Blogging on “Capping IT Off”

I’ve started blogging at the Capping IT Off blog. Posts there will be about topics that are off topic for this blog. My first post is about e-health innovation and apps. My conclusion? E-health will be powered by thin, targeted applications built on a stable framework.

Agile Community of Practice

A data repository is not a community of practice

I’m a strong believer in learning by doing. I also believe that learning will be better when supported by an agile community of practice (CoP). Communities of practice allow self-selected members to develop their “capabilities, build and exchange knowledge”. In my professional life, I am involved in several communities including…

Continue reading

Evidence Based Software Engineering

Is it possible to do controlled process experiments in software? That was the question asked in the Kanbandev group over at Yahoo groups. We need evidence to support the practices we use in software development. After all we are talking about a serious business with an annual value of about 500 TUSD.

Agile is Always Appropriate

Sometimes, people tell me that “Agile is not appropriate” in this or that context. I believe that’s plain wrong. Agile, as seen from the basic principles, is always appropriate. That doesn’t mean that all versions of agile are appropriate in all situations. And it doesn’t mean that you will be sucessful just because you use agile. And saying that you are agile doesn’t mean that you are. Are you agile? Perhaps this is the source of the confusion?

Use a Good Meeting Invitation Template

Have you ever been to a really good meeting? The kind of meeting where you gain a sense of direction and unity? Perhaps a few, but if your experience is anywhere like mine most meetings you visited have felt like a waste of everybodys’ time. I’ve noticed that organizers who…

Continue reading

Corporate Inertia – No Special Needs for IT

Does corporate inertia keep you on Windows 98? Virtualization may help but upgrade might be even better.

In 2000, I worked on upgrading our laptops and desktops from Windows 95 to Windows 98. The project was completed in 2001. By that time it would have been much better to have moved directly to Windows 2000. That was my first but certainly not my last encounter with corporate…

Continue reading

To know the price of all things, but the value of none

I keep getting annoyed by how corporations are so compartementalized that income and cost are handled by totally different departments. What is the effect? The effect is that the cost departments focus solely on cost at the expense of income.

What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Oscar Wilde
Continue reading

Revamped Blog for 2014

The first post on this blog, from left to right: 2014, 2012 and 2010.

I’ve spent some time during the winter holidays on updating my blog. I hope the updates will make my blog better for the readers. An image is probably the best way to show you what I mean.

Continue reading

Generalists versus Specialists in Agile

Peppers are a good example of generalists versus specialists.

Generalists versus specialists — it is an ongoing debate. Is it better with generalist or specialist team members in agile software development or elsewhere?

Continue reading

Key Agile Practices You Need

Laurie Williams presenting a slide. She is the researcher behind the list of Key Agile Practices.

Laurie Williams has presented a “top thirty” list of key agile practices. The list defines what you need to do to be seen as being agile. Continuous integration, short iterations and done criteria are at the top of the list.

Continue reading