Adapting modern software development management methodologies and frameworks to offshore outsourcing

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Adapting modern software development management
methodologies and frameworks to offshore
outsourcing projects

• Vladimir Pavlov, vlpavlov_at_ieee.org
• Andrey A. Terekhov, ddt_at_tercom.ru

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About the authors

• Vladimir Pavlov (Ukraine)
• CTO of eLine Software, Inc.
• Microsoft Endorsed MSF Practitioner, MCSD for
  .NET, MCSD, MCDBA, MCT, CompTIA Certified IT
  Project
• Member of PMI, ACM, IEEE and IEEE Computer
  Society
• Andrey A. Terekhov (Russia)
• CEO of LANIT-TERCOM
• PhD in Computer Science
• Microsoft Endorsed MSF Practitioner, MCSD,
  (ex-)MCT, IEEE Certified Software Development
  Professional
• Member of ACM, IEEE and IEEE Computer Society

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This presentation is based on

• authors experience in
• Managing large software outsourcing projects
• We had a chance to look at this kind of projects
  from both sides of the ocean
• Conducting process audits and process
  reengineering projects for software development
  companies
• Managing MSF implementation for software
  development companies

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In this presentation

• We will use MSF in our examples. To understand
  these examples one is not required to know MSF,
  however some experience in at least one of modern
  IT management methodologies/frameworks (RUP,
  MSF, CDM etc.) is needed
• The Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) is a
  collection of Microsoft's proven practices on
  managing successful IT projects
• Microsoft almost does not market MSF and they are
  not selling it, instead, they focus on making
  money using MSF
• Similar to Windows or any other product, MSF
  evolves and matures as long as new versions are
  released. Initially Microsoft made MSF available
  in 1994. The latest version of MSF is 3.0 and it
  was issued last year
• You cannot buy this product from Microsoft, but
  you still can get it its free. Both
  whitepapers describing MSF and sample templates
  for MSF lifecycle deliverables are available on
  the Microsoft web-site

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Software outsourcing typical models
Different models may require different approaches
while adapting modern software development
management methodologies and frameworks to
offshore outsourcing projects
NIS
US / Europe
Development company
Mediator company
Client
client gets PRODUCT or service
development office provides SERVICE
Development office
Main office
Client
NIS - Newly Independent States (Russia, Ukraine
and other former Soviet countries)
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Software outsourcingthe broken phone game
NIS
US / Europe
Technical guys
Businessguys
Client

• When a techno guy speaks to a business guy, some
  information is often lost or misinterpreted
• When two guys from different countries speak over
  the ocean, some information is often lost or
  misinterpreted
• So, what happens when a techno guy speaks to a
  business guy over the ocean?

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MSF Team Model
Delivering the solution within project constraints
Program Management
Satisfied customers
Building to specification
Product Management
Development
Communication
User Experience
Test
Enhanced user effectiveness
Approval for release only after all quality
issues are identified and addressed
Release Management
Smooth deployment and ongoing operations
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Software outsourcing all functional areas should
be covered on both sides
US / Europe
NIS
Program management
Program management
Product Management
Product Management
Development
Development
User Experience
Test
User Experience
Release Mngmnt
Release Management
Test
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MSF Foundational Principles for distributed teams

• There is a number of MSF Foundational Principles
• Clear accountability, shared responsibility
• Empower team members
• Focus on business value
• Shared project vision
• Stay agile, expect change
• Foster open communications
• Learn from all experiences
• Invest in quality
• It is not simple to implement some of them for
  distributed teams, so special efforts may be
  required

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Risk management for software outsourcing projects
US / Europe
NIS
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ONE transparent risk management process for both
sub-teams
US / Europe
NIS
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How many borders do we have?
NIS
US / Europe
NIS office
US/Europe office
Client
cultural differences
language barrier
timeshift
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Cultural differences

• In Western countries people traditionally pay
  serious attention to formal management
  approaches. In NIS management is often treated
  differently
• Readiness management procedures may require some
  adaptation for NIS teams

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MSF Readiness Management Discipline
Define
Knowledge,Skills, Abilities
Assess
Evaluate
Change
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A few words about readiness

• Readiness management is one of the least
  understood (and least implemented) practices in
  NIS outsourcing companies everybody claims that
  human resources are the most valuable capital,
  but virtually nobody invests in it
• It is often unwise to rely on programmers
  self-assessment. Statement 5 years of Java
  experience on a resume may actually refer to 5
  years ago I read a book about Java
• On the other hand, certification exams often cost
  much less in NIS comparing to US/Europe, so they
  can be used for assessing team readiness. For
  example, Microsoft certification exams cost 125
  in US and about 40 in NIS.

