REAL Talk With Sam Holcman

Think Simple and Complete, not Minimal

You hear numerous phrases like “minimal viable”, “just enough”, and terms like this.  Yet, the implementations tend to default to massive, costly, and lengthy “final solutions”.  Let us think in an opposite manner.  Not what is minimal, but what is needed for a particular purpose.  It begins with Architecture, more specifically Federated Architecture.  This concept is introduced in this podcast, and elaborated in a broadcast titled Federated Architecture.

Computer Hardware Compute Capabilities and Software Development Advancements

We review some eye-opening statistics on the incredible increases in computer hardware advancements in processing capacity and relate that to the very different productivity and effectiveness of using this capacity and today's software development practices. It is time for a true assessment of what best practices are in software development.

Confirmation Bias in Artificial Intelligence Solution Selection

Confirmation Bias is defined as the tendency to attribute more weight than we should to information or solutions that are consistent with our beliefs. The technology industry has seen this in cloud computing, enterprise and business architecture, and numerous other areas. Unfortunately, the ramifications of an unoptimized solution do not show up for some time. We provide some guidance to avoid these very costly mistakes.

RightSourcing - Making Sourcing Decisions Based on Optimizing Achieving Organizational Goals

How do you make decisions on when to do things in-house, offshore, or outsourced?  We suggest the optional decision is what is the most direct way to achieve organizational goals and strategies.  With simple two-dimensional representation, all stakeholders will be able to see the relationship between the goals that are to be achieved and the personnel, processing power, and data each associated with those goals.  From these visuals, sound  strategy-driven decisions can be made.  A very powerful but simple technique.

The Architect Roles In An Enterprise

Enterprise Architecture is a discipline.  Enterprise Architect is one Architecture Role.  We name the twelve architect roles in an enterprise. These names are associated with The Enterprise FrameworkTM  and are mapped into this Framework. Wordy definitions of these roles are not as helpful as the actual understanding of what each of these Roles produce. Please see our website www.ArchitecturesCOE.org, for The Enterprise FrameworkTM and this mapping.

The Fuel for the Internet/Knowledge Age Is Data, and Who Owns The Data Is Front And Center

Two articles were recently published that demonstrate clearly, the Data ownership debate/discussion/concerns that are going to determine where the public internet, search engines, and AI are facing and how these areas will mature very soon.  Quite simply, who “owns” the data, and what rights do those data owners have.  This seven-minute broadcast is an introduction to this very important topic.

Digital Transformation – Going on Fifty Years?

When we were asked this question by one of our clients, the question being what is digital transformation, we did a bit of research.  As typical, we started with Google and Bing.  And to be a bit more contemporary, we asked a few AI engines the same question.  Summary – not really helpful!  Words have meaning.  What we suggest we need to do is enhancing or optimizing business activities through technologies – digital optimization.  Have a listen for more information.

The Key Skill for Business Architects and Enterprise Architects

What is the key skill that is not generally taught in Business Architecture or Enterprise Architecture Seminars and Training Courses?  Soft Skills!  The skills needed to get your point across and be heard.  Yes, a balance between “Hard Skills” that you get in these Seminars is just one component, and some say not the key component.  Have a listen to what Soft Skills are.

Cloud Computing and In House Computing - The New Reality

It has been ten-plus years since the meteoric rise in the use of off-premises computing – cloud computing.  Of course, we all know things change, and a little advertised change in the Information Technology world is the widening costs differential between in-house computing and cloud-based computing.  There has been and is a steady rise in the cost of cloud solutions and a corresponding steady decrease in the full cost of in-house solutions.  It is time to take a look at a balanced approach to these options.

The Six Questions To Ask When Hiring A Consultant, and One That Is A Waste Of Time

We have compiled the six most often asked questions when we are called on for a potential consulting engagement. These six questions address the most important skills a consultant needs.  And you should be able to gauge the answers to these questions quite quickly.  And yes, there is one time-waster question we also suggest really is a time waster!