ALM Assessment Program

ALM Assessment ALM Assessment ProgramProgram

OverviewOverview

Steve Lange | Developer Technology Specialist | Microsoft US West Region

Application Life-Cycle Management (ALM) is a solution for governing the process of planning, building, and managing applications over their life cycle. An ALM enables you to more effectively manage projects, track project progress, manage requirements, streamline team collaboration, design and develop systems, ensure quality, manage releases, and maintain software. The results are enhanced productivity, development speed, alignment with global business goals and business agility.

What is Application Life-Cycle What is Application Life-Cycle Management?Management?

Project managementProject managementPlanning, organizing, and managing Planning, organizing, and managing resourcesresources

Software maintenanceSupporting iterative development practices and evolution of software solutions

Project progress tracking and reportingInsights into project health and visibility for all stakeholders

Requirements managementManaging project scope and enforce requirements traceability

Development team collaborationSupport collaborative activities of various project roles

System design and developmentArchitecting the solution, planning deployment, and constructing software solutions

Quality assuranceLocating and resolving software defects

Release managementFormalizing software release and deployment practices to reduce deployment and support costs

Introducing Application Life-Cycle Introducing Application Life-Cycle ManagementManagement

Do your software development projects have the Do your software development projects have the visibility and predictability to meet the needs of visibility and predictability to meet the needs of your customers?your customers?

The Microsoft Application Life-Cycle The Microsoft Application Life-Cycle Management (ALM) solution increases business Management (ALM) solution increases business value by enabling cross-functional team value by enabling cross-functional team collaboration and responds faster to change with collaboration and responds faster to change with integrated process and methodology toolsintegrated process and methodology tools

ALM brings IT assets and business processes into ALM brings IT assets and business processes into a cohesive whole, enabling deeper customer a cohesive whole, enabling deeper customer connections, more integrated partners, connections, more integrated partners, empowered employees, and faster time to empowered employees, and faster time to marketmarket

Effectively executed Application Life-Cycle Management will help IT Leaders establish

and retain a role of “strategic enabler” within their organizations

Introducing Application Life-Cycle Introducing Application Life-Cycle ManagementManagement

DefinitionDefinitionDefinitionDefinition

DesignDesignDesignDesign

DevelopmentDevelopmentDevelopmentDevelopment

TestingTestingTestingTesting

DeploymentDeploymentDeploymentDeployment

OperationsOperationsOperationsOperations

Application

Life-Cycle

Increase business valueIncrease business value

Enable cross-functional Enable cross-functional team collaborationteam collaboration

Provide faster response to Provide faster response to changechange

Integrate process and Integrate process and methodology toolsmethodology tools

Foster continuous Foster continuous improvement across the improvement across the entire life cycleentire life cycle

Changing the ParadigmChanging the Paradigm

Traditionally, we decompose tasks and measure completion This is the cost accounting tradition

Alternatively, we account for customer value incrementally delivered This is the Lean Manufacturing and Theory of Constraints model

Work Down

Rem

ain

ing W

ork Plan

Task 1Task 2Task 3Task 4 V

alue

Value Up

ALM Assessment ProgramALM Assessment Program

Assess your organization and its IT functionsAssess your organization and its IT functions

Identify the main problem areas

Prioritize areas for improvement

Adopt an incremental approach to phase in new practices on a project-by-project basis

It Starts with the ALM AssessmentIt Starts with the ALM Assessment

The Application Lifecycle Management Assessment provides customers with deep insights into the maturity of your software development capabilities and recommends potential improvements to help increase the predictability and success of your application development projects.

Key Deliverables include: • ALM Maturity Model Document

• ALM Prioritized Initiative Document (Roadmap)

• Final Presentation with Recommendations for ALM Process Improvement

Approach to ALM OptimizationApproach to ALM Optimization

Online ALM AssessmentOnline ALM Assessment

Provides vendor-agnostic snapshot of Provides vendor-agnostic snapshot of development maturity across 9 different areasdevelopment maturity across 9 different areasCompares against previous assessments, Compares against previous assessments, industry, and team size.industry, and team size.Takes about 30-45 minutes.Takes about 30-45 minutes.

Onsite AssessmentOnsite Assessment

Usually 3 DaysUsually 3 Days

Take what is discovered from the online Take what is discovered from the online assessment and establish root causes for assessment and establish root causes for any areas needing improvement.any areas needing improvement.

Interview both individual contributors as Interview both individual contributors as well as upper management to create a well as upper management to create a whole picturewhole picture

Provide a high level roadmap for solving Provide a high level roadmap for solving identified deficiencies in their current ALMidentified deficiencies in their current ALM

Minimize impact on the organization during Minimize impact on the organization during the assessment (selective interviews)the assessment (selective interviews)

Onsite Assessment – Sample Onsite Assessment – Sample AgendaAgendaDay 1Day 1

IntroductionsIntroductionsSet the framework for assessmentSet the framework for assessment

High-level review of process with managers and leadsHigh-level review of process with managers and leadsEmphasize need for being candidEmphasize need for being candid

Schedule InterviewsSchedule InterviewsNeed to be cognizant of work commitmentsNeed to be cognizant of work commitmentsNeed leads’ buy-offNeed leads’ buy-off

Start interviews Start interviews

Day 2Day 2InterviewsInterviews

Day 3Day 3Final interviews if necessaryFinal interviews if necessaryPrepare Findings ReportPrepare Findings ReportShare Findings with Day 1 groupShare Findings with Day 1 group

ReportReportRecommendRecommendDiscuss Discuss

Onsite Assessment - Onsite Assessment - InterviewsInterviewsInterviews are slated for 45-50 minutes per interview (1 per Interviews are slated for 45-50 minutes per interview (1 per hour and a break)hour and a break)

Need role/discipline representation (ideally from all listed Need role/discipline representation (ideally from all listed below)below)

Business AnalystsBusiness Analysts

DevelopmentDevelopment

TestTest

Product managersProduct managers

Executive sponsorsExecutive sponsors

Build managementBuild management

Release ManagementRelease Management

1-2 people per interview1-2 people per interviewThis reduces interference with the team over This reduces interference with the team over the multi-day processthe multi-day process

Mix of management and individual contributors Mix of management and individual contributors

Expected DeliverablesExpected Deliverables

Baseline reportBaseline reportAssessment ReportAssessment Report

Executive SummaryExecutive SummaryRecommendations & FindingsRecommendations & Findings

Existing Best Practices to adoptExisting Best Practices to adoptGaps/opportunitiesGaps/opportunitiesImpact AnalysisImpact AnalysisProposed Iterative RoadmapProposed Iterative Roadmap

Detailed FindingsDetailed Findings

ALM Assessment - ALM Assessment - SummarySummaryProvide an impact map of Provide an impact map of proficiencies and deficiencies in proficiencies and deficiencies in development organizationdevelopment organizationProvide a roadmap for making Provide a roadmap for making necessary improvementsnecessary improvementsRequisites:Requisites:

30-45 minutes to complete online 30-45 minutes to complete online assessmentassessment30-60 minutes for onsite interview30-60 minutes for onsite interview1-2 hour meeting slots for introduction 1-2 hour meeting slots for introduction and conclusionsand conclusions

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