F.W. Davison & Company has adopted a new software development methodology for future releases of HRPyramid. Initially, customers will notice a departure from the usual version numbering in the latest software release (what was previously announced as version 5.3 will be released as version 10.1). Other benefits of the methodology will be realized as additional versions are released.
The new release numbering system will make each release historically easier to track. The first digits represent the year of the release; the digit(s) following the dot represent the sequential number of the release, e.g., “first,” “second,” “third,” and so on. Therefore, release 10.1 represents the “first” release in the year “2010.” Due to the nature of the software, the Web Edition release number will be extended to three places, where the 3rd set of digits refers to the revision of the .WAR file.
Borrowing from the “agile” method of development, software users will benefit from shorter development cycles and increased collaboration. Rather than the previous “all at once” delivery system, projects will now be evaluated in terms of deliverable segments. The emphasis will be on obtaining the smallest workable piece of functionality to deliver business value early, and continually improving it and/or adding further functionality throughout the life of the project. Each release will comprise completely developed and tested features in smaller iterations (or time frames).
The release cycle will be shortened to a space of a few months, wherein the usual planning, requirement analysis, design, coding, and unit testing will take place. Only elements (subsets of projects) deemed complete will be included in the release along with any bug fixes. Making bug fixes available faster will significantly reduce the need for software patches.
As elements of new functionality are released, customers will have the opportunity to provide feedback earlier in the development cycle, thus collaborating in the future direction of the projects. The end result is a final software enhancement that is already adapted to the usability needs of the customer.
As part of its effort to encourage customer collaboration with its software users in the development cycle, F.W. Davison & Company soon will introduce an online software idea voting system. Customers (and developers) will have the ability to post suggestions for future software development in a forum-type setting. Customers will be able to “vote” for the suggestions they feel would be most useful or would like to see in the next release. This new idea voting system will allow F.W. Davison developers to see what improvements are most desirable among customers, and customers to directly impact the future direction of the software.
“Adopting this new software development methodology will promote collaboration, teamwork and adaptability throughout the life cycle of each HRPyramid development project,” says Frederick Davison, Chief Technology Officer and President of F.W. Davison & Company.