Project X Discussions

Remembering My Apple Experiences

In 1975, at Gellman-Hayward we got a Apple LISA based a suggetion by Joe Cira.  It was a stand alone computer with an amazing user interface.  We really liked it but the hardware was not very reliable.  I then got MacIntosh in 1977 which I truly loved and was so easy to use.  At the time the PC market was in disarray with a contest between a microsoft and another operating system.  

I recall I was asked to review an IT strategy at Kidd Creek Mines.  It was amazing, Doren Cohen was leading the miners in Timmins to use Macintosh on the desktop and underground connected to IBM System 38.  The use and acceptance was way ahead of the rest of the mining community because of its ease of use.  Doren then moved to TransCanada Pipelines and introduced a decentralized strategy with MacIntosh on the desktop connected to distributed VAX computers.  This was a conversion from a large IBM mainframe.

The next thing I recall is that Microsoft introduced Windows and IBM and others were offering PC's and lots of software was being developed.  There was extreme pressure from my current clients for me to give up my Mac for a PC.  I succumbed to the pressure to get access to lots of new software.  The macintosh was losing its position.

The next big landmark was in the mid 80's when we were asked by a large law firm to migrate them for a network of MacIntoshes to a network of PC connected to a server.  They liked their MacIntosh but wanted access to more software, a sign of the times.

Now in 2011, I am back to the MacIntosh Pro and learning all over again a new approach.  I am enjoying learning some new ways of thinking.  I am learning how to organize my 10,000+ photos using Iphoto.  I already have made some breaktroughs there.  Photos are organized by time, by events and by people's faces.  It is really exciting.  I am looking forward to learning new ways of doing other things.

I hope that Apple without Job can still deliver excitement and new approaches to life, the universe and everything.   

Project X Ltd. Aims to Lead Business Intelligence Mobile App Development

Company completes training to become lead facilitators for the MicroStrategy Mobile QuickStrike Program

January 25, 2011 – Toronto, ON & Las Vegas, NV – Boutique advisory and technology services company, Project X Ltd., today announced they have completed the QuickStrike Mobile Application training program from MicroStrategy, a global leader in business intelligence technology.  Project X is among the first MicroStrategy alliance partners to complete the training program and become lead facilitators for the MicroStrategy Mobile QuickStrike Program in Canada.

As MicroStrategy Mobile QuickStrike Lead Facilitators, Project X will work with clients to accelerate their mobile BI application strategies from concept to production with a proof of concept mobile application, storyboard and video overview in two weeks. With mobile business intelligence on the verge of widespread adoption, companies are looking to deploy their business data on devices that make it easy and convenient to access critical data.

“As lead facilitators for MicroStrategy Mobile QuickStrike, we’re able to extend our rapid results methodology to the development of mobile BI apps,” Project X President, Stephen Hayward remarked. “Almost every company we speak with today is seeking a solution to deploy their business data on mobile devices such as the iPad and iPhone to leverage the power of mobile visualization and action. We’re aiming to be a leader in mobile BI and offer full solutions to any size organization.”

“Businesses today are recognizing the value of empowering their executives, workforce, suppliers, and business partners with actionable information at all times, not just while they are at their desktop computers,” said Sanju Bansal, COO at MicroStrategy. “We are pleased that Project X has completed the MicroStrategy Mobile QuickStrike training program and is now facilitating the design and development of mobile strategies and technology implementations for its customers.”

IPAD in the Schools

Schools are shelling out for IPAD's in these tight times.  The New York Times recently published an article about the use of IPAD's in schools. Math That Moves: Schools Embrace the iPad  

I really think the software available and the ease of use and portability will really make it a great learning tool.  I know Stephen has adopted the IPAD as his preferred tool.

I think however as a learning tool it will be awesome.  

What are your experiences with the IPAD as a learning tool?

Implementing and Using Technology Part 1

Why is the use of technology so challenging?  How can we learn from others experience?   Why do people fear change? 

I think the answers to these questions are important and I will explore these questions. 

Technology available for use in organizations is changing very rapidly and the opportunities for their use is sometimes overwhelming.  Just when you think you have conquered one aspect, another comes along.

In the use of business intelligence, the insights some organizations get from the use of data is quite amazing.  Just as amazing is the number of organizations who are are not using data well. 

I do not think that the available technology or technologists is the differentiator.  The vision of the business leader is the key.  However the leader must collect around him people who are capable of implementing the vision. 

In a recent blog I talked about Commanders Intent (CI) and the vision of the leader express in a simple CI is one of the key ingredients.  The concept is that in the face of reality the best laid plans will go awry but a good CI keeps everybody's eye on the goal.  Sometimes in business intelligence projects, the CI gets lost in the details and people's desire for perfection.

A leader who does not lose sight of the goal and keeps reminding people of the goal is very important.

If you are a technology person and you do not have this clear CI, what can you do to keep the project on the track?  One suggestion is to create a statement of the CI which is your best guess and start promoting it and see if it gets traction.  If one formulation does not work, try another.  if you can verbalize the actual CI, the idea will develop a life of its own.  At that point, you should just support the idea instead of claiming ownership.

