Enterprise-grade data warehouse (DW) and business intelligence (BI) projects are still perceived as "heavy" and believed to be successful only by attacking them with waterfall-style software development processes. While there are specific DW/BI endeavors that project teams can safely execute as waterfall, most can be successfully transformed into Agile projects. This Executive Report shares experiences gained while applying an Agile approach to a complex BI project.

The recent Cutter Summit 2015 presented many enlightening and inspiring presentations, including the "lightning talks," in which 12 participants spent five minutes each describing a current noteworthy development or result. Very impressive. This was after Cutter Fellow Steve Andriole encouraged us to review our resumes, as he described the imminent demise of the IT organization in most enterprises. This situation evolves through recent technology developments and organizational patterns, such as cloud.

There's managing the project, then there is managing the project with the future in mind. By that I don't mean, "What can I up sell to the client to make him come back for another project?" We should already be doing that to some degree, though trying not be too obvious about it. Our organizations are already looking to us as salespeople: looking for change orders, suggesting areas where other products or capabilities of our companies can help the project customer out. If you are a consultant like me, you are likely doing this all the time -- probably even in your sleep.

Data is now recognized as the heart of every organization. No longer limited to retrospective analysis, it can be applied for predictive, strategic purposes as well as empower new capabilities.

Business architecture confronts head-on the issue of business and technology strategic alignment and takes the proverbial bull by its horns.

Smart clothing utilizes textile sensors embedded directly within their fabrics. This allows such garments to function as biometric data-gathering devices. Examples include shirts, sports bras, gloves, smart socks, and shoes that can capture and relay information from the wearer -- such as heart rate, perspiration, respiration, grip, running form, fitness levels, and more. The data is typically transmitted wirelessly to a smartphone to provide direct feedback to the wearer, and to a cloud platform for applying machine learning (ML) and other analytics in order to generate behavioral feedback.

Smart clothing utilizes textile sensors embedded directly within their fabrics. This allows such garments to function as biometric data-gathering devices. Examples include shirts, sports bras, gloves, smart socks, and shoes that can capture and relay information from the wearer -- such as heart rate, perspiration, respiration, grip, running form, fitness levels, and more. The data is typically transmitted wirelessly to a smartphone to provide direct feedback to the wearer, and to a cloud platform for applying machine learning (ML) and other analytics in order to generate behavioral feedback.

How can we resolve the polarity in organizations between the need for learning versus the need for producing results? How can we foster a culture that allows taking the time to learn and try different approaches despite the ever-present focus on results? This Executive Update explores learning by doing from different angles and attempts to shine a light on various ways that teams and organizations can speed up their learning curve by consciously taking action and learning from the results.

How do we get value out of the money we earmark for training? How can we get what we paid for? In most purchase situations, we can see what we're getting; we can touch the computer, phone, or car we bought. We can compare product or service reviews to decide which to buy. We can read a list of specifications to determine what we're getting for our money. Yet when it comes to training, the best we have is a list of objectives....

Recently, there was a significant "news buzz" when Chris Roberts, a computer security researcher, was removed from an airplane after tweeting comments about the ability to access "critical" aircraft data via an underseat passenger connection available at each seat. These connections were intended to allow passengers to access the Internet and other harmless flight information. But Roberts, being a security expert, says that he has been able to access functions, like deploying the oxygen masks that might panic passengers and endanger a flight.

This Executive Update offers an overview of the Sherwood Applied Business Security Architecture (SABSA) — a free-use, open source security architecture framework that is particularly useful for enterprise architects.

This Executive Update offers an overview of the Sherwood Applied Business Security Architecture (SABSA) — a free-use, open source security architecture framework that is particularly useful for enterprise architects.

This Executive Update provides an understanding of the concepts behind fork and pull and its possible applications for internal and external software development projects, as well as its potential for other applications.

This Executive Update provides an understanding of the concepts behind fork and pull and its possible applications for internal and external software development projects, as well as its potential for other applications.

Development and operations groups play equally important roles and must synchronize their work to enable organizations to rapidly produce software products and services. The awareness of this has resulted in the development of the operating principles known as "DevOps."

Enterprises, under constant pressure to marshal finite resources, are understandably selective about investments, and must choose wisely between candidate investments with different rewards and unequal risk profiles. This Advisor starts from the position that architecture too should be viewed as an organizational investment, and responsibly managed as one. To be able to do that effectively, we need to get our arms around the value of architecture.

I know of several projects under way utilizing sensors, analytics, and mobile technologies to optimize rail operations by collecting and analyzing operational data to determine real-time vehicle location and operating factors such as average acceleration, speed, idle times, number of stops, driver performance, and so on, and to assess KPIs on equipment wear and rail/roadbed conditions.

I know of several projects under way utilizing sensors, analytics, and mobile technologies to optimize rail operations by collecting and analyzing operational data to determine real-time vehicle location and operating factors such as average acceleration, speed, idle times, number of stops, driver performance, and so on, and to assess KPIs on equipment wear and rail/roadbed conditions.

This Executive Report details seven major challenges experienced when adopting the cloud. The technology function requires new, turbo-charged core capabilities in business innovation, business savvy, governance, architecting, and specialist sourcing as an "anchor" policy for moving to the cloud. 

This Executive Report details seven major challenges experienced when adopting the cloud. The technology function requires new, turbo-charged core capabilities in business innovation, business savvy, governance, architecting, and specialist sourcing as an "anchor" policy for moving to the cloud. 

Today, IT executives are dealing with major trends and substantial technological and business issues in any cloud transformation of their company. Based on our 2014/2015 research, this Executive Report, the first of two in a series, covers four major questions executives regularly ask us.

Today, IT executives are dealing with major trends and substantial technological and business issues in any cloud transformation of their company. Based on our 2014/2015 research, this Executive Report, the first of two in a series, covers four major questions executives regularly ask us.

"Commodity" is a bad word among technologists. It implies standardized, unchanging, noninnovative, boring, and cheap. Commodities are misunderstood. This Advisor seeks to dispel some of the myths around the commoditization of IT services (i.e., the cloud).

Our goal on projects as the project manager should be to remain as productive as possible and use resource time and effort as wisely as possible. That way we accomplish tasks, we get work done, we don't waste time, and we go easier on the project budget. One way to help ensure productivity and budget management is to make our project meetings as productive as possible.

In this webinar series, you'll learn the principles and practices of choosing and implementing the right measures to instrument your development processes.