Perspectives

Thoughts around the subject of consulting with mid-sized organisations.

The Power of Unified Software Architecture

2 October 2023

Written By Damian Hickey

In software deployment, architects face a pivotal decision: Should they embrace a unified software architecture that combines multiple use cases with a small number of technologies, or opt for a balkanised approach with a plethora of diverse technologies? Another way of describing this is the foibles of the “A tool for each use case”.

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The perils of vendor dependency

17 September 2023

Written By Damian Hickey

Let’s face it straight on. In the world of consulting there are two distinct approaches. 

Consultancies like Accenture and Deloitte, which work to create client dependency, and Vendor agnostic consultants like ourselves at Naarm Consulting, who foster enablement, independence and flexibility. 

The former is always a disaster for clients. You won’t read that in pretty much any media outlet. They are in turn, dependent on the advertising income from the large dependency consultants.

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Navigating the Neglected: Data Management Challenges for Mid-Sized Companies

12 August 2023 Written By Damian Hickey

In the world of technology and business, where information rules supreme, mid-sized companies often find themselves in a unique predicament. They exist in a space overshadowed by giant enterprises and innovative startups, a realm that doesn't often garner the attention of the big analyst firms like Gartner and Forrester. As a result, mid-sized companies face challenges in making informed decisions about data management software solutions and frameworks. I'm working for a mid-sized company now and wanted to share some of my thoughts on this subject.

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Ensuring Strategic Alignment in Project Planning and Requirements within Municipalities

29 May Written By Damian Hickey

Here are some of my musings arising from living in Franklin Street in the City of Melbourne.

In today's fast-paced business environment, municipalities strive to stay competitive by executing projects that align with their strategic objectives. However, all too often, the focus on planning and requirements overshadows the bigger picture, causing strategies to become lost in the chaos. To overcome this challenge, a business architecture approach emerges as a crucial framework for ensuring strategic alignment throughout the project lifecycle. By incorporating business architecture principles, municipalities can foster a clear understanding of their strategic objectives, establish effective planning processes, and ultimately drive successful project outcomes.

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OK Boomer! The benefits of in person meetings…

29 May Written By Damian Hickey

It’s my experience that well run in-person meetings have certain characteristics which contribute to the magic of reaching creative solutions and these are harder to achieve in virtual meetings.

Nonverbal Communication

In-person meetings allow for a richer exchange of nonverbal cues, including facial expressions, gestures, and body language. These cues provide additional context and cues for understanding and empathising with others' perspectives. Nonverbal communication can enhance the depth and nuance of conversations, leading to more creative and collaborative problem-solving.

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Why Salesforce projects fail

14 June 2024

Written By Damian Hickey

A division-level Salesforce transformation project can encounter several pitfalls without the benefits of insights from a business architecture practice. These challenges can lead to failure in achieving desired outcomes, cost overruns, and overall dissatisfaction among stakeholders. Here are key reasons how the absence of business architecture insights can cause such projects to fail…

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Sneak preview

26 July 2024

Written By Damian Hickey

This is a sneak preview of our comprehensive business architectecture solution that will solve these two key problems.

Enterprise architecture (EA) applications face two significant challenges that hinder their effectiveness and utility. Firstly, they often fail to comprehensively cover all business architecture domains. Most EA tools emphasize certain areas like capabilities, organization structure, and information management.

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Salesforce reliance on Business Architecture

14 June 2024

Written By Damian Hickey

Salesforce Architecture leverages the principles of separation of concerns and composability to create scalable, maintainable, and adaptable systems. These principles are crucial in the design and implementation of Salesforce solutions, ensuring that each component of the system can operate independently and cohesively. Business Architecture Capability Assessment plays a pivotal role in determining how these principles are applied effectively within an organization.

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