The concept of a clear goal express as a Commanders Intent is important for every project. 

What experiences or ideas do you have?  If you would like to communicate them privately, send them to jhayward@pxltd.ca or post them on the blog.  I welcome feedback.

A Business Intelligence Look at What Pharma is Doing with IT

 I wrote last week about business intelligence and it's application within the pharmaceutical vertical based on an article I'd read.  In my post I talked about

...pharmaceutical companies to get value from all that data, there needs to be a robust business intelligence layer that sits atop a very robust enterprise data warehouse (EDW) infrastructure....

What is important to add is that while our approach at Project X allows for companies to effectively overcome the pitfalls and realize value, there is an important nuance to take away from that statement.  The word is used is effectively.  I didn't use the word easily.  That is an important difference.  While it seems straightforward, the execution of a BI initiative needs to be managed effectively.  It isn't always easy.  It takes purposeful approaches within governance, requirements capturing, design, development, testing and deployment.  The shifting, exploratory nature of BI initiatives can easily through a project team into "spin-mode" and cause the project to enter a cycle of de-scoping & disappointment.  By partnering for an organization that employs an agile "sprint-like" approach, companies within the pharmaceutical vertical will be able to transform their data and then "they can then move on to insight."

To read my original post, feel free to click here.

Linking Business and IT

How often does one hear the complaint that the IT group really only cares about technology and not about the business?  If you are talking to an IT person about your business problem, how often is the first question they ask is "What software are you using?"  Now what does that have to do with them understanding your business problem?   However the business often feels very uncomfortable talking about technology at any level.  Communication is blocked.

I expect some of the problem has to do with the insecurity we feel when we are outside our comfort zone.  Also both the business problem and the technology challenges are both stretching us so how can we enter another very challenging area.

So how do will bridge this gap in real ways and stop everybody from hiding behind the jargon.  In IT the jargon is the latest buzz words, like SOA.  In the business it is _____________.  You need to fill that in for your business.

If we did more listening as oppose to talking to cover up our own insecurities, might help.  Do not rush to solve the superficial statement of the problem, say "tell me more."  Then listen, listen, listen.  When one responds try to use the same terminology and avoid jargon.

Education Transformation

I thought I'd cross post an article I wrote on my blog regarding some thoughts on transforming education here on the PXTLD blog since it directly relates to some of the work we do.

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I've spent some time over the past few months carrying out some strategy work in the education market as a part of our Education Transformation solution offering.  The way technology is leveraged by kids has always been something I've been interested in (here are past posts), both because I have children of my own & because I am always looking for ways that organizations can extract real value from their investments in information technology.

As I have worked with my own children over the past couple of years, I've come to see more and more that this generation of children is really changing due to being a digital generation. I saw this as well when I created and operated the Youth Technology Camp program for children.

Our children are changing, the world they will enter after school is changing, so why is it that education has not changed that much?  I don't think that it has kept up with the changing nature of the world with which it has found itself (a good video that drives home the point of rapid change is this one titled Did You Know).

So how is education changing and where is it all going?  What does it mean to transform our education system into a 21st century model?  To best understand this change, we need to understand the changes as they relate to the various stakeholder, processes and objectives.  The transition from Education 1.0 to today's Education 2.0 and eventually the future Education 3.0 is causing a fundamental paradigm shift in various aspects of education.  The diagram to the left tries to capture this change.  Most importantly is the move to a customized approach for each student.  That is truly disruptive.  It is akin to the the level of customization we receive in so many other areas of our lives.  For example, banks have embraced technology to try and deliver us a more customer-intimate experience, a one-on-one relationship between the bank and its customers.  The expectation is part of the culture today and kids are growing up with that.  Education needs to strive to deliver that type of learning environment to today's youth. 

Niche Consulting Firms

Project X Ltd has now been around for just under 5 years and have evolved into a Niche Advisory and Technology Services organization.  In discussions over the weekend, I had a great conversation with someone from industry about why we are choosing to stay niche and what value this brings to our clients.

So let's frame this a bit and provide a some context for this blog post.  eHealth Ontario has come under fire lately about their use of consultants and the associated costs that have produced no return for the taxpayers.  Sadly I do not know anything other than what is published in the papers or web, so I can't comment on this.  But it was a good starting point about how big does not necessarily mean good and the staffing model at the other extreme can also not be as manageable.

When Graham and I first described what we wanted to build we modeled our company off of Gellman Hayward and Partners Ltd who we both had been exposed to.  It was a great place with some great people doing great work.  Most importantly, it provided real, tangible value to its clients. 

We then looked at the gap that frequently exists between the business and technology and how finding a select area of expertise and a mind to this issue we could help facilitate the better utilization of IT by the business.  This lead us to Actionable Strategy and then eventually Rapid Results.

Why Rapid Results?

