|
Articles and
Presentations
Strategy is Myth -
Much of the time when we discuss strategy, we're really telling
ourselves stories. Is that so bad? EvaluationCentre.com,
Feb
2010
Economies
of Service - Software development may be moving to a place where
economies of flow matter more than economies of scale. EvaluationCentre.com,
Dec
2009
One person
at a time - How does change happen? One
person at a time. If you lose sight of the individuals, you're unlikely
to get the change you're looking for. EvaluationCentre.com,
Nov
2009
Four steps for sharpening up data management -
ZDNet picks up several pointers from me in a recent article on data and
content management. ZDNet.co.uk, Nov 2009
Why web projects fail - Projects fail. In order
to succeed, we need to understand the root causes for these failures.
Talk given to JBoye Aarhus, Nov 2009
Information Governance: Making the right decisions
- Organisations make poor decisions for many reasons. Clear governance
can help address many of these reasons. Talk given to
HartmanEVENT , Oct 2009
Where are
all the Service Managers? - Some companies just build great
products. What do we need to do to build great services? EvaluationCentre.com,
Sep
2009
Integration in a time of Data Pollution - Why do
integrators need to take more care when integrating data?. www.channelweb.co.uk,
17
Sep
2009.
Information Governance - Interview with Erik
Hartman on why information management projects fail, and how better
information governance can help resolve the issues (in Dutch). www.computable.nl,
10
Sep
2009.
Power
Games - Why do we estimate? There are rationale reasons, but
there's also a lot of other stuff going on. EvaluationCentre.com,
Aug
2009
Silver
Lining - Clouds are grey fuzzy things that rain on you. Where is
the real potential in the Cloud? EvaluationCentre.com,
June
2009
Earthquakes in the project portfolio - Why do
patterns of project slippage look like earthquakes? What does this say
about the psychology of project managers? Conspectus,
May
2009
Data
Pollution - As we integrate data, we don't just make it more
valuable: we also make it more vulnerable. EvaluationCentre.com,
May
2009
Costs of
Indecision - Deferring decisions is good. For example, it lets you
buy information before committing. But it also has costs, which you
need to understand if you are to deal with resistance. EvaluationCentre.com,
April
2009
Open Source for Business - How can you use open
source software in your business? How can you build a business on open
source software? Talk given to BCS, April 2009
Why can't IT projects be insured? - You can buy
completion bonds for many projects, but not for IT projects. How might
the availability of completion bonds change IT projects? Project
Manager
Today, March 2009
Cloud for
Project Management - What do project managers need to watch out
for when using Cloud-based tools for their projects? Debate in Project
magazine, March 2009
The
Ability to Execute - The best strategy may not be about vision
and roadmaps. Sometimes you just need to focus on becoming better at
execution. EvaluationCentre.com, March 2009
Earthquakes
in
the
project
portfolio - Why do patterns of project slippage
look like earthquakes? What does this say about the psychology of
project managers? EvaluationCentre.com,
Feb
2009
Don't make IT simpler than it needs to be -
Complexity is the enemy of flexibility. But trying to create fake
simplicity doesn't help either. As Einstein said, "Make everything as
simple as possible, but no simpler." Financial Times,
27 Jan 2009.
Good
Governance - Governance is often framed in terms of compliance
and controls. Framing it as a learning process could make it a lot more
powerful. EvaluationCentre.com, January 2009
Trust
Architecture - Customers often apply pressure to squeeze
functionality into the next release because they don't trust the
development process, not because they need it immediately. EvaluationCentre.com,
December
2008
SOA
Maturity Models - The problem with maturity models is that an
organisation often needs to be pretty mature before they can use them
effectively. EvaluationCentre.com, November 2008
Procuring a CMS - seven factors to consider when
procuring a CMS, presented at JBoye08, November 2008
Good strategy through good governance - a
discussion of models and tools for web governance, presented at
JBoye08, November 2008
Core
incompetencies - Many organisations try to avoid the things
they're bad at. That may not be the best strategy.
EvaluationCentre.com, October 2008
We have the power - Measures of power
consumption in the datacentre conceal as much as they reveal. To truly
be green, IT needs to think holistically. Financial Times,
29
Sep
2008.
Governance - good strategy through good decision
making - What is governance? How does thinking about governance
help us to define and deliver strategy more effectively? Presented
at
J.Boye
Communities
of Practice, 23 Sep 2008.
Can web projects be Insured? - What would it
mean if we could give "completion bonds" on our web projects, assuring
our customers that they'll be delivered on time and on budget? Presented
at
J.Boye
seminar,
22 Sep 2008.
Enjoying
the service - What can SOA learn from the iPhone? In most
markets, you need more than functionality to succeed.
