Set size to match effort

I explained in another entry that size and effort are distinct metrics for tasks. However it's useful to keep the overhead of estimating two closely related items to an absolute minimum. This is why the patterns in the "Simple Process" uses the user's input of a size metric (in "ideal days") to automatically complete the effort estimates (usually displayed in person-hours or person-days). They can be changed subsequently though and if you want to re-synchronize them at some point - say when you a re baselining a plan - a utility for doing so is useful.

Here's a simple Action that you can define in your process (make it a "UI Action" by setting this field to True).

Action Name: Set size to match effort
Expression: setSize(getEffortIncludingChildren()/480.0)
Applicable to: Task
UI Action: True
Parameters: (none)

Having done this you can expand your task hierarchy in the explorer, select the tasks you wish to set size on, and then right-click and select UI Action -> Set size to match effort .

Note: From version 2.9 of xProcess this action is included in the Simple Process.

ITIL We Meet Again

I was talking with Charlie Betz recently about ITIL, the best practices framework for delivery of IT services, and how xProcess might be used to support service delivery applying these practices. xProcess is well suited to "case management" type projects because of its ability to handle relatively small task patterns and create composite patterns of collections, iterations or selections of smaller patterns. With v3 of ITIL taking a more "lifecycle" approach, it brings a greater emphasis on process and stronger motivation to understand and improve underlying process models. That's why I'm particularly interested to find ITIL professionals wanting to model their processes with xProcess.

Any way I've been browsing Charlie's blog which has some interesting observations, and not just on ITIL. This entry highlights some frustrations with ITIL from an SDLC perspective: My first ITIL v3 presentation. It brought a smile to my face at least.

(Apologies to Diana Ross for the title of this entry.)

xProcess wins in the "Tools and Environments" category of the SD Times 100 Awards

The 5th annual SD Times 100 recognizes the leaders and innovators of the software development industry. The 2007 SD Times 100 was posted on the sdtimes.com Web site today, and it names Ivis's xProcess as a winner in the Tools and Environments category. The award citation reads:

xProcess changes those lovely best practices into die-cast working frameworks for your developers. The easiest way to push some sanity into the development process.

David Rubinstein, Editor-in-Chief of SD Times, said "The winners of this year's SD Times 100 awards have demonstrated their leadership in shaping the software development industry. We took into account each nominee's products and services, its reputation among development managers, and the new ideas it brought out. These select individuals and organizations are the ones we've identified as helping to move the art of development forward."

The team at Ivis are proud to be a part of this select band creating the new breed of tools that will equip organizations and projects to deliver more, faster with less!