Top process tool selection guidelines
Although there may not be too many tools that can be categorized as pure play software development process management tools since most of the process tools are included as part of the development and management point tools. Take for instance a bug tracking tool may have process automation engine to define a bug fixing process, quite similarly a helpdesk tool may have a process to manage helpdesk. There are a few non-specific tools that focus on different development and IT processes within the same tool. Here are a few process tool selection guidelines that may offer some insight into what process tools are required for enterprises.
Today multi-application tools that facilitate implementation of multiple processes such as requirements management tool, issues management, test management and release management processes have gained tremendous popularity. The generic process tools maybe implicitly designed and embedded in the user interface specific to their methodologies. So while they may have the advantage of being quick and more faithful implementation they certainly lack the adaptability factor especially when the enterprise would want to deviate from the stringent definition of a particular methodology. In addition to such drawbacks, a methodology specific process has very little scope to incorporate any divergence from its original intended requirements. Investing in a methodology agnostic process tool goes a long way as it can ably accommodate changes in business and technology in the future.
Opting for a task based process has several advantages since it allows multiple parallel activities in the process in terms of multiple tasks assigned to multiple process owners wherein each may be involved in diverse activities. The tool must also support multiple independent processes for a single application since it is then easier to design, develop and manage different processes in a structured way. A process that can serve IT service management is the need of the hour. Different process tools have different user interfaces to define the process. The visual drag and drop interface is generally used since it is fast and makes it easy to create a visual process. However here it is important to remember that every visual interface should essentially be flexible to implement complex processes. A tool with full coding support can be flexible but tends to take much time in implementation and also requires rigorous maintenance. Therefore a tool that’s easy to maintain and is flexible is what an enterprise should look out for.
Also it would be a good idea to choose a process or issue management tools that allows for ways and means to support queuing of tasks, load balancing, task sharing by multiple owners and independent owners of a single task among others.
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