Cases and solutions
Facilitating increased flexibility
Client situation
- Software development had been changed from a matrix to a pool organization.
- Putting the new iterative software development process into operation caused some difficulties.
- Process compliance for too many ongoing projects was unclear.
The Acrea approach
- We identified three major problems:
- vague definition of project granularity;
- overhead for small adjustments was similar in size to overhead required for a full project;
- the decision basis for project tailoring was inadequate.
- To resolve these issues, we developed a scorecard for quick project risk assessments, reducing overhead during the project initiation phase.
How the client benefits
- Projects become less interdependent; less project overhead is required; project quality and auditability are still ensured.
- Increased acceptance of new development processes by project managers because governance efforts and formal procedures were adjusted to meet project risks.
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Facilitating increased flexibility
Client situation
- Internal application services suffered a low ratio of re-use due to a lack of transparency.
- An earlier project aimed at increasing service re-use didn’t bring satisfactory results.
The Acrea approach
- We analyzed the existing approach and identified the following issues:
- a focus on manual documentation made structured searches for information all but impossible;
- no existing strategy for the re-use of services during the software engineering process.
- To resolve these issues, we developed a strategy and a concept for the centralized management of application interface descriptions.
How the client benefits
- Existing services are increasingly re-used, and the software development process is more efficient.
- A high acceptance level within the developer community.
- A future-proof flexible architecture enabling model-driven software development.
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Facilitating innovation
Client situation
- There was a traditional focus on back-end systems and expert user interfaces.
- Although little experience in web and mobile applications development was available, the client had started a strategic initiative for offering client-facing banking software.
The Acrea approach
- We defined a business and partner strategy for the development of client-facing products.
- We developed a comprehensive business case, including strategy, range of products, market entry scenarios, and financial forecasts.
- We also shaped the architecture and the security concept for the new product line.
How the client benefits
- Our strategy was received very positively by the executive board, the client’s customers, and potential customers.
- The corresponding product development was initialized.
- There is now a clear overall multichannel strategy in place, including architecture and security concepts, and the setup of a partner program.
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An improved software development process resulted in a reduced project overhead and lower costs.