Building an application at an organisation like ABN AMRO is a complex undertaking. In addition to the client’s functional requirements, developers must satisfy countless national and international laws and regulations. The bank also enforces its own internal agreements to ensure any new application aligns with the established IT architecture, adding another layer of constraints to the development process.
The Snapshot
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ABN AMRO faced a complex application development process where requirements from multiple departments arrived in different formats, causing delays and errors.
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The challenge was to create a unified and consistent method for business analysts to define and submit application requirements without committing to a major upfront investment.
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The solution involved first standardising the working methods of business analysts, then selecting and implementing a prototype of IBM’s DOORS Next Generation as a SaaS solution to test and refine the new approach.
This complexity results in software developers receiving requirements from a multitude of departments, each using different formats and their own terminology. Such a disconnected approach can lead to confusion, longer development cycles, and errors in the final software. To resolve this, Devoteam was asked to help design and implement a structured solution that would enable the bank’s business analysts to formalise how they define and submit requirements. Ronald Koster, an architect at the bank’s Center of Expertise Tooling, elaborates on this initiative.
It is all about the client and added value. How can we do things even better? Internally as well. For instance, how can we have our people cooperate better in the development of applications? How can we prevent misunderstandings? We are a large, knowledge-intensive organisation, so requirements for applications are submitted by different people, each with their own background. The collective input forms the basis for creating applications. In addition to the functional aspects, you also have to deal with laws and regulations, processes, agreements with other banks, the technology, quality standards and internal guidelines. The software developer has to take all of this into account. A challenge in and of itself, but especially if this information is supplied in different formats. This is the problem we tackled with Devoteam.
Ronald Koster
ABN AMRO’s Center of Expertise Tooling Architect
No Major Investment
The bank made a conscious decision to first look at the work itself and only after that look at a tool. As Koster put it: “In anticipation of the tool selection, we started by educating and training our business analysts. We wanted to synchronise clocks and make sure everyone was speaking the same language so that we could together come up with a complete and consistent description. The clearer it became, the more a different question started to emerge: what could we use to support this work? We were certain about one thing: we did not want to make any major investments right away, instead we wanted to first investigate what the right approach would be. A small-scale and manageable process with a party that could provide us with advice for tackling the problem. That proved to be the right approach.
DOORS Next Generation
“We opted for DOORS Next Generation from IBM. IBM tipped us off about Devoteam and suggested we talk to them about a solution. I was already familiar with Devoteam as the bank’s IT partner. They had worked with us before on training for business analysts, they conduct business analysis processes themselves, and I knew that they had knowledge and skills in this area in-house. Looking for a solution is easier if you understand the field yourself. A pleasant added benefit was that Devoteam itself also works with DOORS Next Generation. After some exploratory talks about their approach, the choice was quickly made, and I was confident we would have a good working relationship.”
SaaS Solution
Within a swift one-month timeframe, Devoteam delivered a fully functional prototype. This solution is now undergoing testing by a dedicated team of ABN AMRO’s business analysts. For this initial phase, the bank chose an isolated SaaS (Software as a Service) solution, a strategic approach it often employs to test new tools. This method allows the team to thoroughly explore the product’s capabilities and spread the financial investment over time. An evaluation scheduled for later this year will determine the future of the tool, including a potential full-scale implementation within the bank’s own network and the purchase of additional licenses.
Trust
Koster says he is happy with Devoteam. “What I appreciate in addition to their expertise is their commitment. We could not give any certainty about this process in advance because it was really a quest. And because there was still so much uncertainty did not immediately want to start a negotiation process with contracts. We wanted to first look and see whether it was something for us and whether we could manage it together. Devoteam handles this kind of uncertainty very well. They have an open and flexible attitude and give us their trust in return. They put a great deal of energy into the work, share information and do not make a fuss if things are not always clear. This basis of trust provides precisely the latitude that you need to take up a quest like this one. That is what I needed. If they had demanded 100% certainty from us in the beginning, it would not have succeeded. It is still too early to conclude whether this solution will make a difference in our working method. There is one conclusion that I can draw, however: Devoteam is an excellent partner in these kinds of processes!”
Key Takeaways
Devoteam delivered a working prototype of the new requirements solution within one month.
The flexible approach established a basis of trust that enabled the project to navigate significant uncertainty.
The isolated SaaS solution provided a low-risk method to test the new tool before a major investment.