The Microsoft Technology Centre Process Accelerating and DeRisking Technology Adoption

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The Microsoft Technology Centre Process -
Accelerating and De-Risking Technology Adoption

• Dave Brown, Microsoft Technology Centre Architect

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Microsoft Technology Centre Video

• http//www.microsoft.com/mtc

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Introduction to the Microsoft Technology Centre

• Microsoft Technology Centres provide an ideal
  environment to envision, architect, and
  demonstrate customised solutions.
• Locations
• United States Austin, Boston, Chicago, Reston,
  Silicon Valley
• Worldwide Bangalore, Beijing, Copenhagen,
  Dubai, Munich, Paris, Taipei, Thames Valley (UK)
• Methodology
• Developed over time to a re-usable process for
  de-risking technology adoption

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Repeatable Process Offerings

• Strategy Briefing
• 1 day
• Targeted demonstrations
• Architecture Design Session
• 2-3 days
• In-depth envisioning, design and planning
• Proof of Concept
• 2-3 weeks
• Development and demonstration
• Productivity
• Last financial year, The Microsoft Technology
  Centre Thames Valley completed 164 Strategy
  Briefings, 50 Architecture Design Sessions, and
  45 Proof of Concepts

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Team Structure

• Management
• Opportunity qualification
• Engagement process
• Partner industry relationships
• Architects
• Broad knowledge of products and technologies
• Architectural strategic business skills
• Customer-facing role
• Technology Experts (Virtual Team)
• Lab Engineers
• Client and server builds
• Networking
• Briefing Coordinator
• Logistics

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The Facilities

• Architecture Design Session Room
• Meeting configuration
• Whiteboards
• Proof of Concept Room
• Lab configuration
• Whiteboards
• Server Room
• Dedicated network, servers storage
• Demonstration Room
• AV with home automation in multiple zones

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Strategy Briefing Overview

• A clear, actionable picture of how software can
  realise specific customer business goals."
• Audience
• Business-focus, CEO/CIO-level, influencers
• Process
• Customer-led business strategy presentation
• Microsoft Technology Centre-led, targeted
  solution scenario presentations, e.g. Information
  worker, Integration, etc
• Scenario technology drill-downs

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Architecture Design Session Overview

• Architectural and strategic guidance,
  risk-analysis, and best-practice approach of how
  software can realise specific customer business
  goals.
• Flavours
• Envisioning
• Architectural Design
• Proof of Concept Planning
• Process
• Preparation (Architecture Design Session Team
  Customer)
• Delivery
• Follow-up ( documentation)

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Architecture Design Session Preparation

• Architecture Design Session Team
• Qualification
• Preparation, planning, customer conference call,
  expectations
• Technical resources identification
• Facilities booked, agenda circulated and agreed,
  invites sent
• Customer
• Company organisational presentation
• Project presentation
• Requirements presentation
• Technology topology presentation
• Scenarios presentation

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Architecture Design Session Agenda

• Discovery
• Introductions
• Expectations
• Approach
• Customer background
• Business context
• Business benefits
• Drivers
• Issues
• Business scenarios
• Non-functional requirements
• Technology Landscape

• Envisioning
• Review
• Architecture and Design
• Components
• Interfaces
• Communication
• Non-functional requirements
• Scenario testing

• Planning
• Review
• Scope
• Proof Points
• Metrics
• Deliverables
• Assumptions, Risks, Constraints
• Resources
• Roles, responsibilities
• Dates
• Communication
• Escalation plan

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Architecture Design Session Team

• Architecture Design Session Team
• Architecture Design Session Lead
• Technical Specialists
• Domain-specific specialists
• Customer
• Senior management sponsor
• Business representative
• Development representative
• Infrastructure representative
• User representative
• Project manager

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Architecture Design Session Responsibilities

• Architecture Design Session Team
• Facilitation
• Question assumptions, drill into issues
• Ensure agenda followed, bring discussions back up
• Ensure objectives/ expectations met
• Get agreement
• Provide technical/ industry expertise
• Ensure everything is documented
• Customer
• Business buy-in
• Provide business and technical background
• Decision makers

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Architectural Design Session Deliverables

• Vision Scope document
• Problem Statement
• Business Goals
• Scenarios
• Proof-Points
• Deliverables, Exclusions
• Architecture, Design
• Risks, Pre-requisites

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Proof of Concept
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Proof of Concept Overview

• Transfer knowledge, develop and demonstrate
  custom solutions defined in an Architectural
  Design Session.
• Drivers
• Provide (technology) vision, de-risk technology
  adoption
• Demonstrate use of product features, system
  integration, business processes, non-functional
  requirements in a custom solution
• Developer productivity

