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