Making the Software Business Case: Improvement by the Numbers
暫譯: 軟體商業案例的建立：數據驅動的改進

Donald J. Reifer

Making the Software Business Case: Improvement by the Numbers

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商品描述

"Just the understanding and insights you will pick up about how people encounter and cope with combinations of technical, social, political, and economic opportunities and challenges make the book a joy to read and worth much more than the price of it alone."
--Barry Boehm, from the Foreword

This practical handbook shows you how to build an effective business case when you need to justify--and persuade management to accept--software change or improvement. Based on real-world scenarios, the book covers the most common situations in which business case analyses are required and explains specific techniques that have proved successful in practice. Drawing on years of experience in winning the "battle of the budget," the author shows you how to use commonly accepted engineering economic arguments to make your numbers "sing" to management.

The book provides examples of successful business cases; along the way, tables, tools, facts, figures, and metrics guide you through the entire analytic process. Writing in a concise and witty style, the author makes this valuable guidance accessible to every software engineer, manager, and IT professional.

Highlights include:
  • How and where business case analyses fit into the software and IT life cycle process
  • Explanations of the most common tools for business case analysis, such as present-value, return-on-investment, break-even, and cost/benefit calculation
  • Tying the business process to the software development life cycle
  • Packaging the business case for management consumption
  • Frameworks and guidelines for justifying IT productivity, quality, and delivery cycle improvement strategies
  • Case studies for applying appropriate decision situations to software process improvement
  • Strategic guidelines for various business case analyses

With this book in hand, you will find the facts, examples, hard data, and case studies needed for preparing your own winning business cases in today's complex software environment.

Table of Contents

Foreword.
Preface.
Acknowledgments.

I: FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS.

1. Improvement Is Everybody's Business.

Viewing Software as a Business.
Change Is the Nature of Software.
Making the Giant Leap Forward.
Success Is a Numbers Game.
Improvement Cycles and Tricycles.
Improvement by the Numbers.

Business Versus Technical Cases.
Why Change?
Are You Ready to Change?.
Getting Your Boss to Commit.

How This Book Can Help You.
Summary.


2. Making a Business Case.

The Whats, Whys, and Whens of Business Cases.
Relating Improvement Goals to Metrics Via Questions.
Developing Business Cases: The Front-End Process.
Tying the Business Process to the Software Development Life Cycle.

Business Cases: Stepping Through the Life Cycle.
Summary.


3. Making the Business Case: Principles, Rules, and Analysis Tools.

Tooling the Process.
Business Case Principles.
Present Value and Future Worth.
A Smorgasbord of Analysis Techniques.

Tools of the Trade.
Packaging the Business Case for Management Consumption.
Avoiding Taxes and Tax Revolts.
Summary.


4. Business Cases That Make Sense.

The Parable of the Chinese Emperor.
Improving the Process.
Cost Avoidance.
Capitalizing Software.
Quick-to-Market Strategies.

Architecting Products.
Make Versus Buy Analysis.
Moving to a Web-Based Economy.
Summary.

II: THE CASE STUDIES.


5. Playing the Game of Dungeons and Dragons: Process Improvement Case Study.

Setting the Stage.
Current Business Climate.
Developing a Game Plan.

Process Maturity: Are the Investments Justified?.
Quantifying the Return-on-Investment.
Getting Everyone Involved in Playing the Game.
Reinventing and Refreshing the Organization.
Summary.


6. Quantifying the Cost/Benefits: Capitalizing Software Case Study.

You've Got a Problem.
Organization Profile.
Initial Operational Concept.

Capital Decision-Making Process.
Make-Versus-Buy Analysis.
Putting Software Cost Models to Work.
Performing Risk Analyses.
Addressing "What If" Questions.

Making Your Numbers Believable.
Summary.


7. Making Your Numbers Sing: Architecting Case Study.

The Grand Proposal.
Developing a Strategy.
Readying the Financials.
Determining the Numbers.
Trimming the Fat.
Justifying Your Recommendations.

Why Pursue Architecture in the First Place?.
Summary.


8. Maneuvering the Maze: Web-Based Economy Case Study.

For Openers.
Finding a Likely Candidate.
Determining the "Value" of a Firm.

Computing How Much to Pay.
To Buy or Not to Buy.
Avoiding the Traps.

Going Global.
Timing Is Strategy.
Summary.

III: FINALE.


