Wednesday 14 December 2011

3 Company Update

Digiprove: Is a content security company focused on Digital Content authentication and integrity, with many applications. It’s a SaaS model and the initial product http://www.digiprove.com/ has 5000 users. We have a beta release of Digiprove Autoprotect (Runs in background, and automatically connects to our “Proof Engine” to certify new or changed content), Digiprove Signature (Enables any electronic signature while maintaining security and compliance) & a Software Development kit. My contribution so far has been to refocus on the B2B segment and enable the technology to be embedded in other software applications and products cheaply and quickly using the SDK. We have integrated with applications in Financial Services, HR , ICT , and have partners now working on applications in ecommerce (merchant services), eDiscovery, DRM and DAM. SDK provided for free and revenues are based on monthly subscription based on volume of “Proof Engine” transactions with attractive revenue share for partners. I am exec chairman of the company.


TradersNow:- Is a spin out from the Dublin Institute of technology and has developed a Trading Algorithm based on Fractals and the work of Global leader in the field of maths and DSP, Dr Jonathan BLackledge who is part of the team. The algorithm can be used in automated trading on the financial markets and gives a significant and scientifically proven advantage on FX currency pair trades (Our beach-head sector). We are just completing R & D and I am defining the B2B and B2C business model with the team so we can build the on-line solution for Q1 launch. I am interested in any introductions to have a friendly chat with trading experts purely to help me further understand the markets (Professional or Private Traders).  www.tradersnow.com

Holignment:- On-Line Organisation Maturity Diagnosis and Frameworks (The CMMI of the OD world), has  engaged with Beta partners in Europe & Asia and is working on a small number of  multinational  opportunities. In addition we have been working with IBM and social connections supporting the OD and people side of gaining traction for collaboration platform deployments (Pre Revenue) www.collaborationip.yolasite.com.

Monday 14 November 2011

Models for managing strategic change

Organisations
Organisations are fundamentally human systems and their goals are achieved through human interaction, while the sustainability of their success is determined by how well their subsystems and processes are managed.
If human-system effects underpin organizational effectiveness, then human functioning at the levels of the individual, teams and the organization as a whole, determine the maturity of an organisation, which means its capacity to learn and grow in a sustainable manner.
So, measuring sustainable organisational effectiveness ultimately must go beyond an accounting of results and features, to a determination that is shaped by the members of the system. How sustainable the results and goals of the organisation are achieved and assess the personal, team and organisational value created.

Organisation Change & Development
We now accept that organisations must continuously change to survive, compete, and be successful. They must have processes, tools, skills and a culture which can manage and adapt to the need for change and ideally, take some degree of charge of that change. We also know that socio-economic change has speeded up and got quite complex, enabled by new technologies. We know that the level, pace and complexity of economic changes have outstripped the development of social capacity to manage that change. Yet, management must be both strategic and proactive in ensuring that an organization’s ability to handle such changes is developed and connected to the dynamism of the environment in which it operates.
We also know through research that major step function changes in organizations rarely achieve their objectives and that organisation change is fundamentally a phased process. However, effective organizations’ can accelerate continuous change and improvement.

Successful Organisation Interventions & Change
To understand how to create successful Organisation interventions and change, we must first face up to the reasons for such high failure rates for growth interventions and their consequences.
Until now, all approaches to growth and development could be captured by the following list of accounting based management, benchmarking, copycat, fad, 4-easy-steps, and 2-dimensional frameworks; while research shows that sustainable progress accruing from TQM, Lean, etc., relates to the degree to which they engage people and are far from full-system organizational solutions.
The consequences of this situation include financial loss, delay, and disillusionment with management.  Using the Holignment model and frameworks address these issues:
1.       Interventions and Growth strategies achieve optimal initial traction
2.       Guidance through the phases scientifically takes all activities from lowest to highest levels
3.       Interventions are executed in a systematic growth pattern through the phases, so that
a.        Sustainability is maintained for Growth and Development
b.       Regression effects from e.g., external shocks are minimised to a single level, so that
c.        The system is re-enforced against catastrophic collapse in volatile environments
Holignment is about achieving Organizational Advantage and Sustainable Leadership
The Intelligent Organisation “Sometimes the Game Changer “
We often hear the term game changer applied to an organization’s product and/or service when what happens is that the originating organisation had a set of subsystems that followed many of the rules but they produced a disruptive product or service that caused the external parts of the system - the market - to be disrupted. The other participants in the market/community are immediately at a disadvantage and must be able to respond and adapt to this game-changer catalyst. This game changing effect occurs when organizational subsystems are operating at the Competitive Advantage level.  Adapting to the catalyst’s effects requires functioning at the Competitive level.

