ORACLE UNIFIED METHOD (OUM) OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Oracle is evolving the Oracle Unified Method (OUM) to achieve the vision of supporting the entire Enterprise IT lifecycle, including support for the successful implementation of every Oracle product. You can tailor OUM to support your specific project situation. With its ready-made templates, guidelines, and scalable work breakdown structure, OUM provides the programmatic tools you need to manage the risks associated with your project.
OUM provides support for Application Implementation projects, Software Upgrade projects, and the complete range of technology projects including initial support for Business Intelligence and Enterprise Performance Management and deep support for Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), Enterprise Integration, and Custom Software. Refer to the What's New? page for details on the features of this release.
OUM includes three Focus Areas – Manage, Envision, and Implement. OUM's Manage Focus Area provides a framework in which all types of projects can be planned, estimated, controlled, and completed in a consistent manner. OUM’s Envision Focus Area deals with development and maintenance of enterprise level IT strategy, architecture, and governance. Envision also assists in the transition from enterprise-level planning and strategy activities to the identification and initiation of specific projects. The Implement Focus Area provides a framework to develop and implement Oracle-based business solutions with precise development and rapid deployment.
In order to understand the connection between the artifacts produced in the Envision focus area and how they relate directly to the tasks in the Implement focus area you should review the Envision Touch Points.
The diagram below shows how the Envision, Manage, and Implement focus areas fit together to form OUM:
OUM couples the experiance of Oracle's global practitioners with and extended Unified Process - based framework. It provides this collection of best practices organized as a series of processes or workflows that can be assembled and scaled to achieve various information technology related business objectives. OUM also leverages Oracle’s intellectual capital by reusing processes, tasks, and templates from Oracle's complete portfolio of existing methods. For further reading on UP, see The Unified Software Development Process.
OUM also
possesses the following properties:
- Focuses on the business to assure stakeholder acceptance and delivery of the development effort's values, goals, and objectives.
- Centers on architecture to provide a clear perspective of the whole system. During Inception and Elaboration, the objective is to define an executable architecture before committing resources to a full-scale development and implementation effort.
- Encourages adaptability and balance for scalable delivery across small and large projects possessing disparate resources and skill levels while assuring repeatable results.
- Provides rapid implementation techniques that enable building business solutions in short time frames.
- Uses non-proprietary and referential standards, such as the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and de facto standards like the Unified Software Development Process
hesitate to add,
remove, or rearrange tasks, but be sure to reflect those changes in your
estimates and risk management planning.
OUM is evolving. The vision is to
support the entire Enterprise IT lifecycle, including support for the
successful implementation of every Oracle product. Upcoming releases of OUM
will provide enhanced support for Oracle's full complement of Enterprise
Application suites including: product-suite specific materials and guidance for
tailoring OUM to support various engagement types.
Your contributions
and feedback are welcome and appreciated. Improvements to OUM continue to be
made based upon the experience that Oracle acquires through its myriad of
interactions with customers and users of Oracle's software products. Please contribute your thoughts, comments, ideas, and work
products or artifacts to Oracle's Global Methods team so that we may continue
to improve this body of work. Contact Oracle's Global Methods team at ominfo_us@oracle.com.
