UML Aids in Offshore Model Communication

8/6/2019 UML Aids in Offshore Model Communication

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Offshore Model Communication made Efficient with Strong SE Concepts and UML

P: Current Industry Demands-Agile Development and Offshore Model Challenges

V: UML Aids in Offshore Model Communication.

C: From Challenges to Solutions, Some real time proven results.

Purpose: Current Industry Demands-Agile Development and Offshore Model Challenges

Back ground and motivation:

Two of the hottest recent trends in the software development community are agile development and internationally

distributed teams. Are these two trends compatible with one another, or are organizations going to be faced with a choice

between "going agile" and "going offshore"?

How Agile Concepts Make Offshore Harder

At first glance, it may seem as though agile methods, with their reliance on face-to-face communication and emphasis on

collaboration, would be nearly impossible to implement with an onshore/offshore development team.

V: UML Aids in Offshore Model Communication.

How to Succeed at Offshore Development:

In practice, very few teams attempt to achieve that "pure" form of customer/developer collaboration. Instead, many work

on a daily basis with some type of proxy customersoften referred to as business analysts orsoftware analysts who

interface with the customer and the Engineers.

Good Documentation at every stage of a Project Life Cycle serves as one of the important factors for the Success of any

Project, especially with the Offshore Model where it becomes essential.

And Business/Software Analysts are required to be empowered with Good Documentation skills and UML knowledge and

tools like Microsoft Visio.

Systems Engineering is a Standard focusing on Moving from Document Centric Approach to a Model Centric

Approach for any Documentation.

RFI Results from Industry:- Standards available- Agile methodology

- Increased use of UML for SE across broad range of industry (automotive, aerospace,telecom)

- Positive indicators and results from the use of Good Documentation techniques andtools (e.g., improved communications, precision, ..)

- Broad interest from tool vendors to provide SE modeling capability tools

- Experience with my Real time in- house projects


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Solution:MODEL Based Approach:

Improved communications

Reduced ambiguity

Reduced errors

More complete representation

Enhanced knowledge capture

Context: From Challenges to Solutions, Some real time proven results:

UML for Offshore model:

Onsite Project Implementation Challenges- Making it more difficult for Offshore.

Why Many Projects Fail? (Onsite)

There are many reasons why projects fail.

If Onsite Projects can fail due to Poor Communication, the Offshore ModelCommunication Challenges are more.

Insufficient resource/ Right talent

Impossible deadlines

Poor communication

Communication is critical in any project. Communication Need to be enhanced by goodDocumentation.

Lack of focusLow morale

Sponsor support

Scope creepLengthy timeframes

Lack of tools

Stakeholder involvement

Advantages of UML over Other VML : De-facto standard within the software community Robust and extensible language to adapt to SE needs

OMG Infrastructure Broad international and industry representation

Defined adoption process to evolve UML

Availability of tool vendor and training support

My Focus is: How to ImproveCommunication between

Onsite and Offshore


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What is UML?

Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a standardized general-purpose modeling language inthe field of software engineering being extended to Systems Engineering.

Standard language for specifying, visualizing, constructing and documenting the artifacts of

software systems.The standard is managed, and was created by, the Object Management Group.

UML includes a set of graphic notation techniques to create visual models of software-intensive

systems.Collection of best engineering practices that have proven successful in modeling largeand complex systems

UML Background

1970 Object-oriented modeling languages began to appear.

1996 Release of UML 0.9 by by Grady Booch, Jim Rumbaugh of Rational Software

Corporation, Ivar Jacobson of Objectory company. 1996 Release of UML 1.0 by Digital Equipment, HP, ILogix,

IntelliCorp, IBM, ICON, MCI, Microsoft, Oracle, Rational, TI and Unisys.

1997 Release of UML 1.1 by IBM, ObjecTime, Platinum, Ptech, Taskon, Reich and

Softeam

2001 Work on UML 2.0 specifications.

UML-Goals:

Provide users with a ready-to-use, expressive visual modeling language so they candevelop and exchange meaningful models.

Provide extensibility and specialization mechanisms to extend the core concepts.

Be independent of particular programming languages and development processes.

Provide a formal basis for understanding the modeling language.

Encourage the growth of the OO tools market.

Support higher-level development concepts such as collaborations, frameworks, patternsand components.

Integrate best practices

Why Use UML?

Helps to reduce cost and time-to-market.

Helps managing a complex project architecture.

Helps to clearly communicate ideas between developers\designers\etc.

