Methodology Tooling Choices
I've been involved in using, editing and creating IT methodologies in one way or another for more than 15 years. In my early experiences I even went through the process of creating my own IT Enterprise Architecture framework complete with its own graphical navigation system and a lightweight content management system (I created it to point to documents stored in the file directory system we were using which I believe was Novell based). I keep a reference on my website primarily out of nostalgia but also because early on I saw the importance of aligning business goals with IT strategy and architecture.
My knowledge of process, methodologies and value chains has increased substantially since those days but I'm still surprised at the lack of consistency and even awareness of these topics across the IT industry. It's no wonder most companies struggle with managing their IT functions let alone positioning them for competitive advantage. However, there are an increasing number of robust methodologies and processes available that take the ideas and concepts I mentioned above and can help an organization rapidly mature its IT function with a standardized but custom set of processes.
Recently I've been spending time with a web based, hosted methodology authoring tool from Osellus which is very interesting. It's methodology agnostic (so you don't contend with whether you should start with RUP or Microsoft Solution Framework or other base methodologies) and you can mix and match with a straightforward user interface. It's a hosted solution which means you pay a monthly subscription fee which entitles you to updates and support of the solution. The product comes with a number of base processes and you can add your own libraries or import others such as RUP. It's a very interesting solution and takes a very different approach from Rational Method Composer which is a thick client and starts with the Classic RUP as framework. Ossellus still has a few weak points such as lack of a 'Discipline' package for related roles but its price is quite competitive and relatively low risk for anyone interested in exploring some alternative product solutions.
Of course the big splash in the IT methodology pond has been the effort behind the Eclipse Process Framework (EPF). Initiated through a donation from IBM the EPF aims 'aims at producing a customizable software process enginering framework, with exemplary process content and tools, supporting a broad variety of project types and development styles". I think one of the most interesting outputs from the EPF is OpenUP, a lean version of the Unified Process emphasizing agile philosophies and collaborative development techniques. Implementing an EPF based framework has the benefit of being free but provides a metamodel that has benefited from literally hundreds of thousands of development effort.