EvaluationCentre.com, Aug 2008
PCG ISO 9001 - The PCG has produced a case study
on my experience with ISO 9001 certification under their scheme. PCG,
August 2008
Agile
2008. My workshop presentation and outputs are now available.
PCG ISO 9001 - Here are the slides from my talk
on my experience with the PCG ISO 9001 scheme, presented to the BCS on
3 July. BCS Quality Specialist Group, July 2008
Gaps in
governance - Governance is all the rage. But all the governance
software in the world is useless if the wrong people are making the
decisions. EvaluationCentre.com, July 2008
In praise
of inflexibility - Agility seems like a great idea. But so does
"steadfastness of purpose". Getting the right balance is what really
counts. EvaluationCentre.com, June 2008
Wish upon
a cloud - There are a number of reasons why cloud computing makes
sense. There are also a number of traps to be managed.
EvaluationCentre.com, May 2008
Why can't IT project be Insured? - Many small and medium-sized organisations are avoiding
IT, or doing the bare minimum, because they fear the complexity and
risk that IT projects bring. Are completion bonds the answer? Computer
Weekly, May 2008
Not
negotiable - You don't define requirements: you negotiate them.
By paying attention to this negotiation, you may uncover solutions that
provide benefits to all parties. EvaluationCentre.com,
April
2008
Earthquakes
in
the
project
portfolio - My article on project reviews in the
games industry has been republished by EE Publishers in South Africa. EE
Publishers, March 2008
How green
is your SOA? - The trend for environmentally sound IT doesn't
just affect datacentres. To gain real benefits, we need to think about
building the right applications too. EvaluationCentre.com,
March
2008
Can IT Projects be Insured? - Could we give "completion bonds" on IT projects, to
assure customers they'll be delivered on time and budget? What would we
need to do to make the premiums reasonable? Presented
at Agile Approaches for Delivering Business Value,
Feb
2008
Known
Unknowns - Competitive advantage often lies in complex and
chaotic domains. Do traditional analysis methods serve us well here?
EvaluationCentre.com, Jan 2008
Science
Fact - Imagine a computer that reads your brain waves and adjusts
its behaviour accordingly. It's in the research labs now. How does this
change the way we integrate applications?
EvaluationCentre.com, Dec 2007
One plus
One - Web and CMS consolidation is in
vogue. What questions should you ask before starting to consolidate?
cmf2007, Nov 2007
Sleep Easily - Projects
begin to fail when they lose touch with reality. This presentation
discussed the role of project reviews and assurance in the delivery of
web and enterprise content management projects.
cmf2007, Nov 2007
Role of
the Architect - It's people who integrate
systems, and the architect is at the core of this activity. So why is
the role of the architect so poorly defined?
EvaluationCentre.com, Nov 2007
Fit or
Fatigued? - How does "change fatigue" affect
your attempts to become more agile?
EvaluationCentre.com, Oct 2007
Change Fatigue - Many organisations complain of
"change fatigue". Are they undergoing too much change, or do they need
to do more to build their fitness? CM Pros Newsletter ,
Sep
2007
Screen
Test - Some more thoughts about project and
service guarantees. EvaluationCentre.com, Sep
2007
IT
Project Insurance - Software development is
often compared to film production. What could we learn from the movie
industry about project guarantees? Business 550 ,
July
2007
Earthquakes
in
the
project
portfolio - Projects can only succeed when they
deal with reality. This article looks at my experience of using project
reviews to support the reflection and dialogue necessary to keep in
touch with reality. British Computer Society, July 2007
A
necessary evil? - Could the open source
movement survive without Microsoft? Sometimes we need to live with
paradoxes. EvaluationCentre.com, July 2007
e-Teaching -- teamwork and the new technology -
What is the role of teaching in the brave new world of personalised
learning and e-learning technologies? Teaching Times,
July 2007
Assuring Agile Projects - Agile teams can
deliver value very quickly. However, they are also very vulnerable to
pressures on the "gatekeeper" roles (e.g. product owners and project
managers). Independent review and assurance teams may help bridge gaps
and promote agile adoption. Agile and Test Driven
Development, July 2007
It doesn't pay to be too tidy - Web and CMS
consolidation is in vogue. This article in the Financial Times
identifies the questions you should ask before starting to consolidate.
Financial Times Digital Business, 13 June 2007
Let me
count the ways - What do sonnets and
Service Oriented Archiectures have in common? It's all to do with
standards. EvaluationCentre.com, June 2007
Service,
Process or Collaboration? - The combination
of SOA and BPM could be a viable approach to delivering business
flexibility. But is it be too late? EvaluationCentre.com,
May
2007
Too many
tools - How do you choose the right tool
for the job? How do you make best use of the tools you've chosen? I
like to keep it simple. EvaluationCentre.com,
April 2007
Question CMS Consolidation - When your CIO
starts to get excited about the cost savings that CMS consolidation
will release, what questions should you be asking?. CMS
Watch , March 2007
A two-way
street? - What is a commodity? Just as people were starting to
say “IT is infrastructure - why do you need a special department to run
it, you don’t have a director of electricity?”, electricity started to
find its way into boardroom conversation. What other services might go
the same way? EvaluationCentre.com, March 2007
Tragedy
of
the
Commons
- Many companies are
developing new web services, but users can’t find services to do what
they want - and don’t fully trust the ones they can find. EvaluationCentre.com,
Jan
2007
Keeping
in touch with reality - Projects and programmes begin to fail
when they lose touch with reality. Reviews can help them keep in touch,
if you set up the reviews appropriately. A podcast on Controlling
Chaos
, Jan 2007
Test
Drivers
- Test driven development is catching on. Is it primarily
a tool for developers, or can we also use it to communicate confidence
to our customers? EvaluationCentre.com, Dec 2006
Creating a Managed Website, Part 2 - Final part
of my series on web content management: selecting a CMS, installing it,
setting up and promoting your site. Free Software Magazine,
Dec
2006
Where
have
all
the
managers gone? - Offshore development can save you
money, but over time the risks may begin to dominate the cost savings.
