January 31, 2005
Asia, Automation, and Abundance
Please take the time to read article published on wired.com by Danial Pink. While my message about the future of technology focused on India, Automation, and the Death of Demand (See Tom Osenton). It kooks like I missed the other areas of Asia in my initial thoughts. Basically, those of us that have placed long term bets on structured information better start thinking in unstructured terms. Does this mean that tomorrow we are all out of a job? Of course not, technology will take time to adapt and implement. The real question is more of the long term investment in your skills.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.02/brain_pr.html
Posted by Todd at 7:25 PM
January 30, 2005
Why Not...
Why are you not blogging? Please, tell me why we in the data architecture world are not storming into this technology. I did a search this weekend on “Data Architecture Blog” and nothing but Information Architecture oriented sites appeared in the search results. Perhaps it’s time to stop asking why but why not.
Posted by Todd at 3:45 PM
January 28, 2005
Value-Add Services
Over the past few months, I have opened the door to many of the value-add services that we offer including subscription services, domain analysis, design consulting, document polishing, content publication, impact analysis, etc. Organizations must learn to evolve their offering. Not only does the technology change almost daily, the business environment changes as well. Within the technical community, we must learn to adapt and expand like the universe in all directions: horizontally, vertically and along the natural progression from raw material to experience.
Posted by Todd at 1:39 AM | Comments (1)
January 26, 2005
Enterprise Reuse Activities
Define Reuse and a Process for Reuse
Reuse means many things to many people. We should establish a clear definition of what reuse is and the expectations of the program. Reuse will have implications into the SDLC and Project Planning standards.
Publish Guidelines for Building Reusable Artifacts
We learned that building reusable components is much more complex and demanding than simply having reusable code. Each asset type may have different requirements for availability, capacity, and many other dimensions.
Establish Reward Incentives to Reuse
Implement performance incentives that encourage reuse; PMP, development plans, etc.
Define Reuse Metrics and ROI Frameworks
Expanding the metrics and ROI frameworks will go along way in establishing the success of a reuse plan. If the main objective is to improve quality, lower costs, and reduce time to market then we will need some form of measurement program.
Develop a Reuse Maturity Model in Order to Establish a Vision/Plan
Programs like disaster recovery, quality assurance, and software delivery have benefited greatly with the establishment of a maturity model. A reuse model might include different perspectives like: reuse methodology, reuse technology, reuse management and reuse culture.
Engage Partners/Vendors to Supply Reusable Assets
Time and time again we fail to gain access to reusable assets with software solutions. The check list or vendor directives should include the access, definition and capability of the assets included in vendors’ products as well as solution providers.
Establish a Formal Training Program around the basics of Reuse
A communication plan is needed in order to market, sell, and brand the concepts of reuse.
Review the Current Metadata Strategy and Recommend Improvements
The Metadata Strategy needs to be reviewed in order to ensure the development of solid inventory of assets system. Incremental improvements are a great thing but a reuse program may require holistic review.
Remember – Incrementalism is Innovation Worst Nightmare
Posted by Todd at 4:39 PM
The Best "Best Practice"
In May, the Wilshire Conference Group is putting together something special by bringing in the winners of the Wilshire Award which our team won a few years ago. The idea is to allow each representative to name their very best “Best Practice”. Myself, I can think of three: evolution, expansion, and passion. If I had to choose today, evolution would be the best of the best. Why? Two things that never seem to stand still are the business and technology. Every IT department goes through changes which are generally either driven by the business changing or the technology. Assuming you agree with this statement, then the Metadata Services Group within your organization must evolve. Evolve to expand the product and service offering, evolve to take advantage of new technology, and evolve to add value to the business irregardless where this may take you. If the leadership approached you to define, design, and deliver (3D’s) a metadata solution for the Intranet, would you turn them down to stay focused on core database metadata?
Posted by Todd at 12:38 AM
ACM Extended Abstract
A few weeks ago, my workshop was accepted at the 43rd ACM Southeast Conference which will be held at Kennesaw, GA. The location is nice since the university is only about an hour or so drive from the house. The topic will be enterprise reuse and an overview of implementation. Today, I plan on working on the two page extended abstract and trying to get it into the ACM format which is never an easy task. Good thing it's 20 degrees outside or the disstraction level would be very high.
Posted by Todd at 12:38 AM
Asset Inventory
While most businesses manage a physical inventory, the repository provides an inventory of assets that are informative by nature. Charles Handy (2003) indicated that organizations will still be critically important in the new world, but as “Organizers” not employers. Will the technology community become an organizer or assembler of assets in the future? The trend is already underway and the asset inventory will be as critical to the success of the SOA as training is to the professional athlete. Do you have trouble describing a Java program or XML schema as an asset? For years, we have been declaring that programs, systems, and databases are assets of the corporation and when that kind of language begins to make its way into the business, we cringe. Could it be that we didn’t really want the business to look at our products and services as assets? This kind of thinking is an evolution that must be embraced by the technical community in order to continue to deliver value to the business.