OUM
Approach
OUM
is built on five main principles derived from the Unified Process, the Dynamic
Systems Development Method, and Oracle's existing methods. Those are:
- Iterative and Incremental
- Business Process and Use Case-Driven
- Architecture-Centric
- Flexible and Scalable
- Risk-Focused
Inception Phase Activities
·
Gather
Business Requirements - Inception
·
Establish
Current Business Baseline
·
Gather
Solution Requirements
·
Perform
Software Upgrade Impact Analysis
·
Consolidate
Solution Requirements
·
Create
Conceptual Prototype - Inception
·
Gather
Supporting Requirements
·
Specify
Key Structure Definition
·
Create
and Manage Ad Hoc Communication
·
Conduct
Executive Alignment Workshop
·
Train
Project Team
·
Conduct
Alignment Workshops - Inception
·
Conduct
Organizational Readiness Assessment
·
Deploy
Change Management Roadmap / Communication Campaign – Inception
Elaboration Phase Activities
·
Gather
Business Requirements - Elaboration
·
Develop
Use Cases
·
Create
Conceptual Prototype - Elaboration
·
Consolidate
Specification
·
Define
Project Strategy
·
Define
Infrastructure
·
Develop
Test Plans
·
Prepare
Environments - Elaboration
·
Perform
Fit Gap
·
Specify
Software Configuration
·
Baseline
Software Architecture
·
Analyze
- Elaboration
·
Design
- Elaboration
·
Develop
Prototypes
·
Validate
Prototypes
·
Perform
Unit Test - Elaboration
·
Perform
Integration Test - Elaboration
·
Perform
System Test - Elaboration
·
Validate
Upgrade Process - Elaboration
·
Plan
Performance Management
·
Prepare
to Acquire and Convert Data - Elaboration
·
Monitor
Sponsorship Program
·
Deploy
Change Management Roadmap / Communication Campaign – Elaboration
Construction Phase Activities
·
Finalize
Requirements
·
Analyze
- Construction
·
Design
- Construction
·
Perform
Test Planning
·
Prepare
Environments - Construction
·
Implement
System
·
Perform
Unit Test - Construction
·
Perform
Integration Test - Construction
·
Perform
System Test - Construction
·
Conduct
Systems Integration Test
·
Prepare
for Performance Testing
·
Prepare
for Transition
·
Prepare
for Cutover
·
Test
Infrastructure
·
Prepare
to Acquire and Convert Data - Construction
·
Acquire
and Convert Data - Construction
·
Validate
Upgrade Process - Construction
·
Produce
Documentation
·
Deploy
Change Management Roadmap / Communication Campaign - Construction
·
Conduct
Job Impact Analysis
·
Conduct
Managers' Alignment Workshop - Construction
·
Design
End-User Training
·
Build
End-User Training
·
Train
End Users – Construction
Transition Phase Activities
·
Support
User Acceptance Test
·
Conduct
Performance Test
·
Convert
Data -Transition
·
Deploy
Change Management Roadmap / Communication Campaign - Transition
·
Conduct
IT Alignment
·
Train
End Users - Transition
·
Finalize
Documentation
·
Go
Production
Production Phase Activities
·
Manage
Production System Performance
·
Evaluate
Production System
·
Resolve
Production Problems
·
Upgrade
System
·
Deploy
Change Management Road-map / Communication Campaign - Production
·
Plan
for Future
·
Deploy
IT Transition Plan
Why Use OUM?
More Focused Effort
OUM enables projects to clearly define business scope as well as the need to create enterprise business process models. This planning results in tighter scope control, more accurate business understanding, and a firm foundation for client acceptance.
Built-In Flexibility
By combining activities and tasks in different ways, OUM can be applied to many types of information technology software development and implementation projects.
Saves Time
Seasoned information technology practitioners representing years of experience have contributed their knowledge to OUM. Project teams can take advantage of this experience by leveraging these leading practices along with industry standards.
Higher Quality
OUM subscribes to an iterative approach that incorporates testing and validation throughout the lifecycle, rather than testing for quality only at the end of the project.
More Cost Effective
OUM facilitates improved control of project expenses by using a flexible work breakdown structure that allows you to perform only necessary tasks.
Reduce Project Risk
Implementing an iterative, broadly applicable method mitigates requirements mismatch. A key focus of each iteration in OUM is to identify and reduce the most significant project risks. This ensures that the most critical risks are addressed as early as possible in the project lifecycle, which results in a measurable reduction of schedule and budget risks.
KEY
CONCEPTS
OUM has
several key concepts and significant milestones that are used to manage the
development cycle. These key concepts and milestones are demonstrated in the MS Project OUM Full Method Example Workplan.
The example workplan provides a template for the phases, processes, milestones,
and concepts used in a OUM project.
This
section provides a brief overview of the following concepts and significant
milestones used to manage a OUM project:
- Iterations/Increments/Releases
- Activities
- Work Products
Projects based on OUM
are carried out in an iterative fashion. Each iteration is concluded by the
release of an executable product that may be a subset of the complete
vision, but useful from some engineering or user perspective.
The OUM definition of
an iteration is consistent with the Unified Process, but may be slightly
different from the iterations in a CDM FT or DSDM-like approach.
In OUM, the result of an iteration is an increment.
