MethodA

MethodA Exceutives Summary

This kit describes the basics of the MethodA framework. The kit is written for managers and other personnel - at all organizational levels - who are not necessarily computer experts. Next after this kit, a look at the product itself is recommended. Browsing through the web-based MethodA libraries will provide a sense not only of what MethodA is and why it exists, but also of how MethodA can help solve a specific problem for a specific user and project. Further introductory materials are available The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Universal SCT

The System Component Tree (SCT) is an outline – like a bill of materials, but including processes too – for describing systems and projects. While the SCT's content evolves in the course of the project life cycle, its constant structure remains a guideline for consistent management and for building the documents that cover Origination, Testing, Maintenance, and other main MethodA activities.
The SCT varies slightly for some applications, but major departures from it are unnecessary because the SCT is suitable for all kinds and sizes of IT systems and for many other projects.
The more you consult and understand this kit, the better you can understand and use the other kits.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Initiation

Origination is an introductory phase in which the need for a new system, or for a new and different version of an existing system, is raised in basic terms. The need can be previously unplanned, or it can be simply a normal accumulation of everyday requests for enhancements in an existing system. Origination, once it is duly approved, constitutes the mandate for starting the project and it is a compulsory phase in every life cycle, regardless of what project methodology may be used later. The kit presents a number of ways to abbreviate this phase, but the phase must never be skipped.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

System Analysis

Analysis involves defining the nature of the system that is required and building a nearly complete System Component Tree (SCT) to guide subsequent discussions of the system's content and of the project's course, including contemplation of an RFP or of outsourcing.
Analysis requires considerable resources, strong professional skills, thorough acquaintance with the topic, and close administrative control. In addition, Analysis is also the first life-cycle phase that may involve hired consultants.
The main deliverable from Analysis is the Analysis document, or for an existing system the Maintenance document.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

RFP (Tender)

In the RFP phase (Request For Proposal), bids are invited for some product or service in the IT sphere: a new IT system, deployment included; or a new version that improves on an existing system; or a software package, installation included; or consulting, staffing, etc. An RFP is essentially a match-up between two System Component Trees (SCTs). The issuer of the RFP presents an SCT of requirements – the specs. The bidder presents an SCT of the suggested solution – the proposal. Skill in RFPs consists of orderly work “by the book” together with speed and professionalism. The task is not simple, but this kit will help.

Design & Build

The Design & Build phase gives the system its final shape and actually constructs it. Here, MethodA emphasizes monitoring and control – reviews, workplan implementation, milestones, etc. – and looks strictly at the Design document and other deliverables while caring less about the techniques, tools, and other means of producing them.
This kit deals with Design & Build in terms largely related to IT development. For an infrastructure system, or for an off-the-shelf system, the organization's requirements are covered in the Specifics volume.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

System Testing

This kit covers the system tests and the users' acceptance tests. These tests are compulsory in large systems and optional in small ones. Testers may use the tools and techniques that they have come to trust. The kit concentrates on the deliverables required from the tests, on the workplan, on integration of tools, and on professional and administrative guidelines.
System tests extend throughout the life cycle, starting in the Analysis phase with the definition of a test plan, continuing through the planning and execution of unit tests, and arriving in due course at preparedness tests and installation tests.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Install & Trial Run

In the Installation & Trial Run phase, the new system or new version is installed, made operational, and run. This phase includes installation tests as well as training, migration, checks of the operator documentation, various aspects of Systems & Procedures, etc. The trial run involves full, real operation and maintenance, except that it is performed under special scrutiny and control. If development is outsourced, the installation and trial run are also fully outsourced even if there is no maintenance contract.
This kit details the activities by category: installation tests, migration, training and deployment, transition from development to production, and QA.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Systems Operation

Operation is an ongoing phase in which the system being operated in production environment. This kit covers operation (also called production).
Operation is an integral part of the MethodA model – in the life cycle, in the System Component Tree (SCT), and in the matrix that they form in combination. It is a direct and natural continuation from Analysis and Design.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

System Maintenance

Maintenance is an ongoing phase in which the system undergoes repairs and revisions while constantly functioning as an integrated part of the organization. This kit covers repairs, urgent changes, other changes and revisions, and preventive care.
Maintenance is an integral part of the MethodA model – in the life cycle, in the System Component Tree (SCT), and in the matrix that they form in combination. It is a direct and natural continuation from Analysis and Design on the one hand, and on the other hand it will establish the basis for Analysis and Design where the next version (or next delivery unit) is concerned.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

