Episode #18 – Joan Kreidle, Project Manager at RSA Corp, explains how Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) helps to cut costs by streamlining business processes through the management of internal and external resources.

In the previous segment, we discussed iteration cycles and how that they can be used to eliminate waste in the software development process. Standish reports that 64% of software functionality is never or rarely used. By eliminating wasted functionality we can spend 64% more time and money on functionality that adds value and creates ROI. Why waste money and time on functionality that will never be used?

We have been talking about how Agile eliminates waste and adds value to the project process.  Remember the 7W’s (wasters) of lean manufacturing practices: defects, over-production, wait, transportation, movement, inappropriate processing, and excessive stored inventory. In the previous segment, “How Agile Eliminates Waste (Part 1 of 5)”, we learned how collocated Team Environments eliminates wait [...]

Episode #15 – Jeremy Ross, Services Manager at RSA Corp, discusses how successful businesses are properly supported by technology. He explains how to reduce support and hardware costs, what the benefits are from leveraging software as a service, and how businesses can utilize technology to increase productivity.

Over the next coming weeks I will be discussing five ways that the Agile methodology can be applied to the software development process to eliminate waste. We use Agile here at RSA Corp as part of our custom application development methodology. Waste is defined as anything that does not add value to the final product or [...]

Business continuity is the investment made by a business to be proactive in avoiding the risks associated with a disaster. Typically, this investment is an operating expense that serves as an insurance policy on an ongoing basis.

Too often, projects start without clearly knowing the work required. Even high-level requirements are not enough to gauge the depth and complexities of most projects. Low-level requirements bring more clarity, but experience has shown that it is often not enough. Also, the longer the project, the more likely requirements will change to match changing business needs. So, how do you ensure projects are completed on time and within budget?

Most companies lack good visibility into their spending. Visibility into your spending gives your company a competitive edge by providing insight on how to manage and maximize cash flow, manage and forecast business costs, and monitor supplier performance. Studies show that only 4% of companies have a real-time look into their spending, and 69% have limited to no visibility.

From project initiation to delivery, expectations should be monitored and managed to ensure success. What are expectations, and who owns them? Expectations are a two-way street between the client and project team, brought together through clear and constant communication. Project expectations are the client’s vision of the results of the service or action provided. This can be stated or unstated. Either way, expectations are critical to project success.

Insider theft is on the rise. Displaced workers are abusing their corporate data access to steal, exploit and damage information networks. In a survey of 800 worldwide CIOs, more than 40% agreed that displaced employees were the biggest threat to vital information. International companies are estimated to have lost more than $1 trillion in intellectual property last year. What steps are taking to ensure your most precious asset – your data – is protected?