4ALM
is 4ward business unit dedicated to Application Lifecycle Management that guides a creation of software from requirement definition to a production release.
In recent years 4ward has specialized in this area using Microsoft Team Foundation Server as a tool that can map the entire process.
ALM?
The complexity of software implementation comes from the lack of control over different components that make up its life cycle (Application Lifecycle Management).
The main issues to be controlled and governed are:
- Source code
- Tracking activities
- Releases
- Reporting
These aspects can be easily managed through TFS and it is possible to have a full traceability of the entire process, starting from the Requirement until a single line of code that realizes it and tests that verify correct operations.
How?
Team Foundation Server is a comprehensive platform based on different server systems that are configurated and managed properly to guarantee service to development department. Therefore it is necessary to dedicate resources with adequate skills to be able to manage properly infrastructural and operative parts of platform as well as to have resources with strong foundation of management of the software life cycle.
This type of the resources with infrastructural and software development competences is difficult to find on the market, as a result many TFS administrators often find themselves in difficulty when the requests from a business or development departments begin ti increase in terns of quantity and complexity. One possible solutions is to use ALM as a service.
4ALM
4ward offeres to its customers evolving support service of Application Lifecycle Management on a basis of Team Foundation Server. An offer is based on 4 macro areas which can be combined to suit your specific needs:
- Maintenance: routine activities necessary to monitor and guarantee ALM services provided remotely
- Consulting: high level consulting activities of process, test, code
- Evolution: development activities that bring a value through incremental changes to the existing ALM platform
- Execution: enforcement activities, particularly related to the testing area
In each area are involved professionals with different skills depending on the task to execute. Given the nature of ALM and TFS platform it can be required systems, development or test skills.
The diagram below shows an example of some activities related to each area.
Why?
4ALM allows you to enjoy the benefits of Application Lifecycle Management that is structured without responsibility to manage the related resources. In this way you can allocate your resources to the core company business rather than to support activities.
As it is seen from the graphs below professionals to be allocated to different ALM areas to get a full 360° coverage are numerous and required various levels of seniority.
