Process management and project management tools will be the driving force behind software engineering, at least if tools and methodology vendor Learmonth & Burchett Management Systems Plc has its way. According to product marketing manager John Beral, newly-released modules in the company’s Microsoft Corp Windows-based Cross Lifecycle toolset make Learmonth the only software engineering vendor addressing the automation of the management aspects of projects. Project Engineer can be integrated with the Learmonth Systems Engineer analysis and design tool, providing facilities for specifying the stages of a project using templates based on standard methods. These can be analysed and modified after successful projects so that the process is improved – useful for that growing number of companies implementing total quality initiatives. The package also includes intelligent estimating and a scheduler integration facility, providing intelligent links with scheduling tools such as Microsoft Project. Other already-released modules include Methods On-line, a hyperdesk approach to loading conceptual methods into data models as an on-line tutorial, and Workplace, which uses Microsoft’s Dynamic Data Exchange technology to provide real-time links between software engineering and other Windows-based tools. Learmonth & Burchett provides support for its own LSDM structured design methodology and SSADM Version 4, although the products can be tailored for any method.We’re moving away from seeing methods as the only perfect way of doing things, said Beral. We take a method as a base from which to evolve, adapt and improve.Unless you get some feedback from a project, you’re not getting the process any better. Cross Lifecycle costs from UKP1,500 for each personal computer, and versions for other environments, among them Unix, are said to be under evaluation.
