All SCM Groups Should Have a Vision
Davy Hua on Nov 29 2007 at 5:39 am | Filed under: SCM Basics
An SCM group just isn’t serious without proper vision statements and lofty goals. Even if you’re the lone SCM Engineer within your group, you should still strife for certain milestones. The software field is constantly evolving which means SCM should closely mirror that evolution.
It should be the ultimate goal of an SCM Engineer to automate him/herself out of a job. This may not make sense to some of you, but when you think about it–it should make perfect sense. Our specialties are to enforce, streamline, and automate all software development activities. Forget the notion of ‘job security‘ by holding on to a certain build process that ONLY you know how to perform because at the end, it will only be detrimental to your career.
By sharing, automating, cross-training, and documenting all the processes, tools, and activities within the SCM group; you free yourself from a lot of manual tasks and at the same time, you become a leading edge industry expert within your field because you’ve worked with the latest and greatest.
This is my vision statement or somewhat of a professional credo, so to speak:
SCM is the singular working entity within [insert org name] that is responsible for planning, designing, defining, implementing, and managerial duties of the SCM build and release infrastructure, hardware and software architecture, processes, and activities by which to support the life-cycle of any Software Development Group/Project/Process.
Now, what’s yours?
You make an excellent point that is easy for me to agree with cause I run a business coaching blog and one of our main topics isStrategic Thinking which teaches companies how to maintain that vision in their everyday decisions. When any business can learn to make their decisions with their main goal in mind then they can’t help but succeed.
There are some very good points in the article.
I think this can be applied to many jobs…great principles. Do your job to the best of your ability and hold nothing back..usually you’ll find yourself out of that specific job once its automated but move on to big and better things like you stated
I’d rather strive for certain milestones. You’re welcome to keep strifing for them. Cheers!
Everybody should have a vision, man, company, family…. Man withouth vision is a man without future. Same think with SCM. Great text. Cheers!
Great text, thank you…
i’m fully agree with ilay, no vision - no future!
Well my vision is unlike theres. Relates nothing to my competition. Just focuses on myself and its 12 month, so rather long term.
Regards Andrew
you make some great points, definitely worth the read. thanks!
Agreed. Vision is key for any SCMer. We are the glue that keeps everything together. Communication is part of the vision. Having short meetings with QA, BAs, Managers and developers are key to keep the vision in focus and let them know that your plan is real and here to stay. Otherwise, its really like talking to a wall, they will not listen and understand what the SCM function is all about.
Regards,
AT
Its depends from many characteristics. I mean the vision.
Good article but it is so objective!