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A few words about management

• Many people in NIS still treat management science
  as something useless and vain. This kind of
  perception is inherited from Soviet times, when
  Universities were allowed to teach only
  ideologically proven management.
• Lack of technical competence is more noticeable
  than lack of management competence

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Language barrier

• English is the language for software developers
  over the world
• However not every developer in NIS speaks English
  well
• Training is usually required, and it should be
  provided by employer
• Crucial documents are to be translated to Russian
  

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Software development managers should be familiar
with some standards and whitepapers. Are these
docs available in NIS?
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Time shift

• Good example of how a risk could be transformed
  into an opportunity
• If managed poorly time shift can cause delivery
  delays
• If managed properly it helps speed up development
  process. A design idea, documented in US today,
  is prototyped by NIS programmers by US tomorrow
  morning

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Inheritance helps minimize bureaucracy
General style and coding standard
C coding standard
C coding standard
C coding standard
C coding standard
Java coding standard
Java coding standard
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Reorganize your policies to minimize bureaucracy
US / Europe
NIS
US/Europe Office
NIS Office
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Public Domain
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
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All stakeholders should beinvolved in postmortem
Unfortunately, it is not a common practice for
offshore outsourcing projects today
NIS
US / Europe

P O S T M O R T E M
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Adaptation principles

• Different adaptation approaches may be required
  for different outsourcing models
• All functional areas should be covered on both
  sides (development and mediator companies)
• One transparent risk management process for all
  sub-teams
• Cultural differences should be taken into account
  while performing readiness and project management
  activities
• Language barrier should be assaulted from both
  sides
• Bureaucracy is to be minimized. Inheritance will
  help
• All stakeholders should be involved in postmortems

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MSF for outsourcing projects

• MSF is more suitable for outsourcing than other
  process models, for its iterative development
  model allows delivery virtually on every stage
• Explicit definition of trade-off priorities is
  especially important for outsourced projects. MSF
  trade-off matrix helps to achieve this.
• Another important technique is daily builds. This
  could be generalized by saying that formalization
  of any daily procedure is important for
  geographically distributed projects
• However, high development and management culture
  is required from all involved parties to use MSF
  for outsourcing projects

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See also

• MSF Resources
• http//www.microsoft.com/msf (English)
• http//www.microsoft.com/rus/msf (Russian)
• How to train managers for IT industry? by
  V.Pavlov and A.A.Terekhov (available in Russian
  only)
• http//www.it-education.ru/reports/pavlov_terekho
  v.htm
• http//www.it-education.ru/reports/presentation/p
  avlov_terekhov.ppt
• Microsoft Solutions Framework for enterprises
  and universities by V.Pavlov (available in
  Russian only)
• http//research.microsoft.com/collaboration/univer
  sity/europe/events/RCC/Russia/content.aspx?05
• "Software Process Improvement in Russian Company
  a Case Study by V.Kiyaev, A.A.Terekhov
• http//users.tepkom.ru/ddt/articles/SPI_in_Russia.
  html (English)
• http//www.nsda.ru/home.asp?artId129 (Russian)
• Formalization and Automation of Global Software
  Development Processes by V.Kiyaev, I.Sobolev,
  A.A.Terekhov, B.Fedotov
• http//users.tepkom.ru/ddt/Articles/DistributedDev
  elopment.html (English)
• http//users.tepkom.ru/ddt/Articles/DistributedDev
  elopment_rus.html (Russian)

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Summary

• In todays highly competitive business
  environment the only way to survive for NIS
  software development companies is to apply
  industry-wide used methodologies and frameworks
  (i.e. RUP, MSF, etc.)
• Most of these methodologies and frameworks were
  initially designed not for offshore software
  development projects, so some adaptation is
  required
• There is a number of Ukrainian and Russian
  companies, which have successfully done the
  adaptation
• We have defined several adaptation principles
  based on their experience. We used MSF to
  illustrate the principles

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How we can advance your business

• Process audits and process reengineering for
  software development companies
• MSF implementation for software development
  companies
• Sharing experience on software outsourcing
• Joint research
• Vladimir Pavlov vlpavlov_at_ieee.org
• Andrey A. Terekhov ddt_at_tercom.ru

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• Our thanks to
• Stas Busygin (eLine Software, Inc.)
• Yuri Gubanov (LANIT-TERCOM)
• Nikolay Kascheev (Mera Nizhny Novgorod)
• Alexandr Lubimov (St. Petersburg Technical
  University)
• Igor Shturz (Driver-Inter Ltd.)
• Alex Zverintsev (eLine Software , Inc.)
• Some information in this presentation is cited
  from the courseware for Microsoft course 1846
  Microsoft Solutions Framework Essentials
• Questions?

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• This presentation was delivered at the Second
  ADONIS Workshop on Software Outsourcing to the
  NISKiev, June 19, 2003