System Assessment

System assessment is a life-cycle phase in which the development, installation, transfer to production, and maintenance of the computerized system are examined in retrospect. Not only the malfunctions and problems, but also the successes, can lead to conclusions and lessons for the future of the project itself and for the organization's other current and future projects.
This kit is also useful for midlife assessment, which is a “stop, look, and listen” or “super review” in the course of development. In this case the purpose is to draw conclusions and lessons that are useful in the project itself and in deciding how, and whether, development should continue.

Archiving Systems

This kit deals with the special aspects of electronic Archiving Systems and their project management implications; that is, the special characteristics of the life cycle and System Component Tree (SCT) for projects of this type. An electronic Archiving System is an IT system in every way, subject to all the rules governing IT systems. This kit describes only the special additions for Archiving Systems, while general principles remain applicable with respect to the life cycle, SCT, and other MethodA guidelines. The kit is intended for those who are already thoroughly familiar with MethodA and who wish to focus on the specific adaptations and additions that apply to computerized Archiving Systems.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Data Warehouse

This kit deals with the Data Warehouse (DW), also called the Business Intelligence system (BI).
The BI or DW is an information system containing a comprehensive database that enables information retrieval for the sake of decision-making or of locating deviations. This kit surveys the special aspects of such systems and discusses the implications for project management in this area, as contrasted with the basic MethodA project-management methodology and practices. The kit is intended for those who are well acquainted with MethodA and wish to concentrate on the specific changes and additions related to BI/DW.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

ERP

An Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP) is a comprehensive system for managing the organization's resources – the production floor, workstations, logistics (purchasing and inventory), human resources, finance, etc. ERP systems typically arrive as broad, inclusive software packages that nonetheless allow for modularity, for gradual, phased implementation, and for adaptation.
This kit focuses on the special characteristics of ERP systems as contrasted with other IT systems and with the basic MethodA model. Before you can understand and apply this kit, you need a prior understanding of MethodA and some practical experience with it.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Executive Info Sys (EIS)

Executive Information Systems (EIS) are intended as support for top decision-makers. They present information comfortably, concisely, and “horizontally,” along with a drill-down capability that provides detailed and more closely focused information on demand, including isolation of deviations. An EIS system is an IT system with special properties such as the display of summaries, the drill-down capability, strong human engineering, quick retrieval, information analysis, etc.
This kit includes templates, presentations, and guidebooks that help achieve a quick, smooth entry into EIS while promoting control, supervision, and assessment.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Geographic Info Sys (GIS)

This kit looks at Geographic Information Systems (GIS). It reviews the special aspects of such systems and presents their implications both for the life cycle and for the System Component Tree (SCT). The kit emphasizes special or additional elements in GIS, while not superseding the standard life cycle or SCT. Thus before you can understand and apply this kit, you need a prior understanding of MethodA and some practical experience with it. The kit is intended for those who wish to focus on the particularity of GIS.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Lotus Notes

Lotus Notes provides a speedy development environment for building specialized IT systems in the fields of process management, knowledge management, groupware, etc.
Systems developed under Lotus Notes differ from other IT systems in that their development time is shorter and they share a distinct conceptual framework of their own.
This kit presents a specialized System Component Tree (SCT) and life cycle incorporating the appropriate components for Lotus Notes systems. With this kit you can achieve optimum results in system development whether the schedule covers only a few days or a relatively longer time.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Office Automation

Office Automation Systems (OA) are a central IT element in every organization, managing messages, correspondence, documents, calendars, follow-up on decisions, etc. and responsible for a significant part of the organization's workflow. This kit surveys the special aspects of OA systems, their implications for the management of associated projects, and the corresponding additions and adjustments to MethodA. The kit is an outgrowth of the basic MethodA methodology and procedures, and it assumes that the reader is already thoroughly familiar with MethodA.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Software Packages

This kit presents the MethodA approach to introducing a comprehensive application software package into the organization. The kit discusses the special aspects of such a project, with emphasis on life-cycle considerations, on SCT adaptation, and on gap analysis between the organization's requirements and the software package's specifications.
For introducing a small off-the-shelf package (size 0), see the Very Small Systems kit and the Purchasing Cohmittee kit, not this kit.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Text Retrieval (TRS)

