For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Learn More About Your 2009 Business Analysts  (694 KB PPT)

by Mary Gerush, November 13, 2009

These data charts highlight more data from the Forrester Research/IIBA Q2 2009 Global Business Analyst Online Survey, first reviewed in the July 23, 2009, "Your 2009 Business Analysts: Know Them To Grow Them" report.

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Global Workforce Planning Through 2016: How Population Shifts Will Affect The Supply Of IT Skills

by Phil Murphy, October 26, 2009

The size and composition of the global workforce is changing, and the changes will affect IT professionals and business leaders in diverse ways. Population experts debate generational differences in work styles and work ethics and whether careers that . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Project Manager Assessment Workbook  (76 KB XLS)

by Mary Gerush, October 15, 2009

The Project Manager Assessment Workbook can be used to evaluate an individual's strengths and growth opportunities across a set of capabilities, knowledge, and skills that are important for a specific project or program manager position. It is intended . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Define, Hire, And Develop Your Next-Generation Project Managers

by Mary Gerush, October 15, 2009

Software delivery has changed. Organizations are looking for their software development projects to deliver high business value and strong customer satisfaction as well as come in on time and on budget. They also demand faster and cheaper solutions, so . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Deputize End-User Developers To Deliver Business Agility And Reduce Costs

Accentuate The Positives, Eliminate The Negatives Of End-User Development

by Mike Gualtieri, April 15, 2009

The ranks of businesspeople who are capable of developing applications are swelling due to a combination of the technology-savvy Millennial generation entering the workforce, the proliferation of easy-to-use development tools, and burgeoning demand for . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

How Are Recruiters Affected By This Year’s Trends In US IT Occupations?

by Zach Thomas, April 3, 2009

It's no surprise that with the current economic conditions we will see a decrease in total IT jobs and IT salaries will see almost no growth in 2009. What does this mean for human resources (HR) professionals? First, that it's critical to identify and . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Get The Tools For Business Analyst Success

by Connie Moore, March 31, 2009

Organizations rely on business analysts (BAs) to facilitate the delivery of technology and use process methodologies to improve the organization's effectiveness at the business unit, business function, and/or business process level. So isn't it time to . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Cultivate Your Business Analyst Talent Pool

Your Project Management Success Depends On It

by Connie Moore, March 27, 2009

You have always depended on your business analysts for deep domain expertise, leadership skills, and the ability to see process improvement efforts to fruition. Increasingly, your expectations of business analysts have grown to encompass fluidity between . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Don't Panic! The IT Jobs Picture Isn't As Bad As You Think

Where The Jobs Are: 2009 US IT Occupation Trends

by Simon Yates, March 19, 2009

The economic slowdown is affecting everyone, including infrastructure and operations (I&O) professionals. With all the news of layoffs and bailouts, you couldn't be blamed for worrying about how safe your job might be. A quick look at the current . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Where The Jobs Are: 2009 US IT Occupation Trends

A Profile Of IT Department And IT Vendor Use Of IT Occupations

by Andrew Bartels, March 5, 2009

The US market for jobs in information technology will not escape the US recession, with total jobs in IT occupations down by 1.2% in 2009. While the recession will be painful for those in IT occupations, the pain will be relatively mild compared with . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

In An Abysmal Economy, Application Development Pros Can Prevail

Three Strategies To Help You Win During Challenging Economic Times

by Mary Gerush, January 14, 2009

We're reading a lot these days about the poor economy and falling stock markets. These tough times can force organizations to make drastic changes in the form of budget cuts, office closings, and staff reductions. At the same time, organizations need . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Harness The Power Of Your Business Analysts

A Guide To Building Your Business Analysis Program

by Mary Gerush, December 9, 2008

IT has long known that business analysis is important, but many shops are just beginning to focus on improving their business analysts' skills and practices. Smart application development leaders recognize that strong business analysis results in increased . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Find And Grow Great Business Analysts