Tools for UML:

RATIONAL ROSE

MS Visio


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UML Diagrams:

Diagram

Structural

Diagram

Behavioral

Diagram

Component

Diagram

Package

Diagram

Class

Diagram

Deployment

Diagram

Object

Diagram

Composite

Structure Diagram

Interaction

Diagram

Use-Case

Diagram

Activity

Diagram

Stat

D

Prot

M

Communication

SequenceDiagram

Interaction

Overview DiagramD

Why Offshore Development Model:

Competitive advantages of the onsite/offshore model:

Significant Financial Savings

Top-Quality Work

Strict Quality Control Procedures-Full Rational Suite

Speed to Market

24 Hour Availability


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What is the Offshore Delivery Model?

In Offshore Delivery Model:

- The entire project is accomplished at the service providers offshore development center, which

is located in a different country.

-The client will be dealing directly with the offshore team.

- Once the initial interaction with the client regarding their requirements and expectations is over

the service provider will have no face-to-face interaction with the client during the entire

process.

- But as the project progresses, both the parties will be communicating regularly through othermeans of communication so as to clear off any doubts that may arise.

Off Shore Model:

Offshore

Team

Offshore

Analyst

Onsite Team

Delivery

Manager

Onsite

Customer

Communication

MediaWebcam,

Webex, IM,

Video

Recording.

Communication

Media

Face to Face

Discussion

Requirements

Deliverables Sign-off

Deliverables

Review

Relationship

Management

alysis,

search, Re

gineering,

cumentati

Up-Keep.


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The Challenges of Offshore Development

Much has been written about the pitfalls of offshore software development.

These are some of the most significant challenges to overcome:

Decreased communication bandwidth. Due to time zone differences between western

business centers and many of the major offshore development sites in India and China, thereare very few hours in the day when project participants are in both office locations at the

same time. This factor, as well as the current cost and quality of telecommunications, serves

to significantly decrease the volume of communication between offshore and onshore teams.

Decreased visibility into project status. It's often difficult for project managers and

business sponsors to get an accurate sense of project progress and status. Many of them have

been unpleasantly surprised at late stages of a project to find that their sense of "percentage

complete" was radically incorrect. Measuring project progress is a problem when the project

team is co located and onshore, and is only made worse when the project is on the other sideof the world.

Configuration management. "Bringing it all together" for implementation in the

production environment is one of the most difficult parts of any software project. Many

teams that have built components offshore have been beset by problems when the time came

to integrate the offshore and onshore pieces into a working system.

Disconnection on project estimation. Anyone who has been involved in a software

project knows that customers, managers, and developers all estimate projects differently,each using their own "fudge factor" based on what the other groups tell them. In an offshore

situation, where it is entirely likely that the development team will never meet the project

manager or customers, the standard deviation of traditional project estimates can vary wildly.

Additionally, it can be very difficult to assess the accuracy or reasonability of estimates as

the project progresses.

Being the Top Challenges:The more pressing need on

Enhanced Documentation Method


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How Using UML Can Improve one of the main Challenges of Offshore Communication?

Positive indicators and results from the use of UML for IT Offshore Model (e.g., improvedCommunications, precision ..)

Industry Data:

How to Succeed at Offshore Agile Development?

We seem to have a situation in which agile methods mitigate some challenges of offshore development and

exacerbate others. With RPD at Low Cost requiring iterative development and delivery from Offshore Teams, we

need to find a way to address those characteristics about agile development that make offshore development moredifficult.

Documentation:

The distinguishing characteristic of agile development that poses the largest challenge for distributed teams is the

nature of "project knowledge." Things such as detailed system requirements, design specifications, and system

structure and behavior at any point in time are stored almost solely in the minds of the project's team members. If thesystem under development needs to be well defined ONSITE before it is sent to Offshore team during the "handoff

points". (Some typical handoff points include the iteration kickoff meeting, delivery to the customer, and transition

of system technical support.)

Document the features that are queued up for the upcoming iterationto a level of detail that will enable yourdevelopment team to understand the features enough to break them into tasks, estimate them, and get started.

Prepare documentation to accompany delivery to your client allowing the client to understand what has been

completed (and what was expected but hasn't yet been completed). When the system is mature enough to transition

technical support to another group, document as much as the new group requires being successful.

The solution to the challenge ofsuccessful documentation on agile projects, is adapting to a Model Centric

Approach!

Key Characteristic of McFadyens Onsite/Offshore Service Model:

Stable Infrastructure

Strong Onsite-Offshore Communications

Use of the Industys Best ToolsRational Software

Global Delivery Methodology Based on RUP

Strategic Location


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Use of the Industys Best Tools - Rational Software

McFadyen uses the full suite of industry-leading IBM Rational Software tools to ensure the India operations

efficiently build what the US client wants. These tools are designed to support globally distributed projects -attempting development without them is a risky venture. Rational Rose and RequisitePro are used to capture

requirements and designs. Rational ClearCase is used to manage the source code across multiple development

centers. All these tools have web accessible front-ends that allow client access to real-time information.

