Extensible Solution Templates for Hybrid Software Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for building hybrid software development solutions are overly complex due to the need to integrate multiple solution types, such as custom development, legacy integration, and packaged application integration, which requires prescriptive guidance for each permutation and combination, leading to inefficiencies and proliferation of processes.
Innovation Solution
The use of solution templates that modularize and externalize specific tasks, work products, and roles from a base method, allowing for context-specific, pluggable extensions to facilitate flexible method architecture and assembly of hybrid solutions, leveraging IBM's SOMA method to integrate and deliver hybrid solutions composed of multiple solution types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If prescriptive guidance is provided for each permutation and combination of solution types, then completeness of guidance is improved, but process complexity and proliferation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monolithic delivery process into a base process and multiple solution-type-specific templates. Each solution type (custom development, packaged application integration, legacy integration and transformation) has its own template containing specific tasks, work products, and guidance. This segmentation allows the system to provide complete guidance for each solution type without creating a single complex process that encompasses all permutations and combinations.
2Reliability
If all solution type-specific content is included in the base method, then comprehensive coverage is improved, but adaptability to specific projects deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic process architecture where the base delivery process can be selectively extended with solution-type-specific templates based on project requirements. The base process includes common activities applicable to all solution types, while specific templates (custom development template, packaged application integration template, legacy integration and transformation template) are dynamically added only when needed. This dynamic composition allows comprehensive coverage of all solution types while maintaining adaptability to specific project needs.
3Reliability
If multiple pre-defined processes are published for different solution type combinations, then completeness of process coverage is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to selection complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the common base delivery process with multiple solution-type-specific templates into a unified process framework. Instead of publishing separate pre-defined processes for each solution type combination, the system combines a single base process with selectively applicable templates. This merging approach maintains complete process coverage while simplifying operation, as practitioners only need to select relevant templates rather than navigate through multiple complete process definitions.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system defines a mechanism to architect and define extensible methods and processes to build hybrid solutions. Solution templates provide a mechanism to architect and define the software development method in an extensible way and it enables the method architecture to be flexible to assemble method content and process elements only for those solution types that are necessary for a given solution. Solution templates keep the common base method lightweight and reusable and control the proliferation of software development processes necessary to build hybrid solutions by defining the solution templates for each of the solution types as pluggable extensions or add-ons to the base method that can be assembled on demand based on project needs.