Enterprise Software Delivery Bringing Agility and Efficiency to the Global Software Supply Chain

Globalization, rapid technology churn, and massive economic shifts have made today's enterprise software delivery challenges radically different that those faced just three or four years ago. In this book, IBM Distinguished Engineer Alan W. Brown offers deep new insights into today's best approaches to enterprise software delivery. Brown guides decision-makers in choosing solutions that respond to their new challenges, and successfully anticipate what's coming next. He provides a compelling vision for "software supply chains": one that can help software leaders create global software factories that successfully balance agility and efficiency. Brown illuminates today's new revolution in enterprise software delivery, focusing on key drivers for change, their impact on the day-to-day work of software engineers, and how enterprise software organizations are being reformed in response. He introduces the modern "software factory" concept, addressing key trends including global outsourced teams, collaborative application lifecycle management, and cloud-based virtual infrastructures; Replete with examples, this informative, practical book will help organizations surface crucial issues they may have overlooked, and then identify and leverage the best new ways to deliver software. From start to finish, it offers powerful new opportunities to reduce costs, standardize processes, improve control and visibility, and become far more responsive to the business.

Alan W. Brown, IBM Distinguished Engineer, is Chief Technology Officer for IBM Rational in Europe. Alan consults with customers on software engineering strategy related to enterprise solutions, process improvement, and transition to more agile delivery practices. In recent years, he has worked in a variety of senior software delivery roles in industry, government, and academic research organizations, and has written a number of books and many papers on software engineering practices.