News

COVID’s Impact on Agile Project Management

Posted in: agile, agile manifesto, Agile Project Management, change management, Collaboration, Covid-19, data best practices, Kanban, News & Trends, Project Management, Project Management Tools, Scrum, virtual meetings, Zoom - Jul 02, 2021

Since the Agile Manifesto was published in 2001 to radically change the way software was developed and delivered, its methodologies have spread beyond the software world into other managed projects with a specialist-client structure. Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the way all of us work changed dramatically, Agile has transformed traditional project management with its focus on iterant, concrete deliverables and frequent communication about challenges and scope changes. Read on to learn more about how COVID has impacted Agile project management practices and how they continue to spread and evolve in new industries.

More on the History of Agile: The Agile Manifesto

What’s Changing in Agile Project Management?

• Virtual Meetings Over Onsite Visits
• Stronger Data Management Practices
• Growing Involvement in Change Management
• Moving Agile Beyond the Software World

Virtual Meetings Over Onsite Visits

Agile and the Agile Manifesto traditionally prize face-to-face meetings for brainstorming and determining the next iterations in an Agile project. The face-to-face approach is still preferred, but the interface has gotten an upgrade, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic when in-person meetings became near-impossible. 

Some of the changes we saw that are likely to stick around:

• More regularly scheduled brainstorming and update meetings among project managers and their developer staff will happen over Zoom and other virtual meeting platforms.
• Although some clients will always prefer onsite visits for the discovery stage, planning, and delivery of project points, many others will prefer to conduct these update meetings and feedback sessions over virtual platforms, due to the flexibility of format and time.
• More screen sharing, video demonstrations, and virtual libraries will be used to communicate what’s happening at each stage of software development.

The switch to more virtual meetings came as an emergency measure in 2020, but many organizations have quickly discovered the benefits of a flexible meeting format. Because they can work from home and travel less, many team members on both sides of a transaction are more willing to collaborate with each other after traditional business hours. This opens up the opportunity for employees and customers from different areas of the world to collaborate on a project, working with teams of experts that best serve their needs.
More on the Future of Teleworking: The Post-COVID Future of IT Remote Work

Points to Consider as You Move to a Virtual Meeting Format

The virtual move for Agile project management meetings has benefited many teams, but before your own team takes on a client with this approach, there are a few things that both teams need to consider:

• Your customers need to receive basic information about the Agile methodology from the outset. They need to know what to expect from you on deliverables, how each team can cross-plan and collaborate, and what you expect of them as a contributor at each stage of development. Setting these expectations upfront ensures that nothing gets lost in translation over future virtual meetings or email communications.
• Virtual etiquette should be very similar to in-person etiquette with a client. Both teams should respect each other’s time by arriving at virtual meetings on time with an understanding of the set agenda. Regular deliverable iterations cannot succeed if both teams are not fully aware of what’s happening.
• Without in-person communication, you’ll need a strong project management platform to act as your Agile backbone. There are many tools that use Agile approaches, such as scrum or kanban, to help you manage roles, responsibilities, project scope(s), and deadlines across both teams. Outside of regular virtual meetings, this is the main space where both teams should communicate about an Agile project, that way no team members are left out of the loop on priorities that should involve them.

Helpful Tools for Agile PM: Best Agile Software & Tools for Project Management

Stronger Data Management Practices

Although Agile project management is all about delivering a major project in smaller iterations along the way, many practitioners of Agile have discovered the value of gathering and organizing all of their client’s relevant data at the start of the project. Especially when in-person discovery sessions weren’t possible during COVID lockdowns, it became even more important that Agile project managers ask the right data questions and that Agile clients know how to retrieve and deliver the needed data for the project.

These data management best practices are becoming increasingly common in Agile project management, helping both the vendor and the client to reach deliverables along the way by informing early goals with accurate data:

• Using data annotation tools to prepare for AI/ML builds
• Creating data models, often with data modeling software, to clean client data before analyzing it and working on project scope
• Building data visualizations for clients at different stages of iterative development so that they can visually understand and provide their feedback, regardless of its technical  complexity at a given project stage

Growing Involvement in Change Management

The Agile philosophy is based on regular, segmented delivery of product features to the client, so several iterations of project development are necessary. But with so many companies simply working to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic and likely during the aftermath, several Agile clients want and need direction on change management strategies too. 

Agile already encourages flexibility, feedback, and collaboration at every stage, so the PM style naturally fits with and assists with change management needs. Project leaders are now expected to work beyond the parameters of the project and assist their clients with bigger picture thinking and business intelligence, so that their projects can be sustained in a supporting business infrastructure. 

As businesses continue to recover and figure out how they can support their operations post-pandemic, Agile project managers should consider acting as their clients’ guide for network security software and AIOps tools that can help them to maintain the complex tools that are being built for them.

Moving Agile Beyond the Software World

The Agile philosophy originated in and is mostly applied to software development, but it’s increasingly becoming a staple in other areas of project management, especially as COVID necessitated a more flexible approach with more reliable deliverables. 

