Evolutionary Method of Delivery as Applied to a Large Re-engineering Effort

Abstract

Since its introduction in 1982, Consilium's flagship software product has gone through several major and minor revisions. The product, WorkStream, is a manufacturing execution system used mostly in the fast–moving semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries to reduce cycle times, reduce costs and improve yields. In the early 1990s, Consilium faced the problem of continuing to satisfy the needs of its current customers while at the same time, working towards meeting the requirements of its future prospects. This paper presents Consilium's experience in re-engineering WorkStream in the context of the evolutionary method of delivery and the phase-in and phase-out conversion methods of re-engineering. Consilium emphasized three of the key elements of the evolutionary method of delivery: (1) multiple objectives, (2) open architecture for growth, and (3) early delivery of components that are of highest value to cost ratio. The paper concludes with a summary of the benefits derived from this experience and the lessons learned.