Magic Quadrant for Methodware, 2003

Transcription

1 Markets, M. Light Research Note 28 August 2003 Magic Quadrant for Methodware, 2003 The big story in methodware in the past year has been IBM's acquisition of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting and Rational Software, but modeling, component and change management vendors are also entering this market. Core Topic Application Development: Managing Application Development Key Issues Which development processes are appropriate for ensuring on-time delivery of both opportunistic and systematic applications? What project management tools, processes and techniques are required for delivering high-quality, on-time and on-budget applications? Strategic Planning Assumption Driven by Web services quality imperatives, the need to formalize OOA&D best practices in the use of BPA tools and increasing organization certification requirements, the use of commercial methodware products will grow by 25 percent through 2007 (0.7 probability). Application development (AD) methodologies and process tools comprise a marketplace of ideas as much as a traditional tools space. The commercial "methodware" approach features knowledge libraries, workflow, defined development routes, estimation support, multiple alternative processes and related functionality. The market for such tools typically includes significant consulting regarding the identification of alternative life cycles and the establishment of knowledge management (KM) practices, as well as implementation and training with the methodware applications. Although it's a relatively small market (see Figure 1) in terms of product licenses, methodware often provides a valuable complement to other tools and services, and establishes an AD tool or service vendor's own level of systems delivery KM and leadership. Gartner Reproduction of this publication in any form without prior written permission is forbidden. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Gartner disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. Gartner shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations thereof. The reader assumes sole responsibility for the selection of these materials to achieve its intended results. The opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.

2 Figure 1 Methodware Magic Quadrant, 2003 Challengers Leaders IBM Ability to Execute Merant/SPC MKS Pragma MSF DSDM Object Consulting Eden C/S Connection Fujitsu Macroscope CA AllFusion Process Select ASG gantthead CMD Flashline VA Software As of August 2003 Niche Players Visionaries Completeness of Vision Source: Gartner Research (August 2003) During the past 12 to 18 months, IBM has established a strong presence in the methodware market. Although it was not previously a methodware vendor, its acquisitions of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Consulting in 3Q02 and Rational Software in 1Q03 enable IBM to market two prominent methodware product lines. PwC Consulting's Summit Ascendant remains a strong library of IT and AD processes, well enabled by tools, as well as the Rational Unified Process (RUP), which was already a de facto standard supporting the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and object-oriented analysis and development (OOA&D). In 2002, Rational had added RUP Builder for process "plug-ins for such solutions as BEA Systems' WebLogic, IBM's WebSphere, Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and Microsoft.NET. External service providers (ESPs) other than IBM have "productized" their methods. ESPs such as Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) sometimes offer methodology as part of consulting engagements or to drive further consulting business, but with little attention paid to tool enablement or product service and support. Fujitsu Consulting's Macroscope involves business and IT processes, with StrategyForum and ResultsStation modules to 28 August

3 facilitate defining strategies and identifying how benefits will be realized, whereas ManagementSuite provides an overall project management methodology. The ArchitectureLab Workbench helps to model organizational design and technology infrastructure. The main methodware module is ProductivityCentre, which offers routes, process elements and techniques for a range of system delivery projects, including package integration, as well as object-oriented and Web development, enhancements, rapid application development (RAD) and client/server processes. Fujitsu's significant consulting capabilities support the Macroscope solution. In its AllFusion product line, Computer Associates International (CA) has assembled a variety of AD management tools, including modeling (via its acquisition of BPwin and ERwin) and change management (with the Endevor and Harvest acquisitions). In the methodware market, where its Process Continuum acquisition is at the core of the AllFusion Process Management Suite, CA offers an extensive knowledge base that describes techniques, provides project work breakdowns and more, and includes a Web Process Library and the Catalysis methodology for component-based development. In addition to the tendency for vendors in the software modeling and change management markets (such as CA and Rational) to offer software process/methodware, vendors of componentbased or service-oriented development of applications (SODA) tools and processes are entering this space with improved tool enablement and more-well-defined solutions. Significant vendors include Flashline and VA Software, as well as the re-established Select Business Solutions and Australian vendor Object Consulting. Select offers Process Director, which is a good complement to its Component Factory and new ScopeManager (for agile development). This solution offers a variety of defined development routes, as well as process "threads" and best practices that can be used as starting points for process definition. Improvements to the defined processes are automatically represented as CSC Catalyst Process Thread Diagrams or Gantt charts. Included is the Select Perspective approach to service- and component-based development, a methodology that has matured through almost 10 years of use and refinement. Pre-loaded metrics enable estimation, and can be refined over time. Object Consulting is an established AD service vendor in Australia, with offices in Sydney and Melbourne. It continues to offer its component-based development methodology via its browser-based Process Mentor v.4.4, which is based on more 28 August