This kit deals with Text Retrieval Systems (TRS), which are systems for handling large repositories of free text and retrieving "smart" information from them. The kit defines properties for such systems, explains how to integrate text retrieval into "classic" IT systems, and aids in the preparation of criteria for choosing a TRS (search engine) for the organization.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Web Applications

This kit deals with the development of IT systems in a web (Internet/internettec) environment. The Internet case is used, for the sake of brevity, as the paradigm. The kit explains the special characteristics of Internet systems and how this type of development dovetails with the components of the System Component Tree (SCT). The kit concentrates on applications (IT systems) in the Internet environment; a parallel kit concentrating on Internet/internettec infrastructures can be found in the volume on Specifics.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

BPM Systems

Business Process Management Systems emphasize the stream of work processes in the organization.
From the user's point of view, the system consists of a “Work Tray” with an inbox of tasks that await the user's attention and an outbox of finished tasks awaiting further handling.
From the organization's point of view, or a system-wide point of view, the Workflow Management System is an umbrella-level application that deals with routing among the operations systems of the organization, managing and controlling all the various work processes and the streaming of work between the various stations.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Communications Networks

This kit deals with Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), and how they work together. Among the contents of the kit are study templates and work templates for the building of a LAN/WAN network.
The kit's guidebook and system document are useful not only for those who are building a communications network but also for those who are expanding or changing an existing communications system.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Data Center (Infrastructure)

The data center houses any IT equipment for which the standard office environment is insufficient. Various components of the System Component Tree will be included or excluded as appropriate to the nature and needs of each particular project, but the general SCT structure remains appropriate. This structure enables consistency and continuity among the system documents of the organization's IT and infrastructure systems.
The kit presents the principles of physical infrastructure projects and provides guidelines for building MethodA-based system documents for physical infrastructures.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Alternatives Analysis

An alternative is the possibility of defining and building parts of the System Component Tree (SCT), or activities in the life cycle, in some different way. Alternatives analysis is the comparison of alternatives in order to determine which is preferable. On the one hand, it is important to examine various alternatives. On the other hand, the search for preferable alternatives must not prevent concentrating on one reasonable solution. It is also important to remember that with respect to alternatives, many questions are answered by various constraints in the course of the project. Other questions are technical and influence neither the nature of the system nor its cost/benefit.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Conducting Meetings

There are three parts to the process of a meeting:
•Calling the meeting
•Holding the meeting
•Summarizing the meeting
This kit deals with the principles and methods of the whole process. It details tools for managing and performing each phase of the process in a focused, specific way.
The kit connects theoretical material to the process of system development, referring to an analysis of the topic in the light of the various necessary meetings mentioned in the System Component Tree (SCT) and life cycle.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Cost Calculation

This kit is devoted to the calculation (compilation) of costs. MethodA makes a basic distinction between cost estimation and cost calculation. Cost estimation deals with projecting the size of the system (or project) and figuring the likely resource requirements. Cost calculation, continuing from cost estimation that has already been performed, coordinates all the estimates and produces sum totals for pre-specified types of financial outlays and human resources. Cost calculation is intended to aid in defining the cost components of the System Component Tree (SCT) – the Set-Up Cost, Ongoing Costs, and Cost Summary.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Documentation

This kit presents the MethodA way of writing documentation. Types of documentation are grouped into two main categories. One main category is operational documentation (necessary for the operation of the system): the system document, user guide, service and maintenance contracts, etc. The other main category is life-cycle documentation (workplans, cost estimates, meeting summaries, reviews, QA plans, configuration management plans, etc.). This kit also explains the basic MethodA templates, how to write executive summaries for the system document and executive presentations, methods of labeling entities in the documented system (files, screens, reports, etc.), and more.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

HCI - User Interface

The HCI kit presents the principles, requirements and basic rules of HCI, along with methods for improving the interaction between the user and the system, which will ensure efficient usage of the system, and greater work productivity and user satisfaction.

