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The Microsoft Technology Centre Process - Accelerating and De-Risking Technology Adoption
Dave Brown, Microsoft Technology Centre Architect
Introduction to the Microsoft Technology Centre
“Microsoft Technology Centres provide an ideal environment to envision, architect, and demonstrate customised solutions.”
• Locations• United States – Austin, Boston, Chicago, Reston, Silicon Valley
• Worldwide – Bangalore, Beijing, Copenhagen, Dubai, Munich, Paris, Taipei, Thames Valley (UK)
• Methodology• Developed over time to a re-usable process for de-risking technology
adoption
Repeatable Process Offerings
• Strategy Briefing• 1 day
• Targeted demonstrations
• Architecture Design Session• 2-3 days
• In-depth envisioning, design and planning
• Proof of Concept• 2-3 weeks
• Development and demonstration
• Productivity• Last financial year, The Microsoft Technology Centre Thames Valley
completed 164 Strategy Briefings, 50 Architecture Design Sessions, and 45 Proof of Concepts
Team Structure
• Management• Opportunity qualification
• Engagement process
• Partner & industry relationships
• Architects• Broad knowledge of products and technologies
• Architectural & strategic business skills
• Customer-facing role
• Technology Experts (Virtual Team)
• Lab Engineers• Client and server builds
• Networking
• Briefing Coordinator• Logistics
The Facilities
• Architecture Design Session Room• Meeting configuration
• Whiteboards
• Proof of Concept Room• Lab configuration
• Whiteboards
• Server Room• Dedicated network, servers & storage
• Demonstration Room• AV with home automation in multiple “zones”
Strategy Briefing Overview
“ A clear, actionable picture of how software can realise specific customer business goals."
• Audience• Business-focus, CEO/CIO-level, influencers
• Process• Customer-led business strategy presentation
• Microsoft Technology Centre-led, targeted solution scenario presentations, e.g. Information worker, Integration, etc
• Scenario & technology drill-downs
Architecture Design Session Overview
“Architectural and strategic guidance, risk-analysis, and best-practice approach of how software can realise specific customer business goals.”
• Flavours• Envisioning
• Architectural Design
• Proof of Concept Planning
• Process• Preparation (Architecture Design Session Team & Customer)
• Delivery
• Follow-up (& documentation)
Architecture Design Session Preparation
• Architecture Design Session Team• Qualification
• Preparation, planning, customer conference call, expectations
• Technical resources identification
• Facilities booked, agenda circulated and agreed, invites sent
• Customer• Company & organisational presentation
• Project presentation
• Requirements presentation
• Technology topology presentation
• Scenarios presentation
Architecture Design Session Agenda
• Discovery• Introductions• Expectations• Approach• Customer background• Business context• Business benefits
• Drivers• Issues
• Business scenarios• Non-functional
requirements• Technology Landscape
• Envisioning• Review• Architecture and Design
• Components• Interfaces• Communication• Non-functional
requirements
• Scenario testing
• Planning• Review• Scope
• Proof Points• Metrics• Deliverables• Assumptions, Risks,
Constraints
• Resources• Roles, responsibilities
• Dates• Communication
• Escalation plan
Architecture Design Session Team
• Architecture Design Session Team• Architecture Design Session Lead
• Technical Specialists
• Domain-specific specialists
• Customer• Senior management sponsor
• Business representative
• Development representative
• Infrastructure representative
• User representative
• Project manager
Architecture Design Session Responsibilities
• Architecture Design Session Team• Facilitation
• Question assumptions, drill into issues
• Ensure agenda followed, bring discussions back up
• Ensure objectives/ expectations met
• Get agreement
• Provide technical/ industry expertise
• Ensure everything is documented
• Customer• Business buy-in
• Provide business and technical background
• Decision makers
Architectural Design Session Deliverables
• “Vision & Scope” document• Problem Statement
• Business Goals
• Scenarios
• Proof-Points
• Deliverables, Exclusions
• Architecture, Design
• Risks, Pre-requisites
Proof of Concept
Proof of Concept Overview
“Transfer knowledge, develop and demonstrate custom solutions defined in an Architectural Design Session.”
