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ABN AMRO - Software Process Improvement with DSDM

ABN AMRO, importante banco internacional, y Capgemini han colaborado en un método de desarrollo de sistemas dinámicos para alinear las herramientas informáticas a los procesos empresariales.

Have you ever heard that business and IT don’t understand each other? The focus of business today is finding the right solutions quickly.

The Dynamic System Development Method (DSDM) is a non-profit, non-proprietary development process. It was selected by both Capgemini and the Business Unit Netherlands of the Consumer & Commercial Clients Strategic Business Unit of ABN AMRO Bank (both members of the DSDM consortium) to align business and IT and manage for value, thereby better serving the needs of the bank. DSDM is part of the programme ‘Inspiration’, which:

• focuses on continuous software process improvements
• addresses a culture shift to increase productivity, quality, speed and professionalism
• provides support to management and developers.

Next to DSDM, Inspiration consists of the integrated implementation of the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and Dashboard.

Following embedding DSDM approaches at ABN AMRO, a Knowledge Centre was created at the bank supported by training and a Help Desk. Benefits ABN AMRO hope to achieve thanks to DSDM include: improved time-to-market, systems that work from day one, fit-for-purpose systems, better trained staff, higher quality systems, removal of ‘walls’ between IT and users, major improvements in productivity, better documented systems and better designed systems.

Client Profile

ABN AMRO is a prominent international bank, its origins going back to 1824. It ranks 10th in Europe and 22nd in the world based on tier 1 capital, with over 3,400 branches in more than 60 countries, a staff of 110,000 full-time equivalents and total assets of EUR 597.4 billion (as per 2001). ABN AMRO is listed on several stock exchanges, including Amsterdam, London and New York.

Business Issues

In a world-wide study performed by the Standish Group in 1999, of 7,552 IT projects:

• 46% of projects were cancelled prior to completion
• 28% of completed projects had exceeded schedules, were over budget or missing features
• 26% of IT projects were satisfactorily completed on time, within budget.

Of the $100 billion dollars spent, $75 billion dollars was estimated to have been wasted.

The study showed that when measuring the functionality of Information Systems:

• 45% was never used
• 19% was rarely used
• 16% was sometimes used
• 13% was often used
• 7% was always used

An in-house ABN AMRO benchmark study showed that development productivity in the IT department needed revitalising with a new process. There was a need to build a faster, internet-enabled solution, countrywide.

Solution

‘Inspiration’ was born – a programme, not a project that would:

• focus on continuous software process improvements
• address a culture shift to increase productivity, quality, speed and professionalism
• provide support to management and developers

Inspiration consists of three, interrelated projects: DSDM, Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and Dashboard. Whereas Dashboard provides measuring instruments and CMM, a first step towards continuous improvement and a quality system, the DSDM project delivers the development process which is embedded in the quality system.

DSDM, a non-profit, non-proprietary development process was selected by both Capgemini and ABN AMRO (both members of the DSDM consortium) to align business and IT and manage for value, thereby better serving the needs of the bank.

DSDM is a project model for developing business solutions within tight timeframes, based on best practices. DSDM guarantees delivery on an exact day, under tight, Internet-time deadlines. Since its inception in 1995, thousands of projects have used DSDM successfully. Consequently, it has become the de facto standard for application development.

The programme Inspiration used a nested DSDM approach on two levels - organisation and domain cluster. Both followed this phased approach: 1. Feasibility Study to determine whether DSDM was right for the bank and what the consequences would be.
2. A Business Study designed CMM, level 2 compliant DSDM Route Maps, fitting into the quality system.
3. Functional Model Iteration introduced DSDM into several bank projects, establishing support, coaching and a knowledge centre.
4. Design and Build Iteration, introduced DSDM into bank departments.
5. Implementation and handing over support to the line organisation, then evaluation.

Project managers implementing DSDM must make sure a knowledgeable staff at the bank supports them. Therefore, about 2000 ABN AMRO staff attended training classes at Capgemini’s highly recognised, on-site facility in Utrecht, Holland and at the Bank itself.

Capgemini put considerable attention into assuring that knowledge transfer stays active for years. A Knowledge Centre was created at the bank (staffed by 15 persons and a Help Desk) to transfer knowledge from Capgemini coaches to ABN AMRO staff.

Capgemini has proven experience in DSDM projects and was the preferred supplier of choice to train ABN AMRO staff. This was one of the first programmes to combine expertise in DSDM and training supported by good facilities.

Benefits

ABN AMRO IT hopes to benefit from solutions that are delivered faster. DSDM should improve staff productivity, in less time. There should be an improved understanding between business and IT alignment. The bank’s IT staff will benefit from enhanced professionalism.

Tangible benefits attributable to IT projects that use the DSDM process include:

• improved time-to-market
• systems that work from ‘day one’
• fit-for-purpose systems
• better trained staff
• higher quality systems
• improved user morale
• removal of ‘walls’ between IS and users
• major improvements in productivity
• drives project issues out earlier
• ownership by user community
• improves maintainability of delivered system
• better documented systems
• better designed systems.

ABN AMRO is now better positioned to react quickly to new developments in the rapidly evolving financial services industry.

Written in co-operation with ABN AMRO.