Posted by Todd at 12:37 AM
RSS and Bot Technology will replace the Metadata Repository
This education and deep dive into RSS technology has made me realize that metadata is DOA. I should say the traditional repository is dead and a new technology will emerge. The RSS and the Blog is a simply model. A bunch of people produce information which is then published into an XML based feed which can then be subscribed to by anyone interested. So why wouldn’t this work in the world of Asset Management. Asset could be created by any one, any type, to serve any function. Then an RSS type feed could be created which combines the Dublin Core and RSS standard which can then be published by the technology community. Then the repository will be replaced by an RSS aggregator. Now the products and services of the repository are much more complicated than simple viewers. So, functionality should be built into the aggregator to expand the functionality from a viewer to a repository but the base architecture will be replaced. How can I be a part of that?
Posted by Todd at 12:37 AM | Comments (1)
Blog-Ends Everywhere
Recently, I have started to understand the power and evolution of the blog. A blog is a web log that serves as a personal or professional journal where other people can comment or provide feedback which is unedited. There are plenty of options and I think I have tried them all in the past week. Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution that seems to work in every case. Each option had benefits and problems.
Moveable Type: Great but you need your own server or find a host. Need to keep looking into this option since many people are using it.
TypePad: Another great option but most corporations block blog sites and my material is specifically geared toward major corporations. In addition, I am not sure how Google and Yahoo index blog sites.
FrontPage plus webpart: Work good but required me to built two pages for every post
FrontPage Alone: This was wonderful too but feedback was required to be emailed and you couldn’t subscribe with an RSS Feed.
I feel like Charlie Brown and Luci is holding the Blog Ball. In the end, I am going to try the Typepad option and see what happens. I will also build a Corporate Version that can get pass the security police and be viewed during normal business hours.
Posted by Todd at 12:36 AM
January Online Article
This month’s article, published in DMReview, discusses three of the four user types found within the Metadata Environment. The basic types include the browser, seeker, and engager. Each comes to the repository under different assumptions, goals, and purposes. The repository must be constructed in order to handle the multiple aspects these users bring to the table. The “customer” was not included in this month’s article but should be addressed later this year. Please let me know your thoughts on the topic, I always enjoy the feedback.
The Fourth Dimension of User Classification
Posted by Todd at 12:35 AM
Vision for RTodd.com
In 2005, you will see many changes within the RTodd.com organization. It is easy to simply see a new design, a new template, or new pages but the reality is that change is only a small piece of what we are doing. The online environment is going to change the basic foundation of our existence. The brand is the perception of value that the web environment signifies about the organization: what we stand for, our values, and our strengths. RTodd.com needs to move beyond a personal snapshot and become a place where data professional go for information, knowledge, and understanding.
The majority of the information placed on the web is not to sell something but rather to simply be heard. The Internet allows us all to be heard, perceived, and branded by our own imagination. The Internet is dynamic, un-tethered, build with passion, unedited, governed only by technology, and available to all. The Internet works 24x7, 365 days per year, works equally well in Sharpsburg, GA as it does in Shanghai, China. The Internet is not always accurate, sometimes confusing, without management or guidance, and many times fails to deliver accurate information to the end user. The Internet is a thing of beauty that works precisely because it is uncontrolled and the sheer volume of information that is available.
Posted by Todd at 12:35 AM
We are Not Prepared
One of the things I like to do when reviewing other peoples work is to pick out a thought that makes me stop and ponder the ramifications. Many times, I probably take the idea or concept down another road that the original author didn’t intend, especially when you don’t have the context or knowledge of the author’s thoughts.
“Organizations will still be critically important in the world, but as ‘organizers,’ not ‘employers’!” — Charles Handy
With the advent of distributed technologies like web services the idea of a corporation actually owning data, applications, infrastructure, or anything else is fading fast. Information Technology (IT) groups will become organizers of services, not employers of technology. Of course, if you are going to toss the technology out and give to the “Best Source(er)” then you had better develop a center of excellence around your ability to catalog, evaluate, and manage distributed technical assets. Neither traditional accounting nor IT has figured out a methodology of asset management unless you can place your finger on it. In a world driven by information and knowledge… Well “we are not prepared”.
Posted by Todd at 12:34 AM | Comments (1)
January 25, 2005
DAMA-Atl Website
The new website for DAMA-Atl was rolled out over the weekend. My hope is to begin to build the online brand / community for DAMA in Atlanta. Ideally, this site won't just be the Atlanta chapter but the beginning of a community of practice for data related concetps.
Posted by Todd at 2:19 AM | Comments (1)
First Blog
I am a little unsure about how much this blogging information will be read but when so many people are utilizing the software, I had better give it a whirl. My first blog must include a picture of the Hawaii coast where the conference was held last week. The Hawaii International Conference on System Science was a blast and the Waikoloa Village Hotel was perfect in every way. Our Enterprise Metadata lecture was attended by about 50 people. Attendance was helped by rain that day. Great feedback and comments from the attendees. All I can say is wow, what an experience.
Posted by Todd at 2:14 AM