At the end of each
iteration, the active set of work products or artifacts are released to form
the current baseline. A release is therefore defined as a relatively complete
and consistent set of artifacts – possibly, but not necessarily including
a software build – delivered to an internal or external user. An internal
release is used only by the development organization, as part of a milestone,
or for a demonstration to users or customers. An external release is delivered
to the end users.
A release
is not necessarily a complete product, but can just be one step along the way,
with its usefulness measured only from an engineering perspective. Releases act
as a forcing function that drives the development team to get closure at
regular intervals, avoiding the "90% done, 90% remaining" syndrome.
At each iteration,
artifacts are updated and released. It is said that this is a bit like
"growing" software. Instead of developing artifacts one after another
in a pipeline fashion, they are evolving across the cycle, although at
different rates.
In OUM, tasks are grouped into
Activities. An activity groups “cross view” tasks together. Generally,
activities do not cross phases. They occur as a group of related tasks within
the phase that result in the completion of a substantial milestone or
deliverable. Activities then are spread within the project phases according to
the time and ordering where they occur during the life of the project.
One example would be all of the tasks that relate to gathering business requirements. Tasks from one process and one from another process are grouped into an Activity called Gather Business Requirements.
In OUM,
the output of a task or activity is called a work product to eliminate the risk of having
method deliverables confused with contractual deliverables. Contractual deliverables are
specifically referenced in the contract and often have a payment schedule
associated with their acceptance. Contractual deliverables may be method work
products, but they may also reference additional deliverables not documented by
the method.
In addition, not
every work product referenced in the method material is required for a given
project. The required work products are based on specific project scope. In
this case, the "optional" work products are part of the OUM method
material, but are not included in the project workplan.
What’s New?
The Oracle®
Unified Method (OUM) Release 5.4 features:
- Accelerated OUM for Solution-Driven Implementations Supplemental Guide (Oracle Only)
- Oracle Support Services Supplemental Guide
- Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Tactical Project Delivery View
- Manage technique: Metrics for Agile Projects
- Envision Models View
- Envision techniques: Accelerating SOA Maturity, Measuring SOA for Improved Business Value, Operational Troubleshooting, Service Engineering Process Monitoring, SOA Capacity Planning
- Enhanced / Updated:
- Core Workflow View
- "Planning a Project Using the Oracle Unified Method (OUM) - An Iterative and Incremental Approach" White Paper
- "Managing an OUM Project using Scrum" White Paper
- Manage Work Breakdown Structure
- Template Styles and Format - Refer to the What's New with OUM Templates for a complete list of changes.
Method Navigation
- Views
- Select a View pull-down: Reorganized by Manage, Implement, Envision and Other views. Other views provides access to the SOA in OUM views selector page and the Full Method and Focus Areas views selector page.
- All Views
- Key Components section: Added View-appropriate Supplemental Guides
- Key Components section: Added link to Supplemental Guidance
- Key Components section: Added link to OUM Mapping Documents
- Key Components section: Added link to Key Work Products
- Tasks and Work Products sections: Added Work Product column
- Manage View
- Updated
- Project Start Up and Project Execution and Control phases: Reorganized/added Activities
- Implement Views
- Updated
- Requirements-Driven Application Implementation
- Solution-Driven Application Implementation
- Software Upgrade
- Technology Full Lifecycle
- Business Intelligence (BI) and Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) Implementation
- Business Intelligence and Analytics Custom Development
- Enterprise 2.0
- Implement Core Workflow
- Implement Models
- Envision Views
- Added
- Envision Models
Updated
- Oracle Architecture Development Process (OADP)
- The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF)
- Sales - Insight
- Strategy
- Enterprise Optimization Roadmap
- Envision
- Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) in OUM Views
- Added
- Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Tactical Project Delivery View
- Updated
- SOA Project Delivery
- SOA Engineering Planning
- SOA Modeling Planning
- SOA Governance Planning
- SOA Reference Architecture Planning
- SOA Core Workflow
- Full Method and Focus Areas Views
- Updated
- Manage
- Envision
- Implement
- Full Method
- Full Method Activities and Tasks
Method Guidelines
- Activity Guidelines
- Added new tasks to various activities
- Phase and Process Overviews
- Added Key Work Products
- Task Guidelines
- Updated Envision content to support Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) views:
- Provided additional tasks to support Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Engineering Planning view
- Added new tasks for Service Metrics
- Updated task guidance for Envision tasks
- Updated task overview descriptions and guidelines in all processes to accommodate Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) views
- Added new tasks and templates to support the Tactical SOA Project Delivery view:
- Define Service task with Service Contract and Project Contracts Portfolio templates
- Services Portfolio template
- Updated tasks in the following processes:
- Business Requirements
- Requirements Analysis
- Analysis
- Expanded MoSCoW List guidance
- Updated task overview and template for MoSCoW List (RD.065)
- Added a MS Excel version of the MoSCoW List template that can be used to track requirements traceability
- Added OUM Technique Guidelines for SOA guidance from BEA Liquid Enterprise Method
- Updated Task to Technique Cross reference for Envision, Manage, and Implement
- Work Product Templates
- All MSWord templates have been reformatted and updated for 5.4. Refer to the What's New with OUM Templates for a complete list of changes.