Global Delivery Methodology Based on RUP

For many years McFadyen has closely followed the Rational Unified Process (RUP) and has recently adopted it as a

global delivery methodology. Integrating our modified RUP methodology with the full suite of Rational toolsprovides the optimal process for global software development projects.

RFI Analysis from my Real time Project (Data Migration- Quantros Inc.)

Example of Document Centric Approach:Data Migration Business Workflow:

- Client provide requirements-Mapping Specs- Source Data Fields mapped to destination Fields as per Specs.

- Analyzing the Source / Destination system and their structure- Analyzing the requirements / mapping specification and Data files.

- Necessary Communication/ Follow-up with Quantros regarding Issues/ Clarification on the

specifications- Apply ETL(Extract, Transform and Load) Processes: Currently this involves preparing

reference table for Department, Event, Nature, Reasons, effects, additional event

- Developing the XML mapping document to map source and destination systems(In house

developed tool or methodology)- Developing necessary Oracle SQL constructs, PL/SQL constructs and JavaScript constructs to

integrate or Interface with Kettle Tool.(Open source tool)

- Unit Tests on Migrated Data with GUI Environment- Statistics on Migrated Records- Preparing the build and send to QA team.

Issues Faced:

- Several miss-assumptions by Onsite team.

- Offshore team and Onsite team would get disconnected often.- Any new member had to be educated about the process several times

- Explanation to Clients or Upper Management on the Details of the Process was not thateffective.

Visual Representation Using Microsoft Visio to Explain the Business Work Flow:

- More Clear Representation

- Removes Ambiguity

- Removes Errors


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This is equivalent to the State Diagram of UML.


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ClientProject(ORM,

RPM, External)

Obtain Data Extract fromClient

Mapping Docs - Conceptualand Department Mapping -Reviewed by Client and

Frozen

MappingSpecialist Analyzethe Data Extractagainst Mapping

AnyDiscrpancies

Fix the gapand verifywith Client

Dev Team analysethe data extract forspecial characters

and formatting

Any Issues

Discuss with Clieand get clean extror fix at our end a

Client notice

Kick-off meeting with Devteam.

Review the Mapping ,Application and Identify

timelines

Gather allrequired docsfrom Client

Develop the XMLmapping and

Scripts

EnhanceApplication /Create

new fields ifrequired

CreateDepartment

Mapping for Pilotfacility

Migrate Pilot

Facility to StageEnvironment

Migration Specialist toprepare Audit Reports on

Actual Data Migrated versusExpected

ClientVerificaion

Passed

Migration Specialist toprepare Audit Reports on

Actual Data Migratedversus Expected

ClientVerificaion

Passed

Repeat abovesteps for

each Facilityor batches offacilities

Project Sign -off/Closure after all

facilities aremigrated

Yes

NoNo

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes


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Benefits Seen Immediately:- Assumptions by Onsite team Reduced and Saved lot of time.- Offshore team and Onsite team started getting connected well and was easy to bring them back

during deviations.

-Explanation to Clients or Upper Management on the Details of the Process was VERYEffective.

Similarly Using the Use Case and Class Diagrams provided by UML increased effectiveness

and showed very good results though could not be extensively used at our Organization due

to Time and Resource Constraints.

Summary:

Project success means: If your customer is truly satisfied only then your project iscalled as successful project!

Overcome Time and Communication Constraints involved in Offshore Model- Using

UML Being one of the Major advantages these days.. Need extensive and diligent use of system modeling language to address system

complexity and bridge Onsite and Offshore Communication gap.

Extending UML offers a potential solution to provide robust system modeling

capability

Limitations/ Challenges:

More Time consuming than Documentation

Requiring Resources who have Knowledge of UML and the Tools that supportUML. Increasing Resource Cost to a Company.

Increasing Infrastructure Costs. Offshore model- requiring Business Analysts Onsite

The evolution of model based methodologies

Acceptance of the model based approach by the Offshore Teams and customers

Ability to integrate the SE models with other discipline-specific models (i.e.software, hardware, simulation and analysis, etc) Ensuring adequate infrastructure to support the use of models, including tools and

training

Continued adaptation and evolution of the modeling language.

Conclusions:

Moving from Document Centric to Model centric presented Advantages immediately: Ease of Understanding Better Understanding,

Saved Time & Energy- Very critical for the Onsite team who need to OverlapWork times with Offshore team- performing Night shifts.

UML provides a common language for describing software projects (Not just

for

developers).


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Helps to define and understand the system. Increases efficiency and thus reduces costs and time-to-market.

Documents

UML Aids in Offshore Model Communication