Build Vs Buy Decision Framework

To Build or to Buy that is the question! 

This question, at times, haunts the decision making leadership without having a structured approach to make such decisions. Gut feelings or subjective opinions can lead to confusion and irrational decision making. There is no better way than quantitative scoring of these two options across multiple criterion. Quantifying values also allows multiple stakeholders to score and averaging the score leads a collective decision.

As a first step, collectively align on the Metrics you would like to evaluate your Build Vs Buy decision. Go beyond achieving feature performance parity and consider metrics like compatibility Speed to Market, Cost/ROI, Training and Support.

Cutting Edge vs Bleeding Edge Technologies - quick byte

Every technologist have heard the buzzwords Cutting Edge and Bleeding Edge. 

This is the choice presented when selecting technology for mission critical objective. It's important that the technology selected not only meets the goals but is tried and tested fully. This is true for the complex organizations that cannot afford to fail, cannot use beta products or the versions of the product which are not yet fully matured with all the major defects fixed.

On the other hand, sometimes organizations wants the technology that ahead of it's time even if all the bugs are not removed fully removed. Military weapons and warplanes are good examples for adopting to technologies which are not yet fully matured but can gain significant competitive advantage. 

Metaphorically speaking, the tip of the knife is a bleeding edge and the better part of the knife that does most of the cutting is called cutting edge. 

Feature Performance Parity

 

Feature parity objective is to ensure that all the existing features and functionalities within current products are successfully replicated on new platform without any regression.

This is more important when organization wanted to retire existing application, platform or product but wants to ensure that the new system continue to meet the same expectation at a minimum.

Performance parity, in line with feature parity is to ensure there is no performance degradation as features are moved to new systems.

TOGAF Application Development Method (ADM) framework

TOGAF is the most popular Enterprise Architecture framework to design, plan, implement and govern the Enterprise Information Architecture. It's a high-level approach to help define business goals and align them with Architecture objectives.

TOGAF, developed by the open group, is a global standard for Enterprise Architecture. It was initiated in 1990s and since then have gone through multiple versions with latest being TOGAF 10 released in April 2022.

TOGAF helps reduce cost, time, risks, redundancies in the development of the Enterprise infrastructure. The four typical domains identified in TOGAF for Enterprise Architecture are Business, Data, Application and Technology.

Cause and Effect Fishbone Diagram for Root Cause Analysis

 Every event is result of causal chain, in that something has happened because on something else has occurred. Its often important to understand why something has happened in order to mitigate the negative effects and prevent it from happening again.

Root cause analysis (RCA) is the process of discovering the root cause of the problem in order to identify the appropriate solution.

Cause and effect diagram, most commonly know as fishbone diagram is the simplistic and effective way of identifying the root cause of the defects. The diagram is also referred as Ishikawa diagram, Herringbone diagram or Fishikawa (Fish diagram created by Kaoru Ishikawa)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Basics

 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing and improving quantity and quality of the website traffic by using technical configuration, content relevance and website popularity.

SEO Basics below provides quick bite summary on -

1. What is SEO

2. How SEO works

3. SEO Best Practices

4. How to SEO

5. How SEO looks like

6. SEO Don'ts