BA Masterclass - Top IT trends that can impact your role - SLIDES

5th Annual Business Analyst Masterclass

Top IT trends that can impact your role

Session agenda

• Introduction• How well do we predict trends?• Background trends• Critical thinking• Consider the inputs and others’ predictions• Key trends for a Business Analyst

Pete Clouston – Innovation Culture

Consultant, Bringing Clarityweb: www.bringingclarity.co.nzemail: [email protected]

Founder / CEO, Innovation Cultureweb: www.innovationculture.co.nzemail: [email protected]

Twitter: peteclouston

Top IT trends that can impact your role © Innovation Culture 2014

It’s all about the end user (1)• 2009


It’s all about the end user (2)• 1996


Humans steal jobs from robots


‘Humans steal jobs from robots’• Kami-sama are making a comeback• New skills• Scalability, economies of scale ≠ nirvana (at least not any more)

Drivers?• Recalls – revenue & reputational dents – but why?

Current state• DoJ fine: $1.2B (March 2014)• Stock price down 12% (calendar year)


Google buys robotics company


Google invests in robotics company• Started last year• Yet to reveal first product!


So, are robots good or badfor the bottom line?

Some are more equal than others


How well do we predict key trends?Half-century prediction from 1954


Prediction for 2004Easy to use “home computer”


How well do we predict key trends?Here’s what we got in 2004:


Web presence in 2004: Microsoft

Pull [vs push] security updates


Web presence in 2004: Google


Historic predictions: 2004• Connected objects & places• Processing & storage “in the cloud”• Decision support / analytics / data mining• Augmented reality• Linux on desktop for mainstream business users


Historic predictions: 2009• Virtualisation• Cloud computing• Business Intelligence• Unified communications• Enterprise mashups


Background tech trends?


Background technology trends today

• Architecture: tightly > loosely coupled technology elements

• Computing: internet-enabled > internet centric

• Collaboration: internal dialogue > conversations with customers, partners, public

• Implementation timescale: months & years > days, weeks, months

• Risk management: keep everything internal > react to breach of trust

• Manageability: integratable > interoperable

• Access: company only > global (public) audience


What is a given for the cloud?• Virtualisation adoption & spread: e.g. SDDC• Cloud adoption – SaaS, Infrastructure• Migration of on-premise computing + data to the cloud• Performance transparency• “pro-rata” charging – now by the minute, not per day/month



But what about Big Data?• What’s all the fuss• Adopted with gusto by vendors – nebulous identity• Makes sense of ‘disparate’ data• Enabled by proliferation of APIs, connectors• Aided by adoption of SOA• Counters the lag behind data collection


Anticipating IT Trends: what are the inputs• Moore’s Law• History – technology / business / economics• Existing technology adoption• Geography• Economics• Business trends• Vendors• (Western) societal trends


Critical thinking• Appreciation of Asian-specific tendencies & influences• Engage Critical Thinking!• Think through the big players’ take• NZ perspective• Be smart in understanding vendor messages• IT trends context – respected analyst groups offer a largely

North America / Western Europe perspective


Gartner• Mobile apps• Mobile device diversity / management• Applications• Internet of Everything• Cloud Service Brokerage• Cloud / rich client architecture + personal cloud• Software-defined network/storage/data center• Web scale IT• Smart machines – autonomous devices


Forrester• Digital convergence erodes boundaries• Digital experience delivery is king• APIs become digital glue• The Business takes care of process and intelligence• Shed yesterday’s data limitations• Sensors and devices draw ecosystems together• “Trust” & “Identity” get a re-think• Infrastructure takes on engagement – e.g. SDDC• IT becomes an agile service broker


Common elements• Internet of Everything, autonomy• Service brokerage theme• SDDC


What about New Zealand?• Trans-pacific communications cable• Data sovereignty• Unusually innovative, given population size


High Level Themes

• Business agility

• Security

• Enterprise social collaboration


Designing for business – what agility?Agility type Entities / notions impacted

Market Products, services, customers & their culture

Sales Pricing, cross/up selling, sales channels

Collaboration Seamless partner interaction

Pricing Revenue maximisation

Innovation New products / services, entry to new markets

Enabling aspects:• Requirements gathering• Technology feasibility studies• Process optimisation / re-engineering• Cognisance of meta processes


Designing for business agilityOpportunity to build upon the present technology wins:• Complex event processing capabilities• Recognition of “big data” opportunities - enabled by SOA &

APIs• Niche information delivery channels• Map out a picture of optimal business agility• Assess the gap between here and there


Security• Heartbleed et al• Zero day vulnerabilities• Whose job to find, fix, patch?• Huge scale• Identity challenge continues• Validate vendor claims

• Cyber attacks step up – more attacks, higher impact –software and hardware-based


Continued…


Security – but:• Cyber attacks step up – higher volume, higher impact – software

and hardware-based – and some we’d never be aware of• Many on one: e.g. DDoS• One on one: e.g. SQL injection• Data blackmailing• Enterprises remained tight lipped about compromises / $ costs

to fix• Growth in international cyber attacks• Attendant collateral enterprise damage


Privacy• Privacy used to be about preventing data collection – now

it’s about controlling its use, fair use• Be mindful of legislative obligations to privacy – can be

refreshingly realistic…but check with lawyers!!


Security: bigger picture• Security in the corporate culture• IT architectural principles• Software & hardware artefacts / assets• Risk analysis• Out of the box thinking• Commercial: warranties & liabilities• Dependencies – technical & relationships• Playing nicely together: departments, partners, customers


Enterprise social collaboration• Serves the whole organisation• Breaks break down groups/silos• Democratise ideas & conversations• Accelerate the adoption of new ideas• Option to invite other parties into specific conversations• Caution: if unmanaged, it’s a time waster!


Enterprise social collaborationImplementing enterprise social collaboration:

• Investigate feasibility of capable, maturing, low cost offerings• Leverage existing unified communications platform• Consider the value of tools that already work• Usability / training barrier – beware!• Leverage existing CRM


Public Sector ImplicationsNZ Government ICT Strategy 2013-2017 excerpt:

Recognition!


Public Sector Implications – do what?Pay close attention to ICT.govt.nz when considering new technologies:

• Identity – RealMe• Cloud Computing requirements• Architectural principles• Open data


Beware – and be diplomatic!!

Think critically and afresh. An increased rate of change means industry experience isn’t what it once was.

Key Messages• As a Business Analyst, grow & extend your core skills• Don’t settle for legacy systems• Keep in touch with the strategists and architects• Security – be mindful of the big picture when developing

requirements & design• Help your organisation to talk – cross silo, to/from customers• Keep learning: from perspective, history, what’s around you

What we have covered

• Historic predictions• Background technology trends• Anticipating trends: (a) critical thinking (b) inputs• Key theme 1: Business agility• Key theme 2: Security• Key theme 3: Enterprise social collaboration• Public Sector implications• Key messages


"Any sufficiently advanced

technology should be

indistinguishable from

magic."Arthur C. Clarke, 1962


Next 4 weeks• Be a facilitator / leader to the conversation• Do your homework – scope, rank, evaluate risk• Advocate based on your homework• Start a conversation with a strategist and/or architect• Evangelise explicitly – and/or implicitly in your day to day

activities• Extend (& maintain) your core Business Analyst skills• Be a Leader and a Visionary!

Documents

BA Masterclass - Top IT trends that can impact your role - SLIDES