1. Mainly because this is what the business needs to be able to address the changing landscape of their business.
2. Our large competitors are not about that and need massive projects that last years.  We wanted results in 90 to 100 days.
3. Staffing resources though good, would not have the necessary glue and accountability to bring best practices to the client to help drive value.
4. We want to empower our clients to be able to utilize the same methods and breed change agents and most of our competition should be scared of this type of thinking.
5. Be fast, be nimble and most of all be focused on the results.  Use the process as a tool not the answer.

Whether we like the name of the approach of Rapid Results or the things it gives us the ability to do.  This is one of the underpinnings of us and how we operate as a niche firm and strive to drive value.  Our clients seem to like it and our competitors don't seem to want to do it.

The Wii - First Impression

Last weekend I was introduced to the Wii and played golf as Tiger and bowled.  We also tried tennis and a fitness test.  I was amazed how physical the game was.  You really got into the the physical aspect of each activity.  I was quite impressed how much fun each game was.  I can imagine how much more fun and involved one would get into the game as one got more experience. 

Playing as Tiger I really hit the ball a long way.  However the key with the electronic game was just the same as the real game is the short game.  The neat thing would be that you could develop a feel for the chipping, pitching and putting with Wii just as you develop the feel in the real game.  However I question whether the Wii game would help my real game.  I wonder.....

Bowling was quite amazing.  I really got the feel of throwing the ball down the alley.  We really got into the game and bowled.  I really enjoyed it. 

Jennifer, a real tennis player, had a great time with the tennis game.  It really looked like something that you could get into.  The neat thing is the opponents match your capability so as you improve the the opponents will improve.  That is always a challenge with real tennis to find players you are compatible with you.  Wii really deals with that.  I am not sure it would help improve your real tennis game but has the potential.

The fitness test gave you a fitness age.  A humbling experience to be told but I understand that as you work with the tool your fitness improves.  I can certainly see that happening.  The test was quite a workout.

Overall my first experience of the Wii was extremely positive.  I am impressed that the Wii gives to player a physical and mental experience.  It was fun.

ETL and SODA (Service Oriented Data Architecture)

So over the last couple of days I have been really wracking my brain on the post I did about API vs ODBC.  And one of the things that it brought back to me was the idea of Service Oriented Data Architecture (SODA).

I wrote about it before in the context of getting tight and involved with the enterprise platforms evolution to SOA.

So in my thinking I decided to go back to the why.  Well I started in with my main drivers: Cost and Speed.  The solutions that Project X Ltd likes to work on deliver value to the end customer faster so that they can start garnering their corporate value out of the item of development.

In the definition (see below of links) of SOA, the main element is loosely coupled services.  These services can then be published for wider re-use, without wider knowledge of the underlying components of the service.  I think this is great from a technology point of view, but let's go a little deeper in terms of ETL.

I may not always as I evolve to SOA or not decide I want to convert or open up all components that I build as services.  So how do I get the best out this concept.  This is where the underlying concepts of SOA are very interesting when generally applied.  The main 3 guiding principles according to wikipedia (no known full definition decided) are:

1. Reuse, granularity, modularity, composability, componentization, interoperability
2. Compliance to open standards (common and industry)
3. Service identification and categorization

So I hope you can see why I fell upon this thinking in our API vs ODBC example.  First fact is that I am not opening my ETL process a a service so the 3rd item above does not hold, but I will use metadata and other tools to make the ETL process known within the organization.  But the other two are really key to me.

• Re-use - when we build any frameworks, systems or platforms we try to build them for re-use.  This means that next time we do not have to completely build from scratch.  Good old object oriented programming.  This is not enough though in SODA.
• Granularity - this one is tough for me to leverage, but in SOA case this is both fine and coarse grained services.  By allowing the two different types we can build and componentize how they are used.  Fine may be private while coarse open.  So in SODA this may be the use of base layer tables (data marts) over the actual tables.  The tables may not have the right context on their own, but the aggregates do.
• Modularity - this one is  easy in that to create separation of functions allows for specialization and reuse.  This in ETL and SODA is looking for the ability to create components for re-use.  Say for example a file transfer gateway, zipping utility, cleansing tool - process steps within the ETL tool could be termed in here, but you are generally copying the process to another project as opposed to using it over again.
• Composability - ability to build it - I am going to skip now other than to say that you need to be able to build new items with these components
• Componentization - for me see modularity and composability above
• Interoperability - Allow it to operate across disperate systems and platforms and connect.  In the ETL world this was a key to me.  But I will leave that to the next item.
• Compliance to Open Standards - OK.  This is the point of the post...
  In ETL you build a special purpose piece of code to connect one data element to another.  When connecting you can use open standard interfaces or specialized ones built by the manufacturers of the different systems.  In the case from earlier this week or late last it was the DataStage ODBC driver vs the Teradata API.  The ODBC driver is the open standard the API is not.  So in SODA we would be aiming to stay away from this.

Now a couple things to remember the above are guiding principles and not rules.  So if performance is a problem and it is killing the ability to meet customer requirements (say using ODBC or W3C standards) then you will need to look at the API solution for ETL.  But this means that you are tightly coupled to the end platform.

Some musings from the weekend.