The big questions for managers/leaders are: How do I combat inertia in my organisation and enable responsiveness to change? How well positioned am I to deal with change? and, What are the next steps/actions I can take to enhance my organization’s effectiveness in a complex, dynamic environment to take charge of at least some of that change?
We often hear the terms “The intelligent Organisation” or “The learning Organisation” but until now, there has been no effective model to describe, and measure “How intelligent? How well we learn?”, and how do we move forward?  Holignment is the only full-system modeling of The Learning Organization.
So not only is diagnosis important for ensuring organizations take action at the right level so responsiveness can be maximized, but it’s also important in increasing its learning level and agility.
What are the options for Diagnosis & Selection of change interventions?
There are many potential alternative approaches and most have their benefits let us consider some of the options.

The OD Specialist Consultant: The usual approach will be some form of standard methodology, including a diagnostic phase.  In many cases the form of the diagnostic will entail interviews or workshops aimed as much at getting the consultant up to speed before he/she/they can make a recommendation. The more sophisticated will perhaps have a structured survey which is either focused on people behavior, or if organization-focused is largely descriptive with no solid OD scientific basis.

The use of current Models available: Here we graphically compare some of the popular approaches & models, introducing the Holignment Organisation Maturity Index (HOMI) as a comparator.


Monday 26 September 2011

9 Software & IT Business Papers

The following papers were authored by Declan in the past and published when he was Founder/CEO of Insight Test Services & Sogeti (Capgemini). Papers may be downloaded at this link http://simplifyurl.com/xfa .
10 Hot Software innovations to Impact Business & Organisations Today
Software QA & Testing - Building World Class Capability
How IT can assist in Economic Recovery
What can business management learn from Agile Development techniques
10 CSF's to extract value from IT suppliers
The influential Test Business Team
Non Functional Testing
User Acceptance Testing "How to make it work"
Structures for Test Organisations "To centralise or Decentralise"
The economic crisis has left Ireland and many other countries in a state of confusion with a constant uncertainty as to what will happen next and what the best steps will be towards recovery. Even with this doubt businesses have been able to identify opportunities through software innovations.
This report highlights the importance innovation has on economic growth for Ireland in the context of an international competitive environment and how Ireland compares. It discusses in detail the benefits that innovation has on economies, businesses and organisations with a main focus on the Top 10 Software Innovations of today.
Declan Kavanagh, CEO of Sogeti, discusses how IT can contribute to economic recovery.
He contends that we must now focus on how, as a small open economy, we can take advantage of the international recovery which will gather pace in 2010.

Introduction to Sogeti Software QA & Test Credentials
There are 140 Sogeti Ireland professionals, of which approximately 60% are in the Software QA & Testing Business Unit. The success of Sogeti Ireland and the Group's test business is underpinned by its ability to provide complete solutions and services relating to software testing across the full Software Procurement and Development Life Cycle (SPDLC). At Sogeti, our people are considered thought leaders globally. In fact, in an increasing number of countries, our TMap® and TPI® open methodologies are the recognised test standard.
Declan Kavanagh, CEO of Sogeti, discusses how business management can learn from the techniques used in Agile development. This paper discusses similarities between traditional software development approaches and established management practices. It goes on to outline how Agile software development is being used to address the shortcomings of established development methodologies.

