Database Management

Picture this: You're running a business, and you use several software applications to help you manage things in a smoother and more convenient manner. You use document management software to handle reports, business process management software to manage procedures and protocols, data management software to work on databases, asset management software to keep track of your assets, and identity and access management to secure your data. With so many applications going on, you can't help but be curious about how they have come about in the first place. The answer is simple, but not easy: software management.

Software applications are usually created by a team, or teams. Members of these teams are skilled in more or less the same aspects, but each one of them has his own vision and brand of creativity. The idea behind software management is to take the members of these teams to work as one despite of their differences in order to create standardized applications that perform consistently.

Software development is often object-oriented, which means that different sub-teams are given a specific object or module to work on. Once all modules are done, integration takes place. The end result is a fully functioning software application in its beat version. Once the bugs have been straightened out, the application, in its alpha version form, is ready for release.

However, new concepts for software management are slowly gaining ground. Instead of the create-and-collect approach of old-school software development, software management encourages managers and team members to be involved in the end-to-end process of creating software applications. Making everyone aware of the whole process gives the people a better idea of what the big picture is, which in the end, gives them more of a sense of ownership and accountability. It lessens the "I'm-just-doing-my-part" excuse because everyone is expected to understand what his role means in relation to the whole project. An end-to-end process approach also makes it easier for teams to detect exactly where errors take place because they are trained to be familiar with all the steps. Problem-solving is founded on a solid understanding of the whole process, and not merely on just a part of the procedure.

Software managers are expected to be present in every step of the way, guiding teams and providing expertise. This is a significant leap from the usual task of managers in traditional software development, wherein they more focused on the results and less on the process itself. That is not necessarily bad, but its results are not as sustainable compared to results gathered from a root cause analysis (RCA). RCA involves delving into all steps of a process so that the real causes of current problems are detected and eliminated. The solutions generated after RCA are often sustainable and cost-effective.