Legal Aspects

This kit helps with the legal/contractual side of IT. Any MethodA-compliant IT project will conform in all aspects to the applicable laws and regulations as well as to standards and good management practices; thus there are legal considerations throughout MethodA and not only in this kit.
This kit traces the legal interface of the development and maintenance process, presents a unified reference tool for contracts, and includes a variety of legal templates to shorten the process of negotiation and agreement, ensure propriety, and show the parties clearly the nature of the agreement before them.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

OO and UML

The Object-Oriented approach in general (OO), and Unified Methodology Language in particular (UML), are powerful tools for IT system analysis and design. This kit discusses their integration into MethodA. Such integration involves, first and foremost, a System Component Tree (SCT) customized for UML artifacts. Another important influence is on the project life cycle and its management.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Prototyping

This kit discusses how the important technique called prototyping is best integrated into the system development process. Prototyping is very useful for demonstrating the idea of a system, for examining critical success factors (CSFs), for increasing user involvement, etc. However, it does not come "free." Prototyping has deep implications for project management, and it is necessary to know when and how to prototype. It is also necessary to distinguish among kinds of prototypes, as explained in this kit.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Requirement Management

Requirement management is an essential tool for project managers - and for all other involved parties in a project...
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Risk Management

Risk management is an essential tool for project managers - and for all other involved parties in a project. It helps identify weaknesses and potential obstacles that could spoil the project's schedule, its budget, its content, or even its viability. Risk management makes these weak points detectable early enough for suitable assessment, prevention, and correction. This kit guides the user in performing practical risk management during the various project life-cycle phases as appropriate for the project's size, character, and type.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Standards & Data Items

This kit connects MethodA with the world of standards. It includes an index of relevant standards for IT systems, with brief descriptions of the standards and links to sources where the complete standards can be found. For easy access, the standards are indexed by name and according to the System Component Tree (SCT). Besides overall coordination between MethodA and IT standards, the purpose of this kit is to help users identify and locate the standards relevant to the specific system and help users decide how closely to implement them. Some standards are mentioned both in this kit's guidebook and in the kit that belongs to their context. See in particular the Networks kit in the Specifics volume and the Fields and Tables Glossary kit in the Enablers volume.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

System Deployment

This kit deals with the deployment, integration, and popularization of the IT system within the organization. Subtopics include training, migration, employee motivation, user guides, and a wide variety of systems-and-procedures topics.
This kit is for large-scale systems and for other projects that involve special systems-and-procedures considerations. The kit is also intended for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the subject.
For small and medium-size systems, the guidelines in component 4.7 of the level-3 SCT template may suffice in place of this detailed kit.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Time Management

This kit presents techniques for managing various activities and tasks via the time resource.
The kit discusses principles and methods for efficiently exploiting and managing the time resource from various standpoints in the system life cycle, for example dealing with wastes of time, managing meetings, delegating authority, prioritizing and sequencing tasks, planning and setting goals, handling crises, etc.
The kit connects theoretical material to the system life cycle as it analyzes the subject with respect to sections of the System Component Tree (SCT).
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

User Participation

User involvement is an important, central topic. It should include user participation in the IT system development process - particularly in vital stages such as analysis and system testing - and user approval. World statistics show that many projects fail on account of low user involvement. This kit discusses methods and techniques for promoting user involvement and user participation in the project. Emphasis is on the application expert and the primary user. This topic is related to others such as reviews, meetings, status, and acceptance tests. (See the central glossary.)
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration)

CMMI, the Capability Maturity Model Integration, is a way of assessing how able and how seasoned an IT-development or software-development organization is. Among its other uses, the model is employed for assessing the level and abilities of companies providing software to the United States Department of Defense. The model ranks the maturity of an organization and of its software development process on a scale of five levels. The model also enables the organization to advance progressively, but with reasonable speed, from level to level.
This kit describes the CMM method and how it is covered by MethodA.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Configuration Management

This kit deals with the important and complex topic of System Configuration Management & Control, also called SCM or CM. This topic encompasses many activities and fields - from name and library management, on through development procedures and the use of development tools in managing versions and deliverables, and on to overall system integration, version management, and change control. The point remains the same: continual control over the content of all system components, including the source of each item, its content, who is responsible for it, when it was updated, what development tools it uses, etc.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Documentation Audit

A central part of QA work is auditing the deliverables, including the Origination document, Analysis document, Specification, Proposal Evaluation, Design document, etc. The documentation audit should follow the guidelines detailed in this kit. The guidelines apply to everyone auditing documentation: central organizational QA, project QA (the QA trustee), external inspection, internal inspection, etc. The guidelines are also suitable for the writing of the document itself.
This kit is does not substitute for the guidelines in the relevant document templates, but instead complements them and focuses on important points for QA of written documents.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

FDA's GxP

The GxP kit contains validation know-how for computerized systems operating in GxP environments. It supports the validation of systems such as, ERP, LIMS, clinical tracking systems, statistical processing systems, EDMS, SCADA, DCS, HPLC, GC/MS, communication infrastructure, for the life science industry, and contains the solution for PMA, 510K and CE Mark accreditation for medical devices.

