Friday, January 06, 2006
Why Enterprise Architects should eschew best practices...
Anytime you hear someone use the phrase "best practice" run in the opposite direction...
It is vital for enterprise architects to acknowledge that the best can be made better. This occurs frequently in shops that have Strong Technical Leadership but can happen randomly in environments led by folks who are genuine in desiring good outcomes for their peers.
Consider the following and incorporate in the fiber of the culture of the enterprise:
It is important to know that repeatability is the enemy of innovation, so one can state that repeatability and best practice may or may not be opposed depending on one's viewpoint. Another best practice is in generalization vs. specialization. The notion of division of labor is done to maximize productivity.With too little division of labor, potential synergy is lost. With too much division of labor, productivity suffers from greater communication and management overhead. Somewhere in the middle is a sweet spot.
Other thoughts on sweet spots include Too many rules make a software methodology complex. Too few rules make a software methodology ineffective. CMMi therefore is never a best practice unless one stops at maturity level 2. Likewise, Six Sigma is also not a best practice since it increases complexity of measurement and therefore enterprises should only pursue two sigma.
I wonder if blogging on the human aspects of technology is a best practice?
| | View blog reactionsIt is vital for enterprise architects to acknowledge that the best can be made better. This occurs frequently in shops that have Strong Technical Leadership but can happen randomly in environments led by folks who are genuine in desiring good outcomes for their peers.
Consider the following and incorporate in the fiber of the culture of the enterprise:
- Best is relative. Over time the Best will be unseated if they do not improve.
- Best is often a "subjective" opinion at a point in time. Requirements and sentiments change, the Best can become the Worst overnight.
- Best is an "overall" indicator averaged by many considerations. So the Best may have a long way to go in some aspects. NOTE: This is typical practice within most enterprises...
- Sometimes it is counterproductive to aim to be the Best. There is nothing against to set for improvements to "Personal Best". NOTE: This doesn't mean that good is the enemy of best but it does mean that those who use this phrase are evil
It is important to know that repeatability is the enemy of innovation, so one can state that repeatability and best practice may or may not be opposed depending on one's viewpoint. Another best practice is in generalization vs. specialization. The notion of division of labor is done to maximize productivity.With too little division of labor, potential synergy is lost. With too much division of labor, productivity suffers from greater communication and management overhead. Somewhere in the middle is a sweet spot.
Other thoughts on sweet spots include Too many rules make a software methodology complex. Too few rules make a software methodology ineffective. CMMi therefore is never a best practice unless one stops at maturity level 2. Likewise, Six Sigma is also not a best practice since it increases complexity of measurement and therefore enterprises should only pursue two sigma.
I wonder if blogging on the human aspects of technology is a best practice?
