Avoiding unnecessary complexity.
WHAT TO ASK BEFORE ADOPTING ANYTHING
What problem does this solve? What are we doing instead, and why is that inadequate? Who will operate it? What happens when they leave? How would we stop using it?
THAT LAST QUESTION
Establish the exit before the entrance.
WHAT TO PREFER
Fewer tools Established tools Tools your team already understands
WHY
Every tool is something to learn, maintain, update and secure.
WHAT TO AVOID
Adopting a tool because it is standard practice at a much larger organisation Adopting a tool to solve a process problem
THAT SECOND POINT
A tool applied to an undefined process produces an automated undefined process.
WHAT TO DO FIRST
Define the process manually, and run it.
Then automate what is repetitive.
WHAT TO MEASURE
Whether the tool actually reduced effort.
WHAT TO REMOVE
Tools nobody uses, which still require maintenance.
WHAT TO REVIEW
The whole toolchain, annually.
