Machine learning warts and all

I wont be long-winded about this, I’ll discuss it via email with anyone who is interested, but I’ll break with my usual mode and come straight to the point. A great many people who know little at all of machine learning  and even less about people and many more who are simply  oblivious to the … Read more

Tim Berners Lee is on the money yet again.

There’s been some hype going around that the internet volumes are beginning to clog its arteries and that there are issues ahead. TBL reacted to this by saying something to the effect that; the internet is not at risk form volume of information but volume of misinformation. Let’s just think about that. There was a … Read more

Knowledge Management (KM)

Knowledge Management describes the function of Knowing what you know and profiting from it. Malhorta Implementing knowledge management thus has several dimensions including:  Strategy: Knowledge management strategy must be dependent on corporate strategy. The objective is to manage, share, and create relevant knowledge assets that will help meet tactical and strategic requirements. Organisational Culture: The organisational culture influences the … Read more

Is there a maturity model for corporate information and is it achievable?

I was recently asked to contribute to a maturity model for big data. Anyone who knows me will have guessed that I declined this, but it did get me thinking about the lack of a big picture understanding of the corporate information landscape and a framework to leverage. Given that so many of us operate … Read more

Managing requirement scope

Sometimes the definition of requirements and management of their delivery is described as Scope management.  Scope management is composed of five distinct phases: Scope initiation Scope planning Scope definition Scope verification Scope change control Scope initiation refers to the justification phase. This is when a Product management team create Market requirements and Product requirements documents … Read more

Requirements engineering strategy can make or break your project .

Part one – What would you like sir Part two – Requirements,tests, training, help files Part three – Why no project exists in isolation-what should be done Part four – Business rules, Process rules, Process, Data, different viewpoints Part five – Testing requirements is not optional Part six  -Requirements strategy can make or break your project If … Read more

Testing requirements is not optional

Part one – What would you like sir Part two – Requirements,tests, training, help files Part three – Why no project exists onin isolation-whwat should be done Part four – Business rules, Process rules, Process, Data, different viewpoints Part five – Testing requirements is not optional Part six  -Requirements strategy can make or break your project Yes … Read more

Why no project should exist in isolation and what needs to be done

Part one – What would you like sir Part two – Requirements,tests, training, help files Part three – Why no project exists onin isolation-what should be done Part four – Business rules, Process rules, Process, Data, different viewpoints Part five – Testing requirements is not optional Part six  -Requirements strategy can make or break your project How … Read more

Requirements, tests, training, help files – the connection?

If you began with a vague idea and kept changing things in the hope that you would eventually end up knowing what you wanted, then success is about as easy to find as the end of a rainbow.

Delivering the right project

Really! – Have you seen this new stuff?
This could easily have been Mick Jagger and Keith Richards after their first successful gig. In the modern world, it is more likely to be a hard working CTO talking to a COO about his systems needs

Business rules, Process rules, Process, Data, different viewpoints on requirements.

To fully understand requirements it is necessary to break them down and consider each on it’s own merit. First of all requirements come from different viewpoints and these angles must be fully considered.
The key viewpoints to consider are: Business rules, Processes, Process rules, Data rules and models, Operating environment internal and external, Culture, Skills, Adaptability.

Communication for project managers

Before you even consider communication with any audience from one person to 100 million people, you need to first gain their respect and trust. If you don’t, why should they listen to you.
Just like you they are bombarded with messages all day every day and they only have time to listen to a choice few that come from trusted sources , that gain their attention and arouse their interest.

Agile, Agile the rumblings continue. .

Your perception of agile is not right, you just don’t see the real benefits of agile because you are not a true agile practitioner, you just use it as a looser form waterfall when it suits you, but you never really took the faith. We are delivering year in and year out in a way we never could with a traditional approach.

When is a business case not a business case (part 4)

There a re a few fundamental rules to bear in mind when presenting any proposition:

1. Recognise and understand your audience so that you can directly target a known need or desire with your proposition.

2. Use the appropriate language and context to present your proposition.

3. Get your timing right.

4. Demonstrate understanding of and sensitivity to the operating environment.