At times when organizations need to find smarter ways of working to cut costs, they're often frustrated by the lack of effective software applications to support these new ways of working.
The long-tail of demand for new applications created by middle-managers that are working hard to optimize their departments and core processes is not something that should be ignored. Without this innovation, sub-optimal processes continue to under perform and add unnecessary operating costs.
Organizations going through change need adaptive IT solutions that can be shaped to support new processes. Of course, there are huge pressures to reduce IT expenditure too - so how do organizations source the new applications they need to create leaner processes?
Current approaches to sourcing software applications fall into three main categories:
1. Purchasing ready-to-use software applications - This isn't a very cost effective way to source business applications because of the high cost of acquiring pre-shaped applications and the fact that it introduces additional costs for integration, maintenance fees - and creates new 'IT silos' into the organization.
2. Custom coding of a new solution - The most common solution is to instigate a custom coding project - either internally (tying up scarce IT resources) or externally through contractors (necessitating procurement procedures and the high cost IT development).
3. Outsourcing of systems - The view held by many today is that outsourcing IT systems or particular process disciplines are better outsourced and placed in the hands of 'experts'. The downside of this approach is that control is lost over the resources and systems outsourced causing the organization to be less able to adapt to changing business requirements. It also means that costs of contracts soar.
Thanks to innovations in rich internet web technologies and cloud computing, there are new options now open to organizations that want to support process improvement without having to jump into an expensive IT procurement or complex project.
Situational applications development software like Encanvas Secure&Live provide business analysts with the technology tools they need to develop applications without custom coding by adopting architecture similar in concept to LEGO. It means that organizations can embed business analysts into change teams and have them develop new applications solutions as quickly as they emerge.
The advantage of this approach is that organizations typically don't need to go to IT procurement or outsourcing but can serve themselves with 'right-first-time' solutions developed across the table in workshops held by business analysts and project sponsors. The applications produced are deployed on the Microsoft Web Platform and can therefore be operated internally or on the cloud.
Innovations that make Encanvas Secure&Live 'enterprise ready' include advanced security features to manage site access, data, users and groups. It also includes data acquisition and mashup features so that business analysts don't need to do any custom coding or learn many different tools. Everything that business analysts require to deliver professional business applications is in the box.
I was asked by Encanvas to write a business argument for situational applications development so I've provided a link to this document here.
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B_mCKU7TIXWaNTJmZmJlZGQtNTMyOS00YTFiLWE3MjktMDAyNmY2OWE0NGM0&hl=en