9. Overcoming Adversity: More Than a Pep Talk.

The Wary Traveler.
You Can Be Successful.
Change Tactics Abound.
Avoid the Many Bear Traps.
Focus on the Things That Count.

Other Interesting Uses of Numbers.
Where's the Technology Heading?.
Summary.


Appendix A: Recommended Reading List.
Appendix B: Compound Interest Tables.
Acronyms.
Glossary.

商品描述(中文翻譯)

「你將會獲得的理解和洞察，關於人們如何面對和應對技術、社會、政治和經濟機會與挑戰的組合，使這本書成為一個愉快的閱讀體驗，並且其價值遠超過書本的價格。」
--巴里·博姆（Barry Boehm），前言

這本實用手冊展示了如何在需要為軟體變更或改進提供正當理由並說服管理層接受時，建立一個有效的商業案例。基於真實世界的情境，本書涵蓋了最常見的商業案例分析需求情況，並解釋了在實踐中證明成功的具體技術。作者根據多年在「預算之戰」中獲勝的經驗，向你展示如何使用普遍接受的工程經濟論點，使你的數據對管理層「歌唱」。

本書提供了成功商業案例的範例；在此過程中，表格、工具、事實、數據和指標將引導你完成整個分析過程。作者以簡潔而幽默的風格撰寫，使這些寶貴的指導對每位軟體工程師、經理和IT專業人士都能輕易理解。

重點包括：
- 商業案例分析如何以及在哪裡適合軟體和IT生命週期過程
- 商業案例分析中最常用工具的解釋，例如現值、投資回報率、損益平衡和成本/效益計算
- 將商業流程與軟體開發生命週期相連結
- 為管理層消費包裝商業案例
- 為證明IT生產力、質量和交付週期改進策略提供框架和指導
- 將適當的決策情境應用於軟體流程改進的案例研究
- 各種商業案例分析的戰略指導

手握這本書，你將找到在當今複雜的軟體環境中準備自己成功商業案例所需的事實、範例、硬數據和案例研究。

目錄

前言。
序言。
致謝。

I: 基本概念。
1. 改進是每個人的事。

將軟體視為一項業務。
變更是軟體的本質。
邁出巨大的前進步伐。
成功是一場數字遊戲。

改進循環與三輪車。
以數字來改進。
商業案例與技術案例的比較。
為什麼要變更？

你準備好變更了嗎？
讓你的上司承諾。
這本書如何幫助你。
總結。

2. 建立商業案例。

商業案例的什麼、為什麼和何時。

通過問題將改進目標與指標相關聯。
開發商業案例：前端過程。
將商業流程與軟體開發生命週期相連結。
商業案例：逐步通過生命週期。
總結。

3. 建立商業案例：原則、規則和分析工具。

工具化過程。

商業案例原則。
現值與未來價值。
各種分析技術的自助餐。
行業工具。
為管理層消費包裝商業案例。
避免稅收和稅收叛亂。
總結。

4. 合理的商業案例。

中國皇帝的寓言。
改進過程。

避免成本。
資本化軟體。
快速上市策略。
產品架構。
自製與購買分析。
轉向網路經濟。
總結。

II: 案例研究。
5. 玩龍與地下城的遊戲：流程改進案例研究。

設置舞台。

當前商業氣候。
制定遊戲計劃。
流程成熟度：投資是否合理？
量化投資回報。
讓每個人參與遊戲。
重塑和更新組織。
總結。

6. 量化成本/效益：資本化軟體案例研究。

你有一個問題。

組織概況。
初步運營概念。
資本決策過程。

自製與購買分析。
將軟體成本模型付諸實行。
進行風險分析。
解決「如果」問題。
讓你的數字可信。
總結。

7. 讓你的數字歌唱：架構案例研究。

宏大的提案。
制定策略。
準備財務數據。
確定數字。

削減不必要的開支。
為你的建議辯護。
為什麼要追求架構？
總結。

8. 在迷宮中操控：網路經濟案例研究。

開場白。

尋找合適的候選者。
確定公司的「價值」。
計算應支付的金額。

購買或不購買。
避免陷阱。
走向全球化。
時機就是策略。
總結。

III: 結尾。
9. 克服逆境：不僅僅是激勵演講。

謹慎的旅行者。
你可以成功。

變更策略層出不窮。
避免許多陷阱。
專注於重要的事情。
其他有趣的數字用途。
技術的未來走向？
總結。

附錄A：推薦閱讀清單。
附錄B：複利表。
縮寫詞。
術語表。

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