NET Live Taking Business to the Next Level These Case Studies Are for Informational Purposes Only

Series 4 .NET live Taking business to the next level These case studies are for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary. Microsoft, Windows, .NET, Windows NT and Visual Studio are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, digital or mechanical, including scanning, photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without first obtaining permission in writing from the publisher. © 2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. CONTENTS .NET live Introduction .................................................................... 2 Financial Services JPMorgan Chase .................................................................... 9 PayHound ............................................................................ 13 Willis Group Holdings ........................................................... 17 Retail Services Benjys .................................................................................. 23 Dial-a-Phone ........................................................................ 27 Sainsbury’s ........................................................................... 31 Scottish and Southern Energy .............................................. 37 Industry Adecco ................................................................................. 43 Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer ............................................. 47 Mercer ................................................................................. 51 StreamServe ......................................................................... 55 Entertainment and Media Ministry of Sound ................................................................. 59 1 Getting started with .NET Microsoft® .NET is making a real difference to working for some time thousands of enterprises all over the world. with companies asking Microsoft’s catalogue of hundreds of case exactly these kinds of studies, representing just the tip of the iceberg questions. The answers of .NET adoption, shows that this differ for different extraordinary technology is being adopted at a companies in different phenomenal rate. situations, but often The benefits of .NET are clear and proven: there are two key steps Lars Lindstedt Manager, Microsoft remarkable productivity and speed to market; in dealing with Technology Centre (UK) ability to scale to the largest enterprises and concerns and clearing most demanding workloads; built with Web away doubts: Agree a clear understanding of Services at its heart and with interoperability the business problem with buy-in from the in mind; and simply unrivalled in terms of highest level of the organisation; and build a return on investment (ROI). working prototype in a very short timeframe Some IT executives, however, are still that proves the technology delivers on the questioning how .NET can add value to their requirements, and demonstrates the solution business. Although .NET is used by the London to the project sponsors. Stock Exchange, will it scale for my application? Although Marks & Spencer A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING realised a first year 415% return on Gaining a clear understanding of the business investment, will it really be able to deliver the issues is a well-understood and accepted first productivity gains I’m looking for? And step in the development of any technology although the Bank of New York enjoyed a solution. And .NET is no different – Microsoft 30% faster time to market, will .NET provide and its partners have found that time-boxed me with a similar advantage? strategy and design sessions, involving key Microsoft and its partners have been stakeholders and technology experts, can be a 2 very effective way to deliver an approach for can provide a real boost to the team and can the development of an appropriate prototype, help the project to achieve the profile and which can then be turned into a complete backing it needs to move to the solution- business solution. building stage. A further factor is the environment: ensuring that this critical solution-definition BUILDING THE SOLUTION work is undertaken away from the day-to-day In working with customers and partners to workplace and with the appropriate facilities build prototypes using the approach described for sharing ideas and capturing output. above, Microsoft has found that the transition from prototype to business solution can BUILDING A PROTOTYPE sometimes be challenging for organisations, Although such design sessions will lay out a due mainly to: vision for the solution, there may be technical • losing momentum generated during the and business questions that need to be prototype stage answered before a full-scale implementation • difficulty in adapting the project’s processes can be started. These questions define the and culture to cope with an extended scope for the development of the prototype, development team and longer timescales Successful prototyping requires not just • lack of commitment and sponsoring from the clarity of vision and scope, but also very crisp executive team, leading to a lack of budget. execution. Because it forms an integral part of While not created specifically to address the decision-making process, the timescales these problems, the Microsoft Solutions need to be measured in weeks not months. Framework provides guidelines on how to The ideal is to put together a small, dedicated structure teams, how to adopt an iterative and committed team and put them into the development process, how to track and right environment with all the resources they manage risks, and guidance on many other need to be at their most productive. typical development processes. Developed from Developers often find this kind of the experiences of Microsoft field staff and environment to be massively motivating, industry best practice, the Microsoft Solutions largely because it plays to their sense of Framework can provide useful insights and creativity, fosters a powerful team working guidance to help ensure that the business experience, and delivers a real tangible result solution realises the potential demonstrated by in short timescales. The final presentation day, the prototype. It can be downloaded from where the results of the ‘Proof of Concept’ are http://www.microsoft.com/msf. played to the sponsors and executives, can Taking on these methods is by no means a often be extremely uplifting for all concerned, pre-requisite to running a successful .NET 3 project and any existing tried and trusted Lindstedt continues, “In the short time that development model can be used, but be the MTC has existed, we have seen an amazing prepared to compress your timescales when variety of innovative prototypes that are now the developer productivity liberated by .NET being turned into projects that will be catalysts and the Microsoft development platform starts for real business improvements once the full to make an impact! solutions are implemented.” Microsoft utilises a well-defined approach THE MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY CENTRE with MTC projects that builds on the key To help larger enterprises implement the kind principles mentioned earlier: Get clarity on the of approach described in this article in their business issues, then build a working .NET adoption projects, Microsoft has recently prototype in short timescales to demonstrate established a state-of-the-art Technology the capabilities of the solution and to clear Centre at Reading with support from partners away questions or concerns. The MTC Unisys, HP, Dell, Cisco, APC, CCC and Insight. approach has three stages: This centre provides customers, partners and • High-level Strategy Briefing to help clients ISVs with an optimal environment for learning, understand the capabilities of Microsoft .NET. designing, architecting and building connected This includes a brainstorming session to solutions on the Microsoft platform. establish a list of business benefits required. It has already proved invaluable to • Architecture Design Session, where customers such as House of Fraser, totaljobs Microsoft consultants work with clients and and other major enterprise customers. Lars partners for two to three days to establish Lindstedt, Microsoft Technology Centre (MTC) how Microsoft .NET can help them achieve manager in the UK, agrees: their business goals and provide guidance on “We created the MTC so that we can invite architectural best practice. developers from enterprise organisations to • Proof of Concept where Microsoft works experience the power of .NET in an with clients and partners for up to three weeks environment that is designed from the ground to build an operational prototype that will up with the needs of the developer in mind. demonstrate the ability of the solution to By working alongside consultants from address the business issues. Microsoft and our partners, the developers that spend time with us get a real boost from TOTALJOBS their new-found technical knowledge and For James Cahill, chief technology officer at usually leave with a real passion for what the leading online recruitment specialist totaljobs, technologies can do for their business.” the experience of working with a sound Referring to the success of the facility development approach at the MTC

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