4 than a decade of commercial consulting engagements in OOA&D. ProcessMentor is well-positioned to support the growing movement toward SODA. Version 4.4 adds support for an architect role, additional e-commerce and Web development road maps, and enhanced integration with the Rational Suite (including Rose and RequisitePro). Flashline looks to leverage various types of software assets: code-related assets, such as components; process-related assets, including architecture standards; and knowledge-based assets, such as design patterns. Flashline v.4 incorporates methodware in the form of "FlashPacks," which are best practices for AD, with software asset schemas and examples of software metadata to enable reuse. FlashPacks for Web services, Java/.NET components, and open-source and modeldriven development are available with Flashline v.4. As part of its SourceForge product line, VA Software offers its Collaborative Development Process (CDP). CDP is used with the core SourceForge Enterprise Edition product to establish an environment with development, collaboration and project management tools. SourceForge also combines a problem/defect tracking tool with Concurrent Versions System (CVS)-based software configuration management, as well as integration with Perforce, PVCS or ClearCase. It offers a browser view and searchable database of code repositories and project documents. The CDP maps SourceForge usage to the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and emphasizes metrics for "development intelligence." With its VisualProcess 3.5 introduced in 2Q03, Allen Systems Group (ASG) has demonstrated a commitment to remaining upto-date, with added context-sensitive help and improved navigation and searching of its substantial methodology content. The Visual Process Planner can now be accessed from within Microsoft Project and enables project managers to build project plans from the 15 methodologies in Visual Process, with supporting knowledge behind each task in the plan. Compliance with CMM-I is made explicit, as is that with ISO 9001:2000 and the Project Management Institute's PM Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). In 2003, Merant (producer of PVCS Professional and Dimensions) began offering the EssentialSET of software engineering templates, acquired from Software Productivity Centre (SPC), which represent a significant step toward broadening its Dimensions software change and configuration management (SCCM) product. By licensing the product, renamed Merant Modello, Merant enters the methodware market, providing tools for software process improvement. This new 28 August

5 Acronym Key AD application development ASG Allen Systems Group BPA business process analysis CA Computer Associates International CDP Collaborative Development Process CMM Capability Maturity Model CSC Computer Sciences Corp. CVS Concurrent Versions System ESP external service provider J2EE Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition KM knowledge management OOA&D object-oriented analysis and development PMBOK Project Management Body of Knowledge PwC PricewaterhouseCoopers RAD rapid application development RUP Rational Unified Process SCCM software change and configuration management SODA service-oriented development of applications SPC Software Productivity Centre UML Unified Modeling Language solution (which is called Merant Best Practices for Change Management) combines Dimensions and Modello with the process and implementation consulting expertise necessary to help customers immediately begin taking advantage of comprehensive, closed-loop change management. Merant also formed an agreement for SPC to support Merant with process consulting. Vancouver, Canada-based SPC has a good track record in offering consulting and easy tools for quality software management. With Merant Modello and SPC's consulting support, Merant is in a position to reach out to its large installed base with a versatile set of process templates. Bottom Line: Enterprises with significant volumes of application delivery work often have an odd assortment of in-house procedures, blended with techniques taken from tool or service providers. Deep experience and the advanced skills of development staffs are often relied on to compensate for uneven processes riddled with holes. However, as software "ecosystems" become more complex, and as delivery of Web services brings more application development organizations to component-style development, AD organizations should evaluate methodware's potential for delivering the mature methodologies increasingly needed to enable AD approaches and efficiently address quality requirements. 28 August