Case #1

Lack of Systems Knowledge? No problem. We'll create it - and then some. Fall 2002 to Summer 2003.

Fall 2001. This large pension fund company took delivery of its mission critical, core application after a long and involved development project by a well-known organization. The problem is, in-house knowledge of the system is non-existent. The documentation, while fairly new, is already outdated. How are they going to maintain and expand this system? We propose IB-ARM. During the next 6 months, we implement a complete, comprehensive IB-ARM repository that provides a living, dynamic roadmap for the entire system. In fact, the repository becomes a continuously up-to-date knowledge base of all source code (PowerBuilder, J2EE, Oracle based), documentation (Business Objects, Word, Excel, Visio, etc.) and infrastructure (hardware, logs, etc), all linked to one another. Finding out relationship information, impacts, etc. is just a couple of clicks away, any time. Detailed, dry knowledge automatically extracted from the code and documentation is summarized in generated diagrams and pictures of the system, providing an easy-to-understand, living picture of the application. As a dual training and consulting company, we understand knowledge and what it takes to transfer skills. We organize and deliver highly successful seminars and lunch & learn sessions to promote the effective usage of the IB-ARM repository. Within weeks, knowledge of the system becomes apparent throughout the floor. Enhancement requests take 40% less time to do! And not just by a selected few - but all! By the way, the project got nominated for CIO Magazine's 2002 ITX Excellence Award, given to the most innovative IT solution of the year, providing the most benefit.

Case #2

Saving Project Costs by Organizing Systems Documentation using IB-ARM. Summer 2003.

A major Canadian bank identifies the state of its business systems documentation as a significant contributor to cost overruns. The original documentation is now almost two decades old. Over the years, changes to the documentation have been piled on; 'changes to the changes' have created a web of documentation that reside in paper format, DCF, WordPerfect and Word. To design new system features, each project must dig through this information. In fact, only a few 'work-magnets' know how to even start. As a result, the analysis phase of each project is a long, costly exercise and QA and Testing phases are left to overcome issues missed during analysis. The bank hires a summer student to look at its documentation. She spends four months just to find and index documentation relevant to one of the 299 workflows this business unit uses. Hands are in the air - to identify and organize all 299 workflow documentation would require 100 person-years to do! And, as soon as the first one is done, it would be outdated as changes constantly occur. We deliver a proof of concept to show how IB-ARM technology can help out. In four weeks, we collect, organize and hyperlink 32 of the workflows. Simultaneously, the bank creates a benchmark to show that using the IB-ARM repository for its documents would save a conservatively estimated 17% of project costs! This is obviously a huge number and defines an ROI of less than four months! In four months, we implement all remaining workflows and hook the IB-ARM repository into MicroSoft SharePoint Portal to increase the value of both investments. We also define and implement the automatic refresh of the repository, keeping documents organized and current dynamically. Delivering more with less becomes reality.

Case #3

Quality Assurance and Testing Environment - enabling an integrated repository of all QA and Testing artifacts using IB-ARM technology. Fall of 2001.

A major investment company carries out internal studies how the lack of effectiveness in its QA and Testing department affects its overall IT and Business operations. Clearly, significant advantages and cost savings can be realized if the disconnected and in some places incomplete processes, tools and documents can be harmonized. More importantly, it is one thing to create these standards and guidelines - and yet another to enforce their usage. It has been tried, unsuccessfully, before.... Can it be done? Drawing upon the experience of our Testing and QA competency center, we first create a roadmap for the client. Next, we fill in the loopholes by providing ready-made templates and guidelines as necessary and harmonize them with existing standards at the client. Within a few weeks, we have a fully harmonized, cohesive and practical set of test procedures and documents. Step 1 accomplished. Next, we load the ARM Repository and connect each process, document and tool. In addition, we customize our rules-based engine to superimpose the client's required workflow on the ARM Repository. With the help of this customized 'Project Wizard', users can specify the parameters of their projects and IB-ARM returns, in appropriate order, the required artifacts from the Repository. Not only a cohesive, single and linked repository for all Test and QA best practices, processes, documents and tools is now created but their usage is centrally controlled and enforced. Should the workflow change, the client can make an easy adjustment and the process is reflected throughout the organization. In fact, IB-ARM is so easy and effective to use that company standards and guidelines are now followed enthusiastically! After all, all it takes to 'enforce those dreaded standards' is to provide useful, practical and effective means to the people to accomplish their job! Marrying practical and effective Testing and QA expertise with IB-ARM technology 'accomplished the impossible'. And all that in less than four months

Case #4

Mass System Change - from analysis to implementation: a total solution utilizing IB-ARM technology. Summer of 2000.

A major Canadian life insurance company faces an impending breakdown of its systems: within a few short months, the systems will become unable to support the dramatically increased sale of funds. The task involves expanding the processing capabilities of an estimated 3 million lines of code across a variety of platforms (COBOL, PL/1, Assembler, CICS, IMS, DB2, SAS, Visual Basic). The project must be completed within eight weeks. Mission impossible? Many think so, including a half a dozen other vendors. But we insist it is doable using the IB-ARM technology, along with a perfect combination of skilled analysts and methodology and solid management processes. We propose, present, answer every conceivable question, and...win the assignment. Mission under way! We plan, organize and launch the project within a few days. We don't send five "consultants" on site to figure things out. We already know what to do. The entire code base is shipped to our Development Lab. After a thorough Inventory, the IB-ARM environment is set up by the end of the week. Customized reports are generated pin-pointing exact areas where the code must change. Trained and skilled programmers immediately begin to work following a well-defined and proven process. Within 5 weeks the entire application portfolio is modified and unit-tested. Along the way, we also help our client to identify alternate solutions to maximize cost-effectiveness, as well as point out obsolete, unused and misused code. With IB-ARM, we have a clear and precise understanding of all relationships and intricacies of the systems: suggesting improvements becomes easy. We document all our findings in detail, create summary reports, executive overviews and implement the fully tested code base on the original target date. Mission accomplished. At the post-implementation review, our client stated: 'Using IB-ARM, Information Balance was capable of assessing, analyzing, modifying and implementing the entire affected code base faster than other vendors would spend negotiating page 1 of their contract'. Music to our ears!