Based on this premise, the paper explains how the tools and methods used in Agile can be applied to create a flexible management system that is more responsive to the challenging modern environment.

The challenging business environment and market uncertainty are resulting in a sharp focus on cost reduction and value for money throughout all sectors, public and private.
In this white paper, Declan Kavanagh puts forward ten areas of focus that will have the immediate effect of achieving better value from existing and new IT suppliers.

The Influential Test Business Team (Best Paper winner Eurostar 2006)
Declan Kavanagh, CEO of Sogeti, contends that running your test organisation like your own business and implementing best practice business principles will significantly improve the performance of test and increases the visibility of its contribution in the organisation. This paper provides some tools and techniques for test managers to take steps to develop an entrepreneurial approach.

Non-Functional, or technical, testing can be broken into a number of areas organised by requirements type e.g. performance, usability, security.
Declan Kavanagh, CEO of Sogeti, presents a useful overview of non-functional or technical testing in all its various forms.
The development and deployment of new software solutions to the end business user often stumbles at the final hurdle. When it comes to UAT, having a well structured approach and an appropriate level of business user involvement is critical to any projects successful roll out.
In this paper, Declan Kavanagh and Ken Brennock outline what you can expect from UAT and how to implement it most effectively.
One of the most frequent questions that senior Sogeti staff are asked is 'What is the best structure for software testing to ensure delivery success?' There are many flavours and hybrids to consider.
Declan Kavanagh, CEO at Sogeti, offers his opinions on structures for test organisations.

Wednesday 17 August 2011

A Framework for collaboration Platform Deployment

The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with some tools and techniques which will accelerate their organisations performance, towards the leadership position in their space, enabling significant changes in how people work and collaborate. In addition to ensure that investment in social collaboration platforms gains maximum traction and avoids the major pitfalls. Underpinning the approach is recognition that collaboration and collaboration maturity are complex human behaviours and, that deployment of social connection platforms to release an organisations talent will not deliver unless they are underpinned by very high levels of organisation maturity and learning. There has been a general recognition in business that there is a strong Organisation Development (OD) element to accelerating collaboration , however there is a tendency to be  driven by the simple definition of collaboration behaviours such as “it’s about trust, sharing of goals and communications” and using SNA measurements as indicators. The reality is there are 20 core OD dynamics that influence collaboration maturity and outcomes, and in the paper we introduce a simple diagnostic to measure these so that personal, organisation and platform development can be aligned for maximum traction.
Top Five Pitfalls for deployment
1.        Failure to sufficiently recognise that we are enabling a change in how people work together and as such the deployment of collaboration strategies and platforms is an important organisation development activity.
2.        Failure to recognise that collaboration is a human activity and human system activity; it’s about people, their style, their behaviours, their motivations and their incentives.
3.        Deployment of social media collaboration platforms are often treated as an IT or System upgrade projects rather than core business change initiatives.
4.        Failure to create an explicit and strong connection to the business case, goals and KPI’s of the business in the eyes of the stakeholders.
5.        The absence of a suitable framework to deploy a collaboration strategy and attain the target ROI.
Though there are many other pitfalls they are generally covered if we adopt a collaboration strategy that addresses the top five pitfalls. So we can say that the critical success factors for successful deployment of a collaboration strategy and platform are as follows:-
1.        Establish the business case for collaboration up front and identify how the organisation will demonstrate that performance meets or exceeds the business case.
2.        Define the collaboration OD strategy across the business that connects the business case with individual and organisation development plans.
3.        Measure the collaboration maturity across the organisation; it becomes the base-line for selecting and deploying the level and type of interventions and actions that will allow maximum traction for new ways of working and the platform.
4.        Integrate the social media collaboration platform Adopt an overall collaboration Framework/Methodology to pull together the components of the collaboration strategy and allows the stakeholders to engage and influence.
5.        project into the overall strategic OD program. Aligning the enablement of features and functions with the other interventions that reflect the level of organisation and individual learning.