• Drivers• Provide (technology) vision, de-risk technology adoption
• Demonstrate use of product features, system integration, business processes, non-functional requirements in a custom solution
• Developer productivity
Proof of Concept Timeline
Thurs FriWedsTuesMon
Agree vision
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Solution concept complete
Initial plan complete
Development begins
Mid-point review Feature-set freeze
Bug-fix, stabilise
Code complete
Finalise POC package
Demo walkthrough Demonstration
POC complete
Proof of Concept Team
• Proof of Concept Team• Proof of Concept Lead
• Developer Lead
• Developer(s)
• User Experience
• Lab Engineers
• Customer• Business Sponsor (kick-off, mid-point review, final demonstration)
• Developers
• Experienced
• Inexperienced
Proof of Concept Responsibilities
• Proof of Concept Team• Build & maintain lab environment
• Work item definition and assignment
• Daily reviews
• Communication to customer
• Ensure Vision & Scope met
• Architectural, technical, and developer expertise
• Code reviews
• Ensure everything is documented
• Customer• Business buy-in for kick-off, mid-point review, and final demonstration
• On-site developers
• Decision support available
• Agile methodology• SCRUM-'like'
Proof of Concept Constraints
• Exclusions• Best-practice development in all areas
• Exception handling
• Development framework and methodologies
• Auditing, logging, monitoring
• Administration, management
• Installation and deployment
• Versioning
• Performance and scalability
Proof of Concept Deliverables
• Final Demonstration• Screen capture
• Film crew recording
• Proof of Concept Review Document• Key findings
• Work completed
• Template available for download
• Source code• Source control archive
Proof of Concept Demonstration
• Attendees• Business sponsors, CEO/CIO etc, Account Team
• Format• Introduction, scene setting
• Scenario playback
• Customer-driven, primarily non-technical
• Q&A, summary
• Benefits• Real business solution in simulated customer environment
• Business buy-in, solution-focussed audience
• Demonstrator/video disseminated to wider audience
Server Room
Envisioning Centre
Key success factors
• Dedicated environment for meeting/developer productivity• Whiteboards
• Server room, network, internet connectivity, automated builds, sand-boxed environment
• Demonstration
• Resource identification• Business sponsors
• Decision makers
• Technical experts
• Business focus• Business goals realised through software
Common Pitfalls
• Preparation• Opportunities not correctly qualified
• Expectations incorrectly set
• Architecture Design Session• Too many attendees – optimum around 6
• Lack of business input
• No decision makers (lack of business buy-in)
• Treat as a ‘consulting’ exercise
• Proof of Concept• Scope and proof points not clearly defined
• Non-developer lab attendees
Case Study Example – Major Oil Company
• Background• Disparate systems with large numbers of interfaces, often complex &
difficult to maintain
• Large numbers of Excel spreadsheets leading to de-centralised data and intellectual capital, hard to make decisions based on big-picture
• Solution• Integration of sample back-end system following a strategic architecture
based on SOA
• Aggregation and visualisation of sample data sets in personalised dashboard
• New possibilities for data consumption using PDA smart client
• Impact• Technology-enabled strategy on service-oriented business intelligence
• Rapid adoption, global alignment via follow-on engagements
Case Study Example – Global Paper Producer
• Background• Silos of information (lack of re-use), duplication
• Low-bandwidth environment
• Solution• Replaced replication-based solution with collaborative intranet
• Architecture for global intranet, collaboration with automated publishing, local and global search proven over simulated low-bandwidth network
• Impact• Information re-use and global collaboration
• Rapid adoption (first go-live POC + 10months)
Further Information
• Microsoft Technology Centres, dave.brown@microsoft.com,http://www.microsoft.com/mtc
• Lynx Technology Customer Innovation Centre, http://www.lynxtec.com/cic/cic_offerings.htm
• To discuss engaging with the MTC, contact your Microsoft Account Manager
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