2. Introduction
Financial firms increasingly rely on information technology
But IT departments may find themselves overburdened
Projects tend to be spiky, but with deadlines that should not slip...
Hiring (via exec. search) can bring resources, but this takes time...
Consultants can bring immediate resolve w/o adding to headcount
VT Enterprise has been serving financial firms since 2001
Provides IT consulting and project management services
Has developed an innovative reference data platform
Has a proven track record with tier 1 and tier 2 customers
This presentation details VTE’s IT consulting services
2 VTE consulting presentation / confidential 30-Nov-09
3. VTE’s IT project management approach
VTE consultants form teams together with customer staff
VTE can take full project management responsibility (if desired)
Agile software development is deployed
Short cycles between deliverables
This allows for consistent incorporation of user feedback
This is key to ensure the project stays on time and within budget
VTE has a partnering approach that is focused and practical
VTE has a proven track record within the financial industry
Some customers compare the VTE team to the Delta Force;
“Quick swift action with disproportionate results”
3 VTE consulting presentation / confidential 30-Nov-09
4. Agile software development is critical...
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 (optional)
Configuration
& Development
Project Planning Training
& Business Scrum & Support
Process Review
Application &
Data Reviews
1st functional deliverable Quick cycles Final fully functional software
Project Management Oversight
Quick cycles of (fully) functional software deliverables
Application & data review scrums in between these cycles
Incorporates feedback, tests properly, delivers on time
4 VTE consulting presentation / confidential 30-Nov-09
5. Project methodology targets high quality
Keep team motivated and anticipatory
Daily brief (15 minute) status meetings
Promote open and uninhibited collaboration
Encourage people’s creativity for problem solving
High quality systems result by incorporating
Short incremental releases of fully functional software
Unit and functional testing
Continuous integration
Issue tracking system and packaged deployment
Code reviews and source code search engine
Source control
Virtualization for development / production compatibility
5 VTE consulting presentation / confidential 30-Nov-09
6. Open source software saves license fees
Best of breed open source software is recommended
Java, Python, GNU C programming languages
Ubuntu Linux
Mantis bug tracking
Review Board
OpenGrok source code browser
Subversion source control
DokuWiki
Effective communication and collaboration are encouraged
Use of issue tracking, wikis, and forums
Avoid long meetings and/or endless e-mail threads,
Avoid traditional waterfall SDLC
6 VTE consulting presentation / confidential 30-Nov-09
7. All projects benefit from agile approach...
For example:
Development of trading strategy tools (e.g. for credit derivatives)
Development of transaction and P&L databases
Development of pricing and risk allocation models
Implementation of reference data solutions
Integration of data license feeds
Data migration between databases
Web applications porting
Cross system C/C++ porting
And many more...
7 VTE consulting presentation / confidential 30-Nov-09
8. Project can be tailored to needs…
A phased project structure is typically best
Brainstorm/analysis
Project proposal + contract
Phase I (few weeks): envision
Phase 2 (bulk of the project): build, test, and deploy
Phase 3 (few weeks): training, support (can be optional)
Wrap-up / debrief
Project can be tailored in various ways
Project team: customer staff / VTE staff (on-site or off-site)
Note that VTE can provide cost-effective off-shore programming support
Rates: fixed fee / hourly
Software: open source / licensed
8 VTE consulting presentation / confidential 30-Nov-09
9. Recommended next steps
First step is detailed plan
Get NDA and/or LOI in place
Investigate detailed needs plus user requirements
Deliverable is implementation plan plus contract
Details goal, milestones, team structure/leadership, fees (fixed/hourly), etc.
Second step is the implementation phase
Agile software development is used;
Short cycles between software deliverables (2 weeks)
Platform builds steadily and incorporates user feedback
Key to deliver in time and on budget
Open source software minimizes licensing fees
Deliverable: fully operational software
p9 VTE ref data solution / confidential 27-Oct-09