A traditional project involves features like a task list, milestones, Gantt charts, resource leveling (who’s doing what and when), dependencies, a forward schedule, and a backward schedule. Looking at a project with all of these variables can become overwhelming, and especially since traditional project management is firm on sticking to the original scope and deadlines, it can be difficult for both teams to determine if they’ve budgeted the proper finances, time, and team members to any given task. Especially in times of chaos and change, an original scope may not fit the organization’s goals or needs in a year or even a month.

But when you apply an Agile methodology to a major project like this, you can suddenly break a long-haul task into iterations that allow the project to change and evolve as you go. For example, you can get 20% of a client’s ERP software set up by completing the testing of the manufacturing line. When you deliver that particular segment to the client, they have the opportunity to not only concretely see the project, but also to give approval and feedback before your team moves on to the next section. 

With an Agile approach to project management, both teams can achieve new efficiencies through transparent communication and collaboration efforts. In all likelihood, this collaborative piece of Agile methodology will stick around long after pandemic doubts and fears fade.

Read Next: Three Key Advances in ERP for 2021

The post COVID’s Impact on Agile Project Management appeared first on CIO Insight.

top

HRIS Trends for 2021: The Future of HR Management

Posted in: AI, compliance, dashboard, Enterprise Apps, enterprise resource planning, ERP, HCM, HR apps, HRIS, HRMS, human resources, human resources management, IT Management, News & Trends, UX/UI - Jul 01, 2021

HR management has grown increasingly complex over the years, especially with growing remote work and globalization trends in the workforce. When your employees all work in different departments, specializations, and locations, the right HR software makes all the difference in organizing and delivering the best user experience to your employees. The drive for HR quality explains why companies’ expectations of human resource information systems (HRIS) continue to grow and change.

A traditional HRIS system focuses on managing all of the backend administrative tasks, policies, and checklists for your organization’s employees. These features can include anything from recruiting and training to benefits and compensation to performance management. But with a changing workforce and growing technological capabilities, HRIS software is evolving into a more all-encompassing workforce tool. Four particular HRIS trends stand out in 2021, paving the way for the future of HR management.

More on Remote Work Trends: The Post-COVID Future of IT Remote Work

HR Management Trends in the HRIS

• Adding AI to the Hiring Pipeline
• Creating User-Friendly, User-Facing Dashboards
• Automating Compliance Features
• Integrating or Moving Beyond the HRIS

Adding AI to the Hiring Pipeline

Artificial intelligence is ramping up and automating many of the most mundane and repetitive tasks across enterprise software architecture. HRIS software platforms are among those continually growing their AI capabilities, particularly in keeping the hiring pipeline filled and flowing efficiently. Some HRIS AI features that are starting to benefit recruiting and HR staff, as well as applicants, include:

• AI readers that merge text from candidate resumes into applications and background check submissions to eliminate frustrating, repetitive data entry. Many of these same readers also provide sorting and scoring metrics to help recruiters find the most promising applicants first.
• AI-powered candidate matching criteria for the hiring team to review.
• Chatbots and automated checklists for existing staff and new hires to get the answers they need related to benefits and company policies.
• Technology deployment checklists launched for each new hire and automatically run by an in-system assistant. This trend is especially important with a growing number of remote and international employees who require equipment deployment from a distance.

Transforming Your Tech Approach: What Does Digital Transformation Mean for IT?

Creating User-Friendly, User-Facing Dashboards

Employees are spending less time reading employee handbooks and sitting in mandatory onboarding sessions. Instead, onboarding is assigned, administered, and tracked inside the actual HRIS system. A trend that shows no signs of slowing down is the focus on creating dashboards that make navigation easier for all users, regardless of their role with the company. Traditional HRIS software prioritizes fancy design and a large number of HR modules, but with a growing focus on the UX/UI of a dashboard, HRIS platforms are moving toward a simpler, more navigable design that works on both mobile and desktop platforms.

Beyond aesthetics, the HRIS dashboard is also moving away from heavy hiring and benefits data to a stronger emphasis on the “people side” of HR. That’s not to say that users can’t easily find their benefits and payroll information in a sidebar or tab. But on the dashboard itself, employees can now keep track of coworkers’ birthdays and “workaversaries,” recognition of accomplishments, and other ways to engage. In an increasingly remote and hybrid workforce environment, this HRIS trend offers another resource for making employees feel connected to their company’s community.

Automating Compliance Features

Compliance is a top concern in all areas of a business, but especially in the area of employer-employee relations. Local, state, and national regulations require extensive documentation at all stages of a person’s employment. But these processes and checklists can become overwhelming for your HR team, especially as regulations change and the company grows.

That’s why many HRIS platforms automate compliance features, making it easier for employers and employees alike to update their information, policies, and procedures.

• Automated scheduling of compliance procedures, with alerts to appropriate administrative employees prior to deadlines for upgrades and audits.
• Automated reminders and instructions for both new hires and existing employees to correct and update their personally identifiable information (PII), as well as any requirements for background checks and contracts.
• Integrated self-service help for employees, including compliance training, FAQs, and a knowledge base platform for any HR or compliance questions.

