I have blogged before about the data supply chain and I’m pretty sure I’m still way ahead of other analysts covering this emerging topic. Data sector professionals need to talk more about defining the life cycle management of apps and their supporting
data products. I’ll offer two existing constructs that should help data people move toward a more mature life cycle.
The Consortium for Service Innovation (CSI) publishes the Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS) process. It governs the ongoing revisions and interventions in the life cycle of supporting knowledge for any process. The engineering approach to refining knowledge management easily supports a data sector product. Standards for an iterative supporting process make revisions easier when an API needs a version 2.0 update.
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is an established system for supporting IT service management. It complements KCS and it should be especially valuable for data sector pros in the documenting and archiving phases of life cycle management. Understanding ITIL makes implementing ISO/IEC 20000 easier. Broad architectures aren’t just for large IT departments in big enterprises. Apps will more frequently aim at capturing Big Data, and an ITIL approach in a small app maker keeps it aligned with the needs of larger enterprises who will shop for data packages.
Data sector people who care about managing highly regarded APIs and SDKs should look seriously as the KCS and ITIL architectures. Having a “KCS Verified” business is like having a Good Housekeeping seal of approval. It may not be a product differentiator when app reviewers make their best-of-breed assessments in app stores but taking the process seriously should lead to building better apps. Using ITIL in a data sector business process keeps the life cycle efficient. Both KCS and ITIL together will help entrepreneurs turn their app idea into a real business.
