Rabson from Dariel Solutions, whose
experience has been that customers don't want to pay for 100% when
all they need is 5% of the functionality that comes off the shelf.
He has a point. Although the packaged software response is to
modularise or tier the software to different groups of
requirements.
Dariel & nFold both agreed on one thing:
regardless of whether the software is packaged or bespoke, a
mature approach is needed to ensure the success of
your project. Contrary to popular belief, it IS possible to deliver
software projects in time on budget and according to
specifications. Usually, that means spending more time up
front, following the old adage that if you fail to plan you are
planning to fail.
Another eternal question (or is it an excuse) came
up in the discussion, namely the IT skills shortage; a
convenient reason to buy rather than build. The word on the
street is that software development environments and standards are
evolving so rapidly that we now need a new kind of specialist. To
make matters worse, the curriculum at higher institutions of
learning has allegedly not kept up with market demands. When will
our industry demand the levels of professionalism & skills
accreditation already adopted in countries such as the
UK?
I eagerly await the article Paul Furber has written
in Brainstorm to see his take on these matters and the broader
subject of Independent Software Vendors; and of course to see my
name in quotes and the - no doubt - unflattering photo.
Contact
events@nfold.com to participate in our
next enterprise software survey, to be conducted in association with Arthur Goldstuck's
company WorldWideWorx in Aug/Sep 2007. You will receive a
local software directory in
thanks for your participation. Your responses are confidential. All
we need is half an hour face to
face to interview your
CIO.
Till next time, keep smiling
:-)
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