John O'Neill[SMTP:jao@cook.dsto.gov.au] wrote:
>.......it is difficult to change an object-oriented (or any other) =
software system as your business >requirements change.
>Why? What is missing from our software designs?
>I think Marion has provided the answer - the models are missing. If we =
had the models, the underlying >assumptions, and the undrelying problem =
space it would make adaptation of software systems much >simpler (not =
easy and quick necessarily, but much, much simpler than today's =
maintenance >nightmare).
In the case of the missing models, it is of interest to note that it is =
the object-oriented approach of the virtual organization (see Goldman, =
Nagel, and Preiss-Agile Competition and Virtual Organizations) that =
allows it to succeed. Such organizations (IBM's too successful Ambra, =
for example) build models on the fly, replace objects in the model as =
business requirements change and replace the corresponding technology =
objects to keep it all on track. =20
The lack of models is not a theoretic problem, but an implementational =
one. A start-up 0-50MM company may have a well-defined object set with =
which to maintain its virtual model and virtual supply chain, but a =
highly devolved, albeit growing mom and pop shop will have a giant =
amoeba in place of an organization.
--John Zavacki The Wolff Group 900 James Avenue Scranton, PA 18510 Phone: 717-346-1218 Fax: 717-346-1388 jzavacki@epix.net
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>