ISO 9000

This kit will help with quality management at the overall organizational level and with preparing the organization for assessment according to the international quality standard ISO 9000 in the software field. MethodA “covers” the requirements of the ISO 9000 standard, and this kit provides clear and practical guidance in how to prepare for ISO 9000 assessment with the help of MethodA.
The kit centers around a Quality Policy Manual, which sets out the organization's quality policy and the central quality procedures, with details of the main technologies, sites, product lines, and products.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Metrics

This kit deals with metrics in general and mainly with software metrics and their measurement. Metrics are classic enablers in that they cut across the whole life cycle and System Component Tree (SCT). The subject is complex, both in its definitions and in its implementation, but nonetheless it is vital for advancing the system's quality. It can be furthered, despite the difficulties, in either of two ways (or a combination of them): One is its integration into the day-to-day tasks of the project so that the professional team will set and measure metrics in the natural course of work, "by reflex." The other way is to assign the task of metrics to the QA function.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

PMBOK

The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is a collection of processes and knowledge which provides the fundamentals of project management, irrespective of the type of project be it construction, software, engineering, automotive etc. PMBOK is also known as IEEE Std 1490-1998 standard. PMBOK recognizes 5 basic process groups and 9 knowledge areas typical of almost all projects. The basic concepts are applicable to projects, programs and operations. This kit relates MethodA, which is more specifically aimed at IT projects and systems, with PMBOK, which is designated for the general area of Project Management. This relationship is bi-directional: from PMBOK to MethodA and vice-versa. From PMBOK to MethodA it shows which PMBOK engineering and management practices are answered by MethodA and how. From MethodA to PMBOK, is shows how, while using MethodA, one utilizes all the good engineering and management practices of PMBOK.

Quality Management (QM)

Quality Management is a broad grouping of activities, methods, and tools for achieving high-quality management and results.
MethodA as a whole is actually “one big kit” for QA. Following the MethodA guidelines in all the kits amounts to performing QA. In practice, each organization needs to set up a QA function (department) to see that neither the MethodA guidelines nor other QA procedures remain merely “nice ideas.” This kit deals with how to establish a QA function (department) in an organization – its role, structure, equipment, staff, etc. – and with the relationship between development or maintenance and QA.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Reviews

A review is a vital QA activity and an extremely important means of verifying the system's completeness, quality, and validity, of monitoring a project's progress, and of ensuring that the work is on schedule and on budget. Reviews and surveys are performed on a regular basis throughout the project life cycle, and particularly at major junctures and milestones. A review is generally conducted as a walkthrough, with a number of participants who are involved in developing the system and managing the project. This kit deals with reviews, how to conduct them, how to summarize them, what forms to fill out, etc.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Verification & Validation

Verification & Validation (V&V) is a broad grouping of activities, methods, and tools for checking that the system runs properly. Throughout the system's development life cycle – not only the Testing phase –tests are planned and run: preliminary tests, unit tests, installation tests, preparedness tests, regression tests, integration tests, and more.
This kit discusses the tests and their related topics, and it includes many links to other kits for elements of system testing – the Analysis kit for initial preparation of the test plan, Design & Build for unit tests, Testing for system tests and installation tests, etc. The main practical topic covered in this kit is “Test-Supported Development.”
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Deliverables-Based Management

The development of a project is also the development of its deliverables. Orderly, up-to-date documentation of the project's deliverables forms a basis for monitoring the project. The establishment of a shared data channel for the project manager and the developers enables them to receive information about the project's deliverables and gives them a way to influence the quality of the project's deliverables and products.
In deliverables-based management, each deliverable's definition also includes the planned inputs and processes, so that the overhead of management is lower than with the usual method.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Dynamic Life Cycles

