Independent Verification and Validation Services
Who is best equipped to determine if an enterprise search system works? Users? Yes, a survey or interview with search system users identifies problems quickly with high accuracy?
There is a role for an outside specialist as well. An independent analyst, with specific expertise in enterprise search, can match the license agreement, the task orders, the contract modifications to the existing system and its functionality. An independent analyst does not earn money from search system vendors. The independent analyst works for the licensee of the search system and provides independent, objective information about:
- What the contract specifies and what the actual operational system does
- Information about the specific charges levied by a vendor and the work done
- The performance of the search system compared to comparable systems
- The stability of the enterprise search system
- The remediation needed to make the search system comply with the requirements, license, and task orders
- Needed "fixes" to address issues identified as critical.
Arnold IT professionals has the hands-on experience to perform IV&V services for enterprise search systems. The same rigor that Arnold IT brings to its work as an expert witness is used to determine if an organization’s search system matches what the customer purchased.
Mismatches are common because search systems include complex subsystems such as automatic indexing, document conversion, check in and check out functions, usage tracking, and other advanced features. These functions are often difficult to make operational and deliver results that satisfy demanding enterprise users. Vendors often obfuscate, over-promise, or exaggerate their systems special features.
Identifying specific examples of a vendor’s creating a specific function for a single search installation are difficult for those unfamiliar with enterprise search to spot. Many organizational customers want to minimize original code written to deliver a “standard function.” Yet the pace of organizational life makes it increasingly easy for a vendor to create a situation where functionality must be hand-crafted and special charges assessed for what was positioned as a “ready to go” function.
Prudent managers want to avoid surprises. The high failure rate for enterprise software projects makes IV&V on a high-profile project almost mandatory. Arnold IT has a seasoned team of IV&V professionals ready to tackle enterprise search system jobs quickly without any compromise on quality or thoroughness.
- Introduction to Enterprise Search
- Which Search System Services?
- Cost Assumptions and Analysis Services
- Project Planning Services
- Independent Verification and Validation Services