Integrating or Moving Beyond the HRIS

HRIS systems have traditionally been siloed from other company software, owing to the presumption that employee analytics don’t affect revenue or business intelligence directly. However, many businesses are starting to recognize the fallacy in that belief, noting that data metrics such as key hires and performance of tenured staff vs. newer staff directly impact an organization’s KPIs and business intelligence for future planning. 

Knowing that employee data can inform other kinds of business data has increased the focus on easing integrations between HRIS and other business software. Take Paylocity, a major HR vendor as an example: they launched their Paylocity Integration Marketplace in 2018, and since then, they have expanded their integration options and their open sandbox capabilities for further app development. Whether it’s through an open API key, a dedicated devOps team, or a large library of pre-existing partnerships and integrations, many HRIS vendors are working to show how their portfolio will work with other business technology solutions.

Taking it a step further, many users are transitioning beyond the limitations of an HRIS platform to tools that include more payroll and business intelligence capabilities internally. These tools include human capital management (HCM), human resources management systems (HRMS), and even enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms that offer an HR management module. 

HR software continues to be an important component of business technology, but many organizations are finding that these HR management trends in HRIS software provide the only solution to wholly integrate HR data into the infrastructure of the whole company. Whether you already have an HRIS tool that you need to upgrade or you’re looking for a new solution that meets more of your organization’s growing needs, dozens of larger and smaller HR vendors should be able to speak to trends in the HRIS marketplace and how they are responding.

The post HRIS Trends for 2021: The Future of HR Management appeared first on CIO Insight.

top

Why Software That Unlocks Microbiome Data Could Be Key in the Climate Change Battle

Posted in: Business Intelligence - Jun 30, 2021

A pioneer in applying network science to biology discusses how data science, and data management in particular, are starting to generate highly useful life sciences insights.top

Six Strategies for Building Resilient Supply Chains with Multi-Domain MDM

Posted in: Master Data Management - Jun 25, 2021

Join this TDWI Webinar to learn how multi-domain MDM helps you reduce data chaos and gain faster and easier access to diverse but accurate and complete data.top

What Does Digital Transformation Mean for IT?

Posted in: business transformation, Digital Transformation, News & Trends - Jun 23, 2021

The business world has been enamored with the concept of digital transformation for some time. While the term first appeared in public use in the late ’40s, conversation about the concept skyrocketed in 2010 , promising early adopters a new era of availability, resilience, and performance. On the business side, the hope is that it will greatly enhance overall efficiency and give a substantial boost to marketing and sales efforts. But what does it mean for IT? 

The digitalization of IT has been going on for some time. Concepts like virtualization, Anything-as-a-Service, and software-defined storage/networking have digital transformation at their core – their underlying premise is to add a layer of software to simplify tasks such as provisioning, organization, and optimization of hardware and software elements. By doing so, management becomes easier, and automation can move forward. Consider how long it used to take to request, procure, deliver, and make operational new servers or endpoints. Instead of weeks or months, it can be done in days, and sometimes hours. 

More Digital Progress Needed

Yes, great strides have been made in automation and digitalization. But there is still a long way to go. Take the case of a server build, which can still take several hours.  

“It shouldn’t require a human to care and feed it and press ‘Next’ after each prompt,” said Penny Jones, an analyst at 451 Group. “We have to automate mundane tasks.” 

One technology that forwards the overall digital transformation of IT is Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM). DCIM helps IT in preventing outages, lowering maintenance, and in the extraction of data for machine learning and deep learning models to glean greater value from operational data.

DCIM Value

DCIM has gained a following in some areas of IT such as data center planning. A U.S. semiconductor manufacturer, for example, was faced with its main data centers reaching capacity. It drew up plans to add two new facilities.

Before commencing, the manufacturer used the Serverfarm InCommand managed DCIM service to review the existing state of its data center operations. Along with reviewing failover requirements and running several what-if capacity scenarios inventoried 700 cabinets and 10,000 devices to create accurate records to upload into the InCommand portal. By providing a digital record of all assets (make/model/owner, power, cable and location details), it became possible to query and search all infrastructure elements for the first time. Data center personnel could also dynamically generate rack configurations, as well as power loads and thresholds to determine the best course. 

Result: The semiconductor manufacturer changed its plans. It figured out how to extend the life of its current infrastructure via server refreshes, and the streamlining of existing operations. Doing so saved the manufacturer tens of millions in construction.

Long Transition

The digital transformation of the data center, however, will not happen overnight as it is far from a simple matter.

IT has to address a jumble of infrastructure often dating back many decades. These aging hardware and software systems have to be reconciled and integrated with modern systems, protocols, and platforms. The complexity involved may appear staggering, but the way ahead is to break it down into its key elements.

CIOs looking to show immediate return on the investment of time and resources should first identify where it makes sense to digitalize, and where acceptable ROI may be the most rapid. 

Regardless of how daunting it may seem, it is a task that probably can’t be avoided. According to a BMC Software study, 73% of IT managers and IT decision makers believe businesses that do not embrace IT automation and digital transformation will cease to exist within a decade. 

The post What Does Digital Transformation Mean for IT? appeared first on CIO Insight.

top