Case 1: Add Value to Your Products and Test Any Assumptions

CCM spent months porting their products to a relational database on the assumption that savvy clients would want "new" technology.  I was hired to help finish that effort but quickly proved that the relational version could not compete with the old product on performance.  Marketing quickly admitted they could not sell the relational product and that they really just needed a response to the question "Why aren't you using a relational database?".  Faster performance and more useful reports should have been the focus.

Lessons:

1) Organize and manage so that organizational goals are reflected in development priorities.

2) Verify (early) any assumptions critical to development.

3) Build products that meet the needs of your customers.

(Details: ccmsave)

Case 2 : Choose the Right Platform

CCM was able to compete with its main competitor because the competitor invested millions developing for the OS/2 platform.  At the time, OS/2 had several benefits over DOS and/or Windows - and their presentations were visually superior to anything CCM could do.  However, most clients were standardizing on DOS and migrating to Windows and not enthused about having to add additional machines and operating systems.  Further, it called into question the technical vision of the competition.

Case 3 : Timing is Everything

Although most clients and prospective clients were pleased with our choice of operating systems, our DOS-based products were cumbersome to use - especially compared with our competitor's products and Windows applications.  We knew we needed a Windows version - the question was when?  Windows development was tedious and expensive.  Some clients were not committed to Windows.  What clients really wanted was a better interface - they really did not care what the platform was.  So we built a DOS version that was Windows-like - mouse support, single screen forms, etc.  We improved human capital by learning event-driven programming, objects and Windows screen designs.  It was far cheaper to develop, pleased both DOS and Windows clients and bought us some time.

The unintentional side benefit was that Windows stabilized and new development tools dramatically cut the cost of Windows development.  We avoided being on the "bleeding" edge of technology, saved money and addressed client needs - crucial to the success of a small company.