Are you managing your skills pipeline? EvaluationCentre.com,
Nov
2006
Portals, Processes and People - "Portal" means
different things to different people. Worse, portal projects often
assume technology will deliver benefits in itself. Focus on people and
processes for real success. cmf2006, Nov 2006
The
Paradox
of
Control - Controlling software development seems like a
good idea. But if your control framework ignores the critical data in
spreadsheets, then rigid controls may actually increase risk. EvaluationCentre.com,
Oct
2006
Creating a Managed Website, Part 1 - Focus on
the message, not the tools. Set up a content management system to
manage your site. First part of a series on web content management.
Free Software Magazine, Oct 2006
You
can't
buy
Governance
- Governance is sexy. The word was barely on
our radars five years ago, yet now every vendor is selling it. But
Governance is something you have to work at. EvaluationCentre.com,
Sep
2006
Introduction to Content Management Systems -
What is a content management system? How have they evolved? Who uses
them? How is open source software changing the way we manage the web?
Free Software Magazine, Aug 2006
Power
to
the
People
- The world is changing. People are driving
adoption of technology in very different ways to those which caused the
growth of the corporate datacentre. Can IT keep up? EvaluationCentre.com,
July
2006
There's no success like failure - How pervasive
is project failure? This article in the Financial Times
explores the reality and discusses how you can make the most of your
projects. Financial Times Digital Business, 11 July
2006
Keep in touch with Reality: Effective Project
Assurance - Projects fail for one reason above all others: people
lose touch with reality. This article discusses the role of project
reviews in keeping in touch with reality, and gives some tips for
setting up effective project reviews. APM Project
magazine, July, 2006
National Savings & Investments Case Study -
Enterprise Architecture Conference Europe 2006, 12-14 June, 2006
Aligning Projects, Processes and Infrastructure
- Process 2006, 25-26 April, 2006
Work in Progress: Local authorities and eGovernment
- Computing, 23 March, 2006
Open
Source for SMEs - ICT Forum Wales, 21 November, 2005
Assurance of Open Source Projects - Drug
Information Association, 9 November, 2005
Building a Culture of Integration - Conspectus,
October, 2005
A Framework for Information Governance -
Association for Imaging and Information Management, 26 October, 2005
What does a good Customer Relationship Management
strategy look like? - CA Magazine, September, 2005
Selling Knowledge - European Pharmaceutical
Executive, May/June, 2005
Why Do People Buy? - The Evaluation Centre, May,
2005
Enterprise Application and Data Integration Round Table
- Conspectus, November, 2004
News...
"Can IT Projects be Insured?" - I will be
presenting a workshop at Agile2008 in August.
Ready to battle the IT big boys - Graham Oakes
Ltd has been selected as a finalist in the BCS IT Consultancy of the
Year Awards. How can a small consultancy compete with the big players?
Manchester Evening News, Nov 2007
IT Consultancy of the Year Awards . Graham Oakes
Ltd has been selected as a finalist for the BCS IT Consultancy of the
Year awards. Our entry was based on the work we've been doing for Oxfam
(assisting procurement and implementation of e-commerce systems) and
the Council of Europe (defining requirements and architecture for
document management and e-learning systems). Winners will be announced
on 6 Dec.
I will
be speaking at the "Key Steps to Successful Programme and Project
Management" conference in November. This conference aims to promote
the essentials for achieving market leadership and performance
excellence for the project and the organisation.
"Project Reviews, Assurance and Governance". I
have signed a contract with Gower Publishing to write a book on project
and programme reviews and assurance. Watch for more information.
2007 dates for my seminar on "Running Effective
Project Reviews" have been announced by Unicom. The course gives a
practical, hands-on view of some of the issues of running project
reviews and assurance, and helps participants to think about ways to
address these issues.
Oxfam appoints Graham Oakes to help strengthen its
online presence - September 2006
Graham Oakes
speaking at CMF2006 - 7-9 November, 2006
Graham Oakes speaking on project governance - 7
November, 2006
Graham Oakes runs workshop on Project Assurance
- 6 November, 2006
Graham Oakes organises "Open Source and Agile
Development" at BCS - 25 April, 2006
Graham Oakes
speaking at Enterprise Architecture Conference Europe 2006 -
12-14 June, 2006
Graham Oakes speaking at Process 2006 - 25-26
April, 2006
Graham Oakes Ltd achieves ISO9001:2000 certification
- November, 2005
Turning CRM into success - February, 2005
|