Page 59 - FCW, March/April 2018

notion of “build to last” and toward “build to change.”
Another element is automation. Rapid, repeatable task completion saves time and money and accelerates the desired results. Agencies become more agile
and responsive if they can incorporate elements of today’s workforce into the development process as they build out applications and conduct performance and systems tests, in preparation of delivering a solution to the ultimate user community.
The third component is maximizing application performance and insight. This involves continuous monitoring to ensure you can make decisions and technical changes at a moment’s notice and with real information.
The fourth component is security. One doesn’t need to look any further than news reports about the latest breaches to know that security has to be a priority. Still, 68 percent of developers say they would put something new into production ahead of testing security. The Modern Software Factory incorporates security into the development process so this decision never has to be made by developers. Security is at the core of this process.
Clearly, building a Modern Software Factory takes work. Generally speaking, people don’t like change. It can damage the ego, or even hurt morale, especially when some nd they are less
in demand. Some may have to take time to learn new skills. Finally, risk always looms large when a new technology goes into production at scale.
“To meet missions and mandates, the entire ecosystem of government IT must rethink
and refashion how government designs, builds, and delivers experiences for people.”
SPONSORED REPORT
So what do agencies stand to gain? With the Modern Software Factory approach, they can expect to see:
• Enhanced trust. As citizen engagement and con dence in government systems grow, so too will adoption.
• Better value and user experiences which provide real scal savings now.
• Digital experiences that are on par with how citizens interact with the private sector.
• Speed, which is a necessity in the Digital Age.
• Reliability because services will always be available via any channel through which users seek to engage.
Implementing a Modern Software Factory clearly requires a change in thinking.
It takes time to take root, but
the goals are to shift toward agility, automation, and security while putting user experience
rst and bringing customers
into the testing phases. Like
the laws government passes,
the systems and applications it builds have historically been built to last. Agencies need to think
in terms of “built-to-change,” where IT is at the center and branches off to cultivate a shift
in internal culture, evolving business processes and tools, and technologies that enable both. To meet missions and mandates, the entire ecosystem of government IT must rethink and refashion how government designs, builds, and delivers experiences for people.
At the heart of this is information—the new currency. The Modern Software Factory can help agencies make the
most of their information assets to glean actionable and highly valued information. And that’s crucial because the information you collect today will inform the systems you build in the future.
Take a tour of CA Technologies’ Modern Factory here: https://www.ca.com/us/ software-factory/tour.html