Every organization that creates or manages information technology faces the same problem: How to develop systematic measures of what is getting done?

“You cannot control what you cannot meaure,” per Deming on statistical process controls in manufacturing (Out of the Crisis), and the philosophy is just as true for IT.

	Compliance Challenges Integration of Document and Records management with Enterprise Content Management and Business Process Management systems, ensuring that the right documents are created and filed at the right time - and are available when they are needed. Automating process compliance checks (e.g. approvals, proper filing of documentation, document quality checks) without introducing additional burdens to the IT organization. Collection of consistent and reliable software development process and lifecycle execution data for statistical measurement. Preparation of organizational processes for the use of value-based measures (e.g. earned value), instead of less useful measures such as percentage of budget consumed or hours expended.

Compliance is normally relegated to financial audits; determining that proper fiscal processes and approvals have taken place. Most recently compliance efforts have fallen under efforts to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley legislation. It is clear, however, that we are witnessing a shift in the industry toward the same level of accountability and accurate measures in software processes.

Applied with care, compliance processes can become another word for continuous improvement. Measures of compliance also become measures of process execution.

SIBRIDGE practitioners have extensive experience implementing effective approaches to compliance, process quality assurance, and process automation, including experience developing business process automation portals.

Contact SIBRIDGE today to learn how we can help improve and enhance your compliance efforts, providing effective means of process improvement and better IT efficiency.