A central factor in software project management (and in other management) is the correct choice of management methods, with corresponding development methods. Rather than being tied down to one inflexible vision that must be "painted by numbers," the project manager receives a wide range of options and can choose a congenial version of the life cycle along with appropriate development methods. It is not necessary to adopt any particular option completely; it is even possible to switch options on the fly in the course of a project's life.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Very Small Systems (VSS)

Where small systems are concerned, there is leeway for shortcuts and simplifications in the processes and required deliverables, both with respect to the life cycle (fewer phases, or merged phases) and in the System Component Tree (fewer components, or merged components). This kit deals with the MethodA approach to very small systems. The kit defines what small systems are and what shortcuts may be applied to their development and operation.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Deploying MethodA

Deployment of MethodA is a central element of IT management and of QA management. It involves learning the methods, training other workers, experimentation, project tracking, project documentation, supplementation of existing procedures, accreditation by QA standards (such as ISO 9000), and more. In organizations where no project tracking-and-control function or QA function is yet in place, MethodA deployment will serve as the catalyst for creating them. In any event, MethodA can be deployed and implemented directly at the project level, without requiring new functions at the organizational level. They will evolve there in time.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Annual Workplan

Ostensibly the annual workplan kit has two “faces,” for users of two kinds. For governmental data centers, the kit defines exactly how to build an annual workplan to the requirements of the Budget Division of the Israeli Ministry of Finance. With its other “face,” the kit offers a way of implementing the annual internal workplan of an organization (data center).
In fact, the two “faces” are only different, complementary views of similar IT activities. One is the picture that the IT manager (chief system administrator) presents to the organization's top management echelon, and the other is the picture presented to the data center's clients and workers.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

IT Strategic Planning

A multi-year IT master plan, also called a strategic plan for EDA, provides the organization with an overview of its IT requirements for the long term and with a basis for annual workplans. MethodA has its own convenient, integrated way of handling this subject, but MethodA also allows for use of any other orderly method of implementing the master plan. The acid test is the deliverables. The chosen method must provide deliverables that permit simple extraction of annual workplans. direct continuation to the appropriate life-cycle phase (Analysis, Testing, Maintenance, etc.) of the systems to which the organization commits, and proper Origination documents covering future systems.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.

Outsourcing

In outsourcing, a supplier assumes responsibilities that may include operation, maintenance, and even development. Outsourcing may range from only a fraction of the IT work through “horizontal” responsibility for certain business processes, or for IT, throughout the organization. Along with an introduction and general explanation of outsourcing, this kit includes clear guidelines for organizing an outsourcing project, managing it, and exiting (regaining independence) from it. In order to understand and use this kit, you need a prior basic familiarity (and practical experience) with the overall MethodA framework and in particular with the System Component Tree and life cycle.
The demo does not include this kit. For more about the kit, contact Methoda Computers Ltd.


Basics	Specifics	Enablers	Quality	Management
MethodA	Information Systems	Alternatives Analysis	Tools & Techniques	Project Management
Executives Summary	Archiving Systems	Change Management	Configuration Management	Agile Development
MethodA Model	BPM Systems	Conducting Meetings	Documentation Audit	Deliverables-Based Mgmt
System Component Tree	Data Warehouse	Cost Calculation	Metrics	Dynamic Life Cycles
Universal SCT	ERP	Cost Estimate	Quality M anagement	PM Issues
Life Cycle	Executive Info Sys (EIS)	Documentation	Reviews	Very Large Systems (VLS)
Project Initiation	Geographic Info Sys (GIS)	HCI - User Interface	Verification & Validation	Very Small Systems (VSS)
High Level Analysis	Knowledge Management	Legal Aspects	Methods & Standards	IT Management
System Analysis	Lotus Notes	Lessons Learned	CMMI Model	Deploying MethodA
RFP (Tender)	Office Systems	OO & UML	FDA's GxP	IT Annual Work plan
Design & Build	Software Packages	Prototyping	ISO 9000	IT Department Mgmt
System Testing	Text Retrieval Sys (TRS)	Requirement Management	PMBOK	IT Strategic Planning
Install & Trial Run	Web Applications	Risk Management		Outsourcing
Operations	Infrastructure Systems	Standards & Data Items		SOA
Maintenance	Communications Networks	System Deployment
System Assessment	Data Center (Infrastructure)	Time Management
	Security Infrastructure	User Participation