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PointZERO®

The world around us is challenging. Business solutions must bring real business value and lead to demonstrable business success.

An instinctive management reaction could be to drive information technology from a cost and time perspective. However real success is achieved when the focus is on risk and quality, therefore an overarching view is needed. A view that leads to business solutions that result from collaboration of people and artifacts. This collaboration is based on continuous improvement throughout the application lifecycle where methods, approaches, tools, and measures are aligned, leading to business solutions that are fit for purpose and right the first time.

PointZERO® brings an overarching view that is new in the world of business technology. This umbrella view prevents fragmented improvements that would lead to sub optimization of the overall application lifecycle. PointZERO® refers to doing things right from the very first moment, the point zero. Avoid wasting effort on rework; "getting it right from the start".

The challenges

To achieve business success is not easy. Many factors play a role. Costs must not exceed benefits. Solutions must be available at the right time. Business risks must be mitigated to an acceptable level. Quality must be sufficient.

In today’s world organizations must be aware that IT is just a precondition. Real success comes from how IT is integrated in the business process to create a business solution. Therefore a manager needs grip in this constantly changing world. Their business solutions need to be fitted to the expectations of the customers; if the solution is not good enough the customers will vanish like snow in the sun.

Cost over-runs and project failures represent millions of lost investments and opportunity costs. Many causes are identified, amongst others, weak communication, poorly stated requirements, and insufficient risk management. The effect is unnecessary rework.

The PointZERO® vision shows that to prevent rework we have to shift quality measures all over the application lifecycle. The message for managers that implement business change should be resoundingly clear: By identifying faults at the point where they occur, we can deliver better information systems at a lower overall cost. We all should do IT right the first time!

Facing the challenges

By focusing at risks and quality, in both process and product, we achieve a reduction of waste of cost and time. PointZERO® is about parallel step-by-step improvement. At the start a small improvement is made that will result in a small but measurable reduction of cost and time. A second improvement is then initiated, again resulting in a small reduction. By the time stakeholders start gauging they will actually notice that cost and time have dropped. Based on this success they will have the confidence to favor further improvements.

With PointZERO® we now have developed -and keep on perfecting- an array of measures, methods and tools, which help better manage the flow of quality deliverables through the ALM, and achieve the delivery of better business solutions at a lower total cost and a shorter lead time.

The implementation of an effective PointZERO® strategy can take many forms, but it will always follow combinations of measures from these three core tracks:

  1. Industrialization by deploying quality-driving tools and standardization.
  2. Enable Quality through the Empowerment of the QA Team with Quality & Collaboration.
  3. Using Smart Inspiration to arm an improvement program with cutting-edge possibilities.

 

Collaboration towards success

Many disciplines throughout an organization are involved in the creation and operation of Business Technology. It has become so complex that one single person can no longer have a complete overview. Collaboration is key, in every phase of the application lifecycle and also between parties that are involved in different lifecycle activities.

The overarching approach of PointZERO® actually brings a better situation for organizations that apply this vision, resulting in optimized application lifecycle activities, leading to an increase in business success.

The PointZERO® vision

PointZERO® is our full lifecycle approach to reduce and eliminate defects at the source, mitigate risks and decrease or avoid costs, increase productivity and speed up time to market without sacrificing quality. It is an umbrella vision encompassing a shift in approach that goes across the application lifecycle model to reach business success. 
PointZERO® is a vision aimed at increasing business success by parallel and step-by-step improvement across the application lifecycle to shorten time to market, avoid and reduce cost, eliminate risk and reach a fit for purpose quality.

CONTACT
  • Fabian Galoppin Portrait
    Fabian Galoppin
    Practice Leader – Quality Engineering & Testing | Sogeti Belgium