How To Define, Hire, And Develop The Best

by Mary Gerush, October 22, 2008

It's time to get serious about optimizing your business analysts and their practices. Why? Project success eludes us, and CIOs struggle to improve customer satisfaction and IT's relationship with the business. Businesses are losing money due to poor and . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Business Analyst Assessment Workbook  (90 KB XLS)

by Mary Gerush, October 22, 2008

The Business Analyst Assessment Tool, which was produced in conjunction with the October 22, 2008, "Find And Grow Great Business Analysts" report, can be used to evaluate an individual's strengths and weaker points across a set of capabilities, knowledge, . . .

For CIOs

The Business Analyst's Dual Focus: Technology And The Business  (214 KB PPT)

by Carey Schwaber, Rob Karel, April 10, 2008

The role of the business analyst is changing. This data chart will showcase some Forrester data that highlights the trends.

For Security & Risk Professionals

A New Role Is Emerging Within IT: Database Security Analyst (DSA)

by Noel Yuhanna, April 4, 2008

As enterprises take stronger measures around database security to meet compliance requirements and defend against attacks, the need for security support and administration becomes critical. But who must now assume responsibility for managing these database . . .

For CIOs

Skills Assessment — A 21st Century Imperative For CIOs

by Phil Murphy, Alex Cullen, September 13, 2007

While hiring the right people has always been a key capability of successful organizations, shifting demographics are driving skills management to become one of today's critical issues. Skills assessment efforts provide the foundation for effective skills . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Role Overview: The Application Development Professional In 2007

Leading The Way To More Effective And Efficient Delivery Of Business Value

by Carey Schwaber, Mike Gilpin, March 19, 2007

Although the strategies and tactics of the application development organization have changed dramatically over the past decade, the primary purpose remains the same: driving application-related projects and programs. Forrester's research in this space . . .

For Information & Knowledge Management Professionals

For Process Modeling, Business Analysts And Developers Are Better Together

by Colin Teubner, January 12, 2007

The business benefits of an effective deployment of business process management (BPM) have driven many firms to pursue BPM initiatives, and process modeling is always an important part. Organizations are now turning to increasingly complex modeling tools . . .

For CIOs

Structuring The Applications Group

New Development And App Maintenance Organizational Approaches

by Marc Cecere, January 12, 2007

Many CIOs use the same staff to perform applications development and maintenance work. However, dividing these responsibilities into separate groups provides greater oversight, clarity, and efficiency. New development groups are mostly commonly aligned . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

A Four-Step Program For Compliant Test Data Practices

by Noel Yuhanna, Carey Schwaber, December 12, 2006

As concerns around data privacy mount, IT organizations find themselves revisiting their policies around test data. Indeed, customer data and company confidential data straight from production are inappropriate for use in test environments and should . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Testing Roles And Responsibilities  (292 KB PPT)

by Carey Schwaber, November 16, 2006

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

The Root Of The Problem: Poor Requirements

Three Strategies For Addressing Three Types Of Requirements Problems

by Carey Schwaber, September 1, 2006

The quality of software requirements is a limiting factor on the success of software development projects. And it's the rare IT organization that couldn't improve its requirements practices. When it comes to getting requirements right, companies struggle . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

SOA Raises The Stakes For Software Quality

How Software Testing Methods Must Change To Suit Service Orientation

by Carey Schwaber, July 17, 2006

SOA makes software quality both more important and more difficult to achieve. But traditional approaches to software testing are insufficient in an SOA environment. IT organizations pursuing SOA find that they must rethink their testing methods and revise . . .

Development Roles In The World Of Service-Oriented Architecture

by Phil Murphy, Randy Heffner, January 13, 2005

Service orientation (SO) is a fundamental shift in the IT delivery model — aligning it to business processes and greatly strengthening the business-IT working relationship. Application development organizations moving to service-oriented architecture . . .