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Proof of Concept Timeline

• Week 1
• Agree vision with team
• Mon
• Solution concept complete
• Tues
• Initial plan
• Tues/Weds
• Begin development
• Weds/ Thurs

• Week 2
• Mid-point review
• Weds
• Feature-set freeze
• Thurs/ Fri
• Bug fixing/ stabilisation

• Week 3
• Code complete
• Mon
• Finalise POC package
• Tues
• Demo walk-through
• Weds/ Thurs
• Demonstration
• Thurs/ Fri
• POC complete
• Fri

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Proof of Concept Timeline
Thurs
Fri
Weds
Tues
Mon
Agree vision
Initial plan complete
Week 1
Solution concept complete
Development begins
Mid-point review
Feature-set freeze
Week 2
Bug-fix, stabilise
Code complete
Demo walkthrough
Demonstration
Week 3
Finalise POC package
POC complete
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Proof of Concept Team

• Proof of Concept Team
• Proof of Concept Lead
• Developer Lead
• Developer(s)
• User Experience
• Lab Engineers
• Customer
• Business Sponsor (kick-off, mid-point review,
  final demonstration)
• Developers
• Experienced
• Inexperienced

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Proof of Concept Responsibilities

• Proof of Concept Team
• Build maintain lab environment
• Work item definition and assignment
• Daily reviews
• Communication to customer
• Ensure Vision Scope met
• Architectural, technical, and developer expertise
• Code reviews
• Ensure everything is documented
• Customer
• Business buy-in for kick-off, mid-point review,
  and final demonstration
• On-site developers
• Decision support available
• Agile methodology
• SCRUM-'like'

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Proof of Concept Constraints

• Exclusions
• Best-practice development in all areas
• Exception handling
• Development framework and methodologies
• Auditing, logging, monitoring
• Administration, management
• Installation and deployment
• Versioning
• Performance and scalability

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Proof of Concept Deliverables

• Final Demonstration
• Screen capture
• Film crew recording
• Proof of Concept Review Document
• Key findings
• Work completed
• Template available for download
• Source code
• Source control archive

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Proof of Concept Demonstration

• Attendees
• Business sponsors, CEO/CIO etc, Account Team
• Format
• Introduction, scene setting
• Scenario playback
• Customer-driven, primarily non-technical
• QA, summary
• Benefits
• Real business solution in simulated customer
  environment
• Business buy-in, solution-focussed audience
• Demonstrator/video disseminated to wider audience

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Server Room
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Envisioning Centre
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Key success factors

• Dedicated environment for meeting/developer
  productivity
• Whiteboards
• Server room, network, internet connectivity,
  automated builds, sand-boxed environment
• Demonstration
• Resource identification
• Business sponsors
• Decision makers
• Technical experts
• Business focus
• Business goals realised through software

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Common Pitfalls

• Preparation
• Opportunities not correctly qualified
• Expectations incorrectly set
• Architecture Design Session
• Too many attendees optimum around 6
• Lack of business input
• No decision makers (lack of business buy-in)
• Treat as a consulting exercise
• Proof of Concept
• Scope and proof points not clearly defined
• Non-developer lab attendees

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Case Study Example Major Oil Company

• Background
• Disparate systems with large numbers of
  interfaces, often complex difficult to maintain
• Large numbers of Excel spreadsheets leading to
  de-centralised data and intellectual capital,
  hard to make decisions based on big-picture
• Solution
• Integration of sample back-end system following a
  strategic architecture based on SOA
• Aggregation and visualisation of sample data sets
  in personalised dashboard
• New possibilities for data consumption using PDA
  smart client
• Impact
• Technology-enabled strategy on service-oriented
  business intelligence
• Rapid adoption, global alignment via follow-on
  engagements

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Case Study Example Global Paper Producer

• Background
• Silos of information (lack of re-use),
  duplication
• Low-bandwidth environment
• Solution
• Replaced replication-based solution with
  collaborative intranet
• Architecture for global intranet, collaboration
  with automated publishing, local and global
  search proven over simulated low-bandwidth
  network
• Impact
• Information re-use and global collaboration
• Rapid adoption (first go-live POC 10months)

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Further Information

• Microsoft Technology Centres, dave.brown_at_microsof
  t.com,http//www.microsoft.com/mtc
• Lynx Technology Customer Innovation Centre,
  http//www.lynxtec.com/cic/cic_offerings.htm
• To discuss engaging with the MTC, contact your
  Microsoft Account Manager