Executive Brief: An Agile Methodology Overview for CIOs & Executives

Executive Brief_ An Agile Methodology Overview for CIOs & Executives

Over the past few months, I’ve spoken with many C-level executives about the high level, strategic challenges they’re facing when it comes to building software. Through these conversations, common themes emerged. To help with these challenges, I’m excited to introduce Intertech Executive Briefs.

Based on 25+ years of building enterprise software for our clients, each Intertech Executive Brief outlines the challenge along with recommendations and insights for the busy executive.

Agile Methodology Overview for CIOs & Executives

In February 2001, 17 software developers came together to discuss how to improve software development. They defined a compelling philosophy about how to develop software-based on 12 core principles. These principles have significantly impacted the practice of developing software: making it more flexible, people-oriented, communications-friendly and product-delivery focused.

Use of agile is becoming increasingly widespread. Almost three-quarters (71%) of global organizations surveyed in a Global Project Management Survey (2017) by the Project Management Institute reported using agile approaches “sometimes, often or always.”

Click here to read the Agile Methodology Overview Executive Brief.

standardSeptember 10Tom SalonekIT

Executive Brief: A CIO’s Guide to Avoiding Cost Estimation Errors in Software Development

Executive Brief_ CIOs Guide to Avoiding Cost Estimation Errors

Over the past few months, I’ve spoken with many C-level executives about the high level, strategic challenges they’re facing when it comes to building software. Through these conversations, common themes emerged.  To help with these challenges, I’m excited to introduce Intertech Executive Briefs.

Based on 25+ years of building enterprise software for our clients, each Intertech Executive Brief outlines the challenge along with recommendations and insights for the busy executive.

CIO’s Guide to Avoiding Cost Estimation Errors

In the inaugural issue, the Software Development Cost Estimation Executive Brief, shares commonly overlooked costs when building enterprise software applications along with practical insights to make sure every project has an accurate budget.

Key factors include:

  • Hidden project infrastructure costs
  • Costs related to staff turnover and the need for new skills
  • Expenses due to project dependencies and communication
  • Underestimating costs by assuming who is doing what
  • The Triangle, Choose Your Two: Speed, Cost, Quality (SCQ)

Click here to get the CIO’s Guide to Avoiding Cost Estimation Errors

standardAugust 29Tom SalonekIT

Strategic Communication

When communicating with anyone… employees, customers, friends, or family here are some guidelines to make communication effective.

First, when communicating something that could be perceived either way, do it face-to-face:

When communicating bad news:

  1. Collect all the information to have one conversation vs. a death by 1,000 cuts
  2. Give your customer, employee, partner an option… even if it’s equally disagreeable, they’ll feel better because they had a choice
standardJuly 9Tom SalonekCommunication

Employee Engagement: Getting Feedback

It’s good to create proactive ways to get employee feedback:

Here are my favorite questions to ask employees:


standardJune 28Tom SalonekHappy Employees