The Global Institute for advanced organisation learning “collaboration framework“(collaborationIP™)
The CollaborationIP™ Methodology
CollaborationIP™ Methodology Components
The overall methodology is a roadmap and a set of tools, processes, templates and guides designed to successfully guide an organisation through the process of strategic change towards creating a leadership zone position where the collaboration maturity is creating sustainable strategic and operational leadership. Each Domain has the appropriate tools for an organisation. Let us now review each core domain. Built into the framework and methods are best practice collaboration techniques for the organisations leadership to design and execute the program. So in-build will be leadership by example and learning from the leaders.
CIP™-Business
Objective: - To enable key stakeholders to identify the key business drivers and performance metrics that accelerating collaboration capability is designed to impact, and prepare a business case and a set of business controls to ensure during and on completion of a collaboration program that intended outcomes can be achieved within the investment scope approved.
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has three key deliverables:-
·         The Business Case for Collaboration
·         The collaboration KPI Integration Map
·         Collaboration Program Metric process
CIP™-Facilitation
Objective: - To identify CSF’s & Risks for the overall program and confirm stakeholder commitment, governance and support for all aspects of the program and related investment.
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has three key deliverables:-
·         The program vision & Goals
·         The core governance & facilitation structure
·         Program Role definitions
CIP™-Diagnosis
Objective: - To scientifically diagnose the level of collaboration maturity within the organisation to enable program interventions to be designed at an appropriate and sustainable learning level. In additional to maintain alignment on the 3 core programs (Personal, Organisation & Platform).
Approach Recommended: - On-Line
This domain has three key deliverables:-
·         Collaboration Diagnostic Plan
·         Collaboration Maturity Diagnostic report (Actual level, steps for next level)
·         Collaboration Maturity Dashboard
CIP™-Strategy
Objective: - Using the findings from the Diagnosis phase the key stakeholders can now refine the overall strategy so that relevant execution-able and integrated programs and metrics can be executed.
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has one key deliverable:-
·         Collaboration Program and Project Statement
CIP™-Programs (Personal, Organisation, Platform)
Objective:- create the plan, process, tools, KPI’s  and teams for each of the three key streams and kick off the integrated programs:-
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has the following deliverables: - (Normally adopting the organisations standard PM methods)
·         Project Plans and Milestones
·         Reports and metrics
CIP™- Progress
Objective:- Integrated into the model and referenced above is the need to ensure stakeholders can see progress and connect their actions and behaviours to accelerating collaboration maturity at all levels in the business this will include:-
·         Business KPI’s
·         Operational KPI’s
·         Collaboration KPI’s and Social Network analysis
·         Maturity and cultural indicator

Approach Recommended: - PMO & Templates






















Top 5 Pitfalls for Collaboration Programs and Platforms

Why deployment of social collaboration platforms may not gain sufficient traction?
(& what can be done to maximise engagement and outcomes?)
The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with some tools and techniques which will accelerate their organisations performance, towards the leadership position in their space, enabling significant changes in how people work and collaborate. In addition to ensure that investment in social collaboration platforms gains maximum traction and avoids the major pitfalls. Underpinning the approach is recognition that collaboration and collaboration maturity are complex human behaviours and, that deployment of social connection platforms to release an organisations talent will not deliver unless they are underpinned by very high levels of organisation maturity and learning. There has been a general recognition in business that there is a strong Organisation Development (OD) element to accelerating collaboration , however there is a tendency to be  driven by the simple definition of collaboration behaviours such as “it’s about trust, sharing of goals and communications” and using SNA measurements as indicators. The reality is there are 20 core OD dynamics that influence collaboration maturity and outcomes, and in the paper we introduce a simple diagnostic to measure these so that personal, organisation and platform development can be aligned for maximum traction.
Top Five Pitfalls for deployment
1.        Failure to sufficiently recognise that we are enabling a change in how people work together and as such the deployment of collaboration strategies and platforms is an important organisation development activity.
2.        Failure to recognise that collaboration is a human activity and human system activity; it’s about people, their style, their behaviours, their motivations and their incentives.
3.        Deployment of social media collaboration platforms are often treated as an IT or System upgrade projects rather than core business change initiatives.
4.        Failure to create an explicit and strong connection to the business case, goals and KPI’s of the business in the eyes of the stakeholders.
5.        The absence of a suitable framework to deploy a collaboration strategy and attain the target ROI.
Though there are many other pitfalls they are generally covered if we adopt a collaboration strategy that addresses the top five pitfalls. So we can say that the critical success factors for successful deployment of a collaboration strategy and platform are as follows:-
1.        Establish the business case for collaboration up front and identify how the organisation will demonstrate that performance meets or exceeds the business case.
2.        Define the collaboration OD strategy across the business that connects the business case with individual and organisation development plans.
3.        Measure the collaboration maturity across the organisation; it becomes the base-line for selecting and deploying the level and type of interventions and actions that will allow maximum traction for new ways of working and the platform.
4.        Integrate the social media collaboration platform Adopt an overall collaboration Framework/Methodology to pull together the components of the collaboration strategy and allows the stakeholders to engage and influence.
5.        project into the overall strategic OD program. Aligning the enablement of features and functions with the other interventions that reflect the level of organisation and individual learning.

