Reflection – Learning Launch     Challenge   I am a member of the process improvement team for a computer systems consulting company. The  software development area of our client, has several issues like there’s no possession of the source  code of its applications (a text listing of commands to be compiled or assembled into an executable  computer program), because most of them are made by external software factories which only  deliver the final executable without sharing the entire workspace.     The objective of the project is to provide a methodology to gather all the code in a single place  where the area of software development can have ownership over that code and at the same time  analyze the security and integrity of the work done. The solution must include the policies that must  be taken as well as the delivery of the necessary tools to apply it. We must focus on what the  management of the software development area needs: to condense the source code of all its  applications later to analyze the integrity of that code.    During the days of durability of the project it is important to execute all the stages of the Design  Thinking process until obtaining one or several prototypes and their respective results.    Selection   Choosing the ideal design thinking tool for a project is quite difficult due to the wide variety of  options available.    After analyzing several options to have the possession of the code, handle versions and analyze the  work done (using design thinking tools such as mind mapping) our team is ready to try the learning  launch tool, which is an experiment meant to quickly test an idea and prototype, and in this specific  case it is important to use prototypes and tests that allow better capture of the ideas created after  the definition. Our team has already gone through several design thinking activities/tools, like  workshops and customer journey, so we are ready to try the learning launch tool. Broadly speaking,  the learning launch is an experiment meant to quickly test an idea and prototype.

Many options were analyzed in the selection sessions

Application   Basically we decided to apply learning launch to focus on the main objective that the client wants:  to have compiled the source code in one place.    In our first learning launch, we focused on the tools that allow us to concentrate all the code of  external consultants and manage the versions efficiently. In the market there are different  technologies that allow to execute this process (Git, SVN, Mercurial, CVS) after analyzing the  characteristics of each of them and run mini tests on our computers with each of these tools and  based on the requirements of the need to make the decision to use SVN, which has a fairly short  learning curve and in addition to being completely FREE what fits the tight budget that is available  for the project.

Tools to save source codes

During two weeks, tests and training classes were conducted simulating full software development  processes directly with the area that requires the solution. We hope to create instructive manuals  and documents with policies and recommendations for use.    Once applied various tests with the chosen tool, we decided that given its functionality it was  important to buy the tool VISUALSVN SERVER, which in its enterprise edition has different  functionalities that added to the possibility of collecting all the source code in a site will make it  more versatile and Sure the environment.    These are some characteristics that the environment will have with the acquisition of the tool:

  Active Directory Single Sign-On: Users' Windows credentials are automatically used to  access VisualSVN Server repositories.

  Multisite Repository Replication: Enables development teams from remote locations to  work with the repositories at LAN speeds.

  Backup and Restore: Enables full and incremental backups and provides an easy and fast  way to restore them when needed.

  Repository Management Delegation: Allow non-administrative users to manage  repositories remotely.

  Access and Operational Logging: Monitor all server activity (including read-only operations)  and take control of your server.

  Remote Server Administration: Take precise control of VisualSVN Server on remote  installations with a great security and simplicity.

Screenshot of the Visual SVN Server

Insight   After applying the learning launch tool, our team was able to better identify what the tools, policies  and procedures were really needed so that the software development area could concentrate all its  code in a single site. The final results, although very similar to what we anticipated, also gave us the  need to periodically deliver reports of code repositories (which was not contemplated at the  beginning) and even the possibility of migrating in the medium term (2-3 years) to a more  sophisticated code and version management tool such as Bitbucket. We must apply this type of  previsions to the following learning launch that we apply.    Approach   There is no doubt that within design thinking learning launch is a valuable tool, especially if they  wish to apply the validity of different hypotheses and test prototypes of tools and processes. As we

indicated in the previous point, we must apply the points to be improved in the following analyzes  that will be carried out and thus improve the process significantly.

We believe it is convenient to have a better observation stage and if possible to apply qualitative  interviews that allow a better appreciation of the user's idea and achieve a better empathy, a basic  element to apply a development of Design Thinking.

