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Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools / Re: Create open source Tooling Framework?
« on: December 24, 2009, 02:59:34 am »
Geert,
You are doing work that should take modeling to the next level but most modelers (especially the average corporate Joe) are still struggling to obtain some value from EA software tools like Sparxsystem EA and many more out there. Open source projects are great for sharing expertise and so I support your suggestions.
At the same time, I suspect that ypu may be taking a business logic favoured by a lot of software companies to an extreme; that is, let the customer develop the product. I am not sure that a lot of business modelers out there are interested in knocking up their own solution, as that is the reason we pay maintenance fees for these features. We also work so hard modeling that by the time we get home, we are too tired to lift a finger.
Microsoft started a variant of this business model by delivering incomplete solution which we were all forced to test except that we all paid for the benefit of testing their products.
The next level to above approach is making customers extend software products in the name of Add-Ins or Extensions. This strategy rests on the belief that all customers are competent programmers and are able to write code to deliver product extensions. The problem with this assumption is that the core capabilities of the product that should be delivered are not and these extensions connot be delivered because the customers either lack the skills to create them or cannot identify a value proposition for them and so are not motivated to commit resources and time to their development.
The outcome of all this is that no particular customer segment is happy as features considered basic and standard in other tools are not delivered by the software publisher. The corporate modelers are most affected by this problem and hence a very slow uptake of a tool they have invested thieir time to learning. The result is potential market share loss to a more focused software publisher.
I have imagined a modeling tool that enables collaborative modeling with 3D type of modeling interface but I also recognise that many people may not be ready for this. We require the basics like seamless spreadsheet (visio) import-export, document management, and element level model versioning and many more.
I would like to participate in your project but I lack the programming skills and so cannot do much.
Segun
You are doing work that should take modeling to the next level but most modelers (especially the average corporate Joe) are still struggling to obtain some value from EA software tools like Sparxsystem EA and many more out there. Open source projects are great for sharing expertise and so I support your suggestions.
At the same time, I suspect that ypu may be taking a business logic favoured by a lot of software companies to an extreme; that is, let the customer develop the product. I am not sure that a lot of business modelers out there are interested in knocking up their own solution, as that is the reason we pay maintenance fees for these features. We also work so hard modeling that by the time we get home, we are too tired to lift a finger.
Microsoft started a variant of this business model by delivering incomplete solution which we were all forced to test except that we all paid for the benefit of testing their products.
The next level to above approach is making customers extend software products in the name of Add-Ins or Extensions. This strategy rests on the belief that all customers are competent programmers and are able to write code to deliver product extensions. The problem with this assumption is that the core capabilities of the product that should be delivered are not and these extensions connot be delivered because the customers either lack the skills to create them or cannot identify a value proposition for them and so are not motivated to commit resources and time to their development.
The outcome of all this is that no particular customer segment is happy as features considered basic and standard in other tools are not delivered by the software publisher. The corporate modelers are most affected by this problem and hence a very slow uptake of a tool they have invested thieir time to learning. The result is potential market share loss to a more focused software publisher.
I have imagined a modeling tool that enables collaborative modeling with 3D type of modeling interface but I also recognise that many people may not be ready for this. We require the basics like seamless spreadsheet (visio) import-export, document management, and element level model versioning and many more.
I would like to participate in your project but I lack the programming skills and so cannot do much.
Segun