• How do you build business applications?

    May 18.09 | Design   

    Social networking, web 2.0, whatever you call it user expectations with respect to technology have changes drastically in recent years — and that change is accelerating.  Users expect technology to adapt to their needs and personal preferences, not the other way around.  Ten years ago IT department could get away with dictating what type of hardware (Windows only) or software (Internet Explorer only) cold be used to access business information.  And while for employees that might still be possible (at least for a few more years) for other constituents (students, customer, partners) it isn’t.  Frank Fraeth from Mastercard suggests four guiding principles:

    1. Developers need to understand the business and the processes their application will support.  Understanding of the technology or coding syntax is not enough.  They need to listen, comprehend and create systems that match the user needs, and not expect users to adapt to the technology’s limitations.
    2. Standards are needed across an organization to allow cooperation between departments and functional areas.  Off the shelf components are preferred.  Small units of functionality allow for faster adaptation to business or technological changes.
    3. “Faster is better than perfect” — technology is changing really fast.  If you take too long your solution is outdated before you get it out the door.
    4. You need to change the way individuals think, which takes time and commitment from all levels, especially the top.

    The article focuses on delivery of web-based services, but these points can apply to almost any area of information delivery.  If you design a web site, deliver course materials, publish a monthly newsletter, or deliver a business application the way you did even 5 years ago, and expect long term success.  Words like small, quick, flexible, standards-based, open, accessible, and user-centric need to become a core part of the approach.

    Web 2.0 Building Blocks – Application Development

    Faced with budgetary and time limitations, companies are using Web 2.0 technologies to speed, simplify and reduce the cost of software development. Making individual software components reusable and interoperable—like children’s building blocks—means these components can be rearranged and combined without limit to meet the demand for larger, more complex applications. However, we believe that to take full advantage of the software development benefits afforded by Web services, a business must understand the new principles of development engagement.

    Related Posts

    • Author: Randy

    In my day job I serve as Information Technology Director for the Yale School of Drama. Otherwise I garden, play guitar, build stuff out of wood, take photos, play around with technology and have been blogging since 2003.

    Share on: LinkedIn

    Stay Informed!

    Did you enjoy this post? Then subscribe to my email newsletter and have the daily posts delivered directly to your inbox. Enter your email address here:

    ADD YOUR COMMENT
    Comments are moderated.

    Adjacent Posts

Welcome to RodeWorks

Randall Rode's online home for thoughts, notes, and experiments with a wide range of technology topics. Visit the about page for info on my recent projects and professional background. I welcome your comments!

  • Recent Comments

    • Coming Soon

    New articles are normally posted on Mondays and Wednesdays. Subscribe to the RSS feed or the email update to keep current on the latest posts.

    Site Topics