change management

Joe Farah writes that a next-generation CM and ALM strategy may seem aggressive, but it will help ensure that you're happy with the result. It will make sure that you deal with the entire problem domain from an organization perspective, rather than just the part your team is traditionally comfortable with.

For many organizations, cloud computing has transitioned from a hyped buzzword into a reality in regards to their business operations. Many more enterprises are realizing the benefits of remote hosting IT services rather than local IT management, especially as managing and operating IT networks and services is not getting any easier.

A basic build capability is founded on two key fundamentals: the ability to reproduce the build and the ability to automate the build process. Without these two fundamentals, you're fighting an uphill battle. Reproduction of the build implies that you have a CM system able to capture the build definition. Automation helps to ensure that no manual errors can play into the production, but this is just the beginning. These build basics will help set you on the right path for high-quality changes.

In this excerpt from Leadership, Teamwork, and Trust: Building a Competitive Software Capability, Watts Humphrey and James Over explain why these changes must be a high priority for software companies and other organizations for whom knowledge is a valuable asset.