Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
occur during customization, although it manifests itself in a slightly dif-
ferent (delta) manner, with different objectives.
Customization and Management
Management needs to recognize the implications and consequences of
taking the customization route. It is incumbent upon management not to
forget why they went in for the customized OTS product approach to
begin with — to save time or money, and to compensate for the lack of
internal resources. It is also important to remember that auxiliary com-
mitments might have been made (e.g., business processes) to accommo-
date the new product.
Summary
Of the many products out there, only a few offer genuine customization
although many products allow some configuration. The difference
between configuration and customization appears to be one of degree. If
configuration can meet one's needs, that is preferred because customiza-
tion tends to be expensive. If it cannot, then either you, as the customer,
must modify your business processes to fit the product or the product
must be modified to fit your needs.
Customization facilities vary from package to package, and go from
very basic facilities to advanced development and integration environ-
ments. Avoid using the customization facilities to create applications that
are far removed from the domain of the base package. A customized
implementation requires care in handling upgrades.
Customization projects fail for many reasons, including a poor under-
standing of the delta between what is available and what is required;
inadequate knowledge of the base product, due to attempts to customize
the product for situations beyond what would be normal use of the base
product; and, many a time, due to performance issues arising out of heavy
customization.
