Long time ago I was a starry eyed (bit of exaggeration here) entrant into world of IT, when the IT revolution in India was about to begin. I was part of elite 'tools group', using translator technologies to build home grown tools for various projects that used to come our organisation's way. Amidst all those small projects a big depository from western world developed enough faith in us. It asked us to develop their complete software solution. The visionaries from my organisation did not do it in normal run-of-the-mill way. They decided to build home grown code generators, to insure consistent quality and created a factory model of development. I was one of the juniormost member of the team which built and maintained those tools.
Then while working for another project for large british telecom company (oops! could not hide the name), another visionary from my organisation did put this factory model in practice, in a geographically seperate way and delivered tremendous cost savings. That was the first truely offshored project done by my organisation. The tools we had developed helped a lot, in sending the requirements offshore - in model form and getting code back, to be tested onsite. We provided consistent quality and on time delivery. Needless to say it was a huge success and more business came our way. Mind you, it was much before Y2K made Indian outsourcers a big hit.
During my days in tools group I had good fortune to attend a seminar by Prof. K. V. Nori. His speciality is Translator Technologies and he taught at CMU. He exahaulted us, to 'Generate the generator!' Coming from compiler building background, it was natural for him to say 'Generate the generator!' But for me it was like 11th commandment. It captivated me. We did try to generate the generator. During my MasterCraft days, I convinced two of my senior colleagues and together we designed a language called 'specL'. 'specL' now has become the basis of our efforts on 'MOF Model to Text standard' under OMG's initiative. This is a testimony to the fact that we are not just cheap labour suppliers. We are good enough to be thought leaders within global IT.
It was not all cheap labour that helped us succeed in outsourcing business. It was also innovation, grit and determination. Thats why it pains me when somebody stereotypes Indian outsourcers as 'sub-optimal' or India as 'sub-optimal' location. Firstly, I dont like stereotyping and secondly its a wrong stereotype. One can have a position opposing outsourcing, offshoring, what have you. There are enough arguments against outsourcing, but please dont denigrate a group as sub-optimal.
And if I am going to be stereotyped anyway, then please include me in a group of "all men who are six feet tall, handsome, left handed, father of cute four year old". Then I may not feel as bad, being called sub-optimal. (Well, handsome and left handed are aspirational adjectives distant from reality).
These are my thoughts about various issues faced by an enterprise architect.
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Thursday, November 30, 2006
No stereotyping please!
Long time ago I was a starry eyed (bit of exaggeration here) entrant into world of IT, when the IT revolution in India was about to begin. I was part of elite 'tools group', using translator technologies to build home grown tools for various projects that used to come our organisation's way. Amidst all those small projects a big depository from western world developed enough faith in us. It asked us to develop their complete software solution. The visionaries from my organisation did not do it in normal run-of-the-mill way. They decided to build home grown code generators, to insure consistent quality and created a factory model of development. I was one of the juniormost member of the team which built and maintained those tools.
Then while working for another project for large british telecom company (oops! could not hide the name), another visionary from my organisation did put this factory model in practice, in a geographically seperate way and delivered tremendous cost savings. That was the first truely offshored project done by my organisation. The tools we had developed helped a lot, in sending the requirements offshore - in model form and getting code back, to be tested onsite. We provided consistent quality and on time delivery. Needless to say it was a huge success and more business came our way. Mind you, it was much before Y2K made Indian outsourcers a big hit.
During my days in tools group I had good fortune to attend a seminar by Prof. K. V. Nori. His speciality is Translator Technologies and he taught at CMU. He exahaulted us, to 'Generate the generator!' Coming from compiler building background, it was natural for him to say 'Generate the generator!' But for me it was like 11th commandment. It captivated me. We did try to generate the generator. During my MasterCraft days, I convinced two of my senior colleagues and together we designed a language called 'specL'. 'specL' now has become the basis of our efforts on 'MOF Model to Text standard' under OMG's initiative. This is a testimony to the fact that we are not just cheap labour suppliers. We are good enough to be thought leaders within global IT.
It was not all cheap labour that helped us succeed in outsourcing business. It was also innovation, grit and determination. Thats why it pains me when somebody stereotypes Indian outsourcers as 'sub-optimal' or India as 'sub-optimal' location. Firstly, I dont like stereotyping and secondly its a wrong stereotype. One can have a position opposing outsourcing, offshoring, what have you. There are enough arguments against outsourcing, but please dont denigrate a group as sub-optimal.
And if I am going to be stereotyped anyway, then please include me in a group of "all men who are six feet tall, handsome, left handed, father of cute four year old". Then I may not feel as bad, being called sub-optimal. (Well, handsome and left handed are aspirational adjectives distant from reality).
Then while working for another project for large british telecom company (oops! could not hide the name), another visionary from my organisation did put this factory model in practice, in a geographically seperate way and delivered tremendous cost savings. That was the first truely offshored project done by my organisation. The tools we had developed helped a lot, in sending the requirements offshore - in model form and getting code back, to be tested onsite. We provided consistent quality and on time delivery. Needless to say it was a huge success and more business came our way. Mind you, it was much before Y2K made Indian outsourcers a big hit.
During my days in tools group I had good fortune to attend a seminar by Prof. K. V. Nori. His speciality is Translator Technologies and he taught at CMU. He exahaulted us, to 'Generate the generator!' Coming from compiler building background, it was natural for him to say 'Generate the generator!' But for me it was like 11th commandment. It captivated me. We did try to generate the generator. During my MasterCraft days, I convinced two of my senior colleagues and together we designed a language called 'specL'. 'specL' now has become the basis of our efforts on 'MOF Model to Text standard' under OMG's initiative. This is a testimony to the fact that we are not just cheap labour suppliers. We are good enough to be thought leaders within global IT.
It was not all cheap labour that helped us succeed in outsourcing business. It was also innovation, grit and determination. Thats why it pains me when somebody stereotypes Indian outsourcers as 'sub-optimal' or India as 'sub-optimal' location. Firstly, I dont like stereotyping and secondly its a wrong stereotype. One can have a position opposing outsourcing, offshoring, what have you. There are enough arguments against outsourcing, but please dont denigrate a group as sub-optimal.
And if I am going to be stereotyped anyway, then please include me in a group of "all men who are six feet tall, handsome, left handed, father of cute four year old". Then I may not feel as bad, being called sub-optimal. (Well, handsome and left handed are aspirational adjectives distant from reality).
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