Evolving Self-Organizing Activities

Abstract

Abstract:Traditional development methods are systematic, prescriptive and plan-driven, and can reduce creativity and the ability to respond in situations of rapid change. In the ere of the Internet and increased uncertainty it is argued that development teams need to be self-organizing, i.e. able to reflect and adapt freely to specific problem situation instead of following rigid methods. A way of operationalizing these concepts is presented and this paper elaborates a case study experience, a business-business (B-B) e-marketplace relating to the pharmaceutical sector, where self-organizing activities have been evolved in modeling upfront requirements for the portal. It is based on brainstorming sessions and the use of a modeling tool, the 'e-Business Issues Roadmap' that categorizes possible issues that such an e-business project might encounter and hence provides a representation or a global 'picture' of the problem situation. The outcome is the trigger of business innovative ideas that are unlikely to have been generated by traditional modeling techniques. By re-visiting this exercise the 'picture' becomes up-to-date and accordingly stakeholders will self-organize to address the necessities of the specific situation. The paper concludes with the introduction of the concept of the 'Practice' that is defined as 'a discourse during which requirements for software development activities and responses evolve'. It helps with the habits and dynamics required to instill self-organization within development teams rather than leaving it to evolve by chance.