- Technique Guidelines
- Added techniques:
- Metrics for Agile Projects
- Accelerating SOA Maturity
- Measuring SOA for Improved Business Value
- Operational Trouble Shooting
- Service Engineering Process Monitoring
- SOA Capacity Planning
- Added new techniques to tasks in:
- Manage
- Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Engineering Planning
- Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Reference Architecture Planning
- Updated techniques
- IT Asset Management
- Service Modeling
- Updated techniques for tasks in:
- Manage
- Envision
- Implement
- Integrated the former BEA Liquid Enterprise Method material, SOA Instrumentation for Monitoring and Management (SIMM)
- Supplemental Guidance
- Added:
- Oracle Support Services Supplemental Guide 1.0
- Accelerated OUM for Solution-Driven Implementations Supplemental Guide 1.0 (Oracle Only)
- Updated Overview, Task Supplement, and Technique Supplement for the following Supplemental Guides
- Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Engineering Planning Supplemental Guide
- Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Project Delivery Supplemental Guide
- Technical Guidelines page reorganized and renamed to Supplemental Guidance
- White Papers
- Added:
- Managing an Oracle Unified Method (OUM) Project Using Scrum
- Planning a Project Using the Oracle Unified Method (OUM) – An Iterative and Incremental Approach
- WBS (see details of WBS revisions)
- Updated WBS for the following focus areas:
- Manage
- Envision
- Implement
What's New
with OUM Templates?
In our ongoing efforts
to improve OUM, we have updated our template formats. The updates include:
- Font changed from Book Antiqua to Arial
- Addition of Heading 1 Style and renumbering of all other Headings up one level, e.g., Heading 2 becomes Heading 1; Heading 3 becomes Heading 2, etc.
- Addition of Outline numbering to Headings
- New Heading 2 style (previously Heading 3) includes Heading Bar as part of the style, not a separate paragraph
- Top margin increased to .75 inch to allow for Header to show up properly
- Left margin decreased to 1 inch from 1.75 inches
- As appropriate, tables made consistent with OM menu table style
- Copy Number removed from Title Page
- Distribution Table removed
- Table of Contents reformatted
Configuring MS Office
Macro Security Settings
To assure trouble
free operation of method materials, the macro security settings associated with
MS Word and MS Excel must be modified. During product installation, the
Microsoft install program establishes all MS Office components with the maximum
security setting enabled. The affect of this setting is to prohibit the
execution of any macro code instructions embedded in either an MS Word document
or MS Excel workbook. Because method materials use extensive macro code, the MS
Office security level options must be adjusted prior to utilizing the method
pack.
To adjust the
security level for MS Word 2003:
- Start Word.
- Navigate to Tools > Macro > Security…
- Select the Security Level tab and select the Medium radio button option. This option allows you to choose whether or not to execute macro code instructions.
- Select the Trusted Publishers tab and make sure that Trust all installed add-ins and templates and Trust access to Visual Basic Project at the bottom are checked.
- Click OK.
To adjust the
security level for MS Word 2007:
- Start Word.
- Navigate to Office Button > Word Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings >.
- Select Macro Settings.
- Make sure that Disable all macros with notification button is selected in the Macros Settings and that Trust access to the VBA project object model is in the Develop Macro Settings.
- Click OK twice.
- Exactly the same procedure must be performed with MS Excel to enable the operation of workbook macro codes. Resetting these options assures the operation of our method materials without jeopardizing the built-in security features of MS Office.
No comments:
Post a Comment