Java is the final straw that has broken the resistance to object technology. Whether by design or simply as a side-effect of organisations` move to Java, object technology is being adopted at an ever increasing rate. On the lips of IT management throughout South Africa, the all too often asked questions "Why is OO important?" and "What advantages does OO offer?" are being replaced by "How do I implement OO?" and "What is needed to achieve the benefits of OO?" These and others questions represent the object technology challenges that must be overcome in the twilight years of the 20th century. Although certain local companies can stand proud and be counted among the leaders in OT adoption worldwide, they are notable exceptions. Most are facing the start of a technology adoption curve that can appear daunting. Adoption of a new technology is a well known problem in many industries. In 1992 Wheelwright and Clark ["Revolutionizing Product Development", The Free Press, A division of Macmillan] developed a model describing the adoption of new technologies in the manufacturing industry. This model features some compelling truths and is easily extended to the IT industry. The model categorises the process of adoption into four clearly defined phases. Each phase is characterised by unique challenges and activities. For the purposes of this discussion each phase has been renamed in more familiar IT terminology, with the original names shown in parenthesis. Discovery (R&D) During discovery a concept is formulated. It is staffed by a small group of innovators who read a lot, talk to other people who have experience, attend seminars and try out some ideas. The OO environment is visualised and the initial methodology and development environment is chosen, although capital expenditure is usually contained. This phase takes about three months. Trailblazer project (breakthrough) The objective of this phase is detailed engineering for proof of concept over a period of three to six months in full-time collaboration with experienced consultants. A limited number of people are involved and receive selected methodology and tool-specific training. The vehicle for this phase is one or more pilot projects to try out preferred methodologies and tools during which the first versions of standards, re-use architecture, technical infrastructure and process framework (SDLC) are formulated. It culminates in the final selection of platform, methodology, application- and process frameworks. Staff members who participated are ready for advanced training. Environment establishment (platform creation) Going beyond proving the concept, this phase sees growth in the use of the new technology beyond the initial small group. It is clearly aimed at moving an organisation toward full-scale OO development projects on the new platform, using the new standardised process framework. The focus is equally on productive use of the new technology and further maturing the environment and people. Preparation for future broad application includes the establishment of job descriptions, training curriculum and training paths for the different role players. It is expected that an organisation takes ownership of the maturing object technology environment but continues to use experienced mentors. Depending on organisational maturity this phase could last between one and two years. Production (steady state) The development environment and staff are mature and fully productive and largely independent of outside assistance. This period is characterised by having continuous support functions, such as system maintenance, training, tuning and information management in place. Changes to the environment are mostly limited to upgrades. The single most important factor to ensure the success of the adoption of object technology is experience. This creates an awkward paradox for inexperienced companies needing to undergo the transformation. With the modified Wheelwright-Clark aggregate approach model as the backdrop, this column will draw on the experience of the authors and explore the specific challenges along the path of a successful object technology implementation project.
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