Tag Archives: org

open source software – driving innovation through participation

from readwrite.com/2014/04/07/open-source-software-cost-recruiting-participation by @mjasay

(bold is my emphasis…)

…. While lowering costs remains the top reason companies elect to participate in open-source projects, they now view open source as a way to drive innovation, shorten time to market, and improve the quality of their software.

…. more than 50% of enterprises both using and contributing to open-source projects, a massive jump from just a few years ago.

All of this comes down to naked self-interest, of course.

…. the second-most-cited reason for engaging with open-source communities was to help enterprises attract and retain top talent. The best developers demand to work on open source.

…. This year the primary reason for participating in open-source communities is to help reduce costs.

…. 80% of the survey respondents say they use open source because of the advanced features it already has, and they want to add features, too. They also want to fix problems.

They want to innovate, in other words, and not on someone else’s schedule. But they also want a strong base. Open source means they don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

…. the truly successful app-dev[elopment] leaders will be those who focus on delivering constant value and incremental improvement to their business.

…. While source code is important for innovation, it’s also important for the far more mundane task of ensuring security. …. “many more eyes” on the source code makes it more secure.

…. Open-source software is …. now driving the innovation agenda for the entire industry, offering higher-quality software and more room to shape that software to meet individual needs.

Anatomy of an Operations Review

from www.agilemanagement.net/index.php/blog/Anatomy_of_an_Operations_Review/

I get asked what we present at operations review every month.

  • action items from last time
  • [biz value – ] financial … sales … etc
  • [overview] budgets … vs actual
  • guest … from business … how they rely on IT …. helps connect
  • metrics [of value]

sw eng: sustaining eng.stats

downstream value chain partners

change, successful or not

help desk, tickets, root causes

operations review – from Agile Management

from ch.14 of David Anderson’s book Agile Management, www.agilemanagement.net/AMPDFArchive/AMSE_Chapter14.pdf

 

The purpose of a monthly operations review is to create a culture of openness and trust, to share a common understanding of the issues confronting management and staff, and to debate the opportunity for improvements.
….

The operations review is not intended as a control mechanism …. is about learning, building trust with value-chain partners, and teaching senior executives about the business.
….

business owners upstream and downstream in the same value chain should be invited. When a business needs to work and negotiate with partners in a value chain, those partners need to understand the issues and learn to trust each other
….

An operations review will visually present the information that the business needs to operate successfully.

The difference between data and information is, says Eli Goldratt, the difference between the inputs needed to derive an answer versus the actual answer [Goldratt 1990, p. 6]. Information is the answer to a question. Management information is the answer to a question about the health and running of a business. Management information answers questions executives need answered in order to make informed decisions about investment in and operation of a business that must be run for profits now and in the future.
…. 

All operations reviews should lead with the financial data
….

The production metrics should echo the financial metrics 

[i.e., aspects of value]

 

The operations review is a monthly event for the entire management team of the software business and all its value-chain partners