The Global Institute for advanced organisation learning “collaboration framework“(collaborationIP™)
The CollaborationIP™ Methodology
CollaborationIP™ Methodology Components
The overall methodology is a roadmap and a set of tools, processes, templates and guides designed to successfully guide an organisation through the process of strategic change towards creating a leadership zone position where the collaboration maturity is creating sustainable strategic and operational leadership. Each Domain has the appropriate tools for an organisation. Let us now review each core domain. Built into the framework and methods are best practice collaboration techniques for the organisations leadership to design and execute the program. So in-build will be leadership by example and learning from the leaders.
CIP™-Business
Objective: - To enable key stakeholders to identify the key business drivers and performance metrics that accelerating collaboration capability is designed to impact, and prepare a business case and a set of business controls to ensure during and on completion of a collaboration program that intended outcomes can be achieved within the investment scope approved.
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has three key deliverables:-
·         The Business Case for Collaboration
·         The collaboration KPI Integration Map
·         Collaboration Program Metric process
CIP™-Facilitation
Objective: - To identify CSF’s & Risks for the overall program and confirm stakeholder commitment, governance and support for all aspects of the program and related investment.
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has three key deliverables:-
·         The program vision & Goals
·         The core governance & facilitation structure
·         Program Role definitions
CIP™-Diagnosis
Objective: - To scientifically diagnose the level of collaboration maturity within the organisation to enable program interventions to be designed at an appropriate and sustainable learning level. In additional to maintain alignment on the 3 core programs (Personal, Organisation & Platform).
Approach Recommended: - On-Line
This domain has three key deliverables:-
·         Collaboration Diagnostic Plan
·         Collaboration Maturity Diagnostic report (Actual level, steps for next level)
·         Collaboration Maturity Dashboard
CIP™-Strategy
Objective: - Using the findings from the Diagnosis phase the key stakeholders can now refine the overall strategy so that relevant execution-able and integrated programs and metrics can be executed.
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has one key deliverable:-
·         Collaboration Program and Project Statement
CIP™-Programs (Personal, Organisation, Platform)
Objective:- create the plan, process, tools, KPI’s  and teams for each of the three key streams and kick off the integrated programs:-
Approach Recommended: - Workshop & Templates
This domain has the following deliverables: - (Normally adopting the organisations standard PM methods)
·         Project Plans and Milestones
·         Reports and metrics
CIP™- Progress
Objective:- Integrated into the model and referenced above is the need to ensure stakeholders can see progress and connect their actions and behaviours to accelerating collaboration maturity at all levels in the business this will include:-
·         Business KPI’s
·         Operational KPI’s
·         Collaboration KPI’s and Social Network analysis
·         Maturity and cultural indicator

Approach Recommended: - PMO & Templates