As I briefly mentioned in my previous post, I recently flew to Chicago to attend an internal IBM Rational kick-off event. As a technical manager at IBM I lead the Software Group IT specialist team in Mexico, which includes engineers who belong to the Rational brand. Therefore I need to know in what direction the organization is moving.

As a long time software developer, Rational has always been intriguing to me. I have worked on many complex projects, sometimes alone (when that was still possible back in the 80s and early nineties) and more recently leading small teams. I started programming at age 14, and sold my first commercial application for the Apple II four years later. Being a good programmer did not help me with my first engagement as a consultant, though. Even thought I had already published three commercial applications in the U.S. at the time, that did not prepare me at all for the job. I can say with no hesitation that the project turned quickly into an absolute disaster (it was riddled with typical project management issues, which I was unable to anticipate). I learned a lot from the experience though, and have been able to avoid making the same mistakes ever since.

Rational has a great value proposition. It offers to train IT organizations in how to effectively implement a development process that should allow, in theory, to avoid most of the common pitfalls these organizations encounter daily. That process, RUP (Rational Unified Process), is the result of collecting the experience of thousands of teams who have worked on both successful and unsuccessful projects. Although, as many developers, I am personally allergic to any kind of process that stands between myself and my IDE, I have to admit that many of the failed projects that I have witnessed could have been executed successfully by implementing a decent process. I have found in particular that most programmers fail to properly garner requirements and effectively test their applications. Rational is specially strong in both disciplines and I like that.

So, if implementing a process is so beneficial why do few organizations actually do it? There are many explanations. Junior developers simply do not understand that they need to do it. Experienced developers are sometimes arrogant and think that they can live without it, not understanding that the code lives on when the application is finished and they move to other projects. Someone else will have to maintain the application and expand it. They will need proper documentation, test sets and tools to keep track of the changes. However, in my mind there is an additional reason. In many cases, those who sell methodologies too often have not written any line of actual code in years.

This is a problem as it creates a strong credibility issue. How can a Java programmer trust the recommendations of someone who does not even know the language and wrote his last COBOL application ten years ago? That happened to me when I went to my first Rational conference. I thought, well they may be right, but why should I trust them, after all they are no longer programmers. Today, I have realized that they do not have to be programmers. Their recommendations apply to any software development project, no matter what the language or the architecture is. However, I still feel that there is a strong technology gap between those who focus on methodologies and those who actually do the programming. That is why I am working on making sure that my Rational IT Specialists become fluent in Java and interact more with the WebSphere team. Credibility is key, no matter how good the service Rational sells.

Two weeks ago I had to travel to Chicago to attend a Rational Software conference. This wasn’t my first trip to Chicago, but since the Conference wasn’t in Downtown Chicago, I opted to rent a car equipped with the Neverlost GPS system. There were some signs that alerted tourists that they would need US$.80 in change in order to pay the toll to return the car to the airport, but that was all the information provided to travelers about the Illinois toll system.

Guided by the GPS I went straight to my hotel. At some point I saw a sign announcing a toll and the road bifurcated. My GPS indicated that I had to continue straight and it looked like those choosing to move to the right lanes where simply leaving the highway. When I realized that the central lanes where for vehicles who had paid for an annual pass it was too late. When I finally arrived to my destination there was another toll. Exact changed had to be provided. I do not know if the local authorities know about this, but usually tourists do not carry change on arrival, only bills, because that is what foreign banks handle. A sign told me that if I had no change I could go to a web site and pay online. Reassured, I decided to just go through and pay later.

At the hotel I was able to get some change and decide to do some shopping. There I was betrayed by my GPS system which decided to get me to the highway for lees than half a mile before asking me to perform a u-turn. That resulted in having me go twice through a toll. I had enough change for the first toll but not for the second. That meant three violations in less than two hours! At that time I wasn’t very concerned because I thought that I could pay online, just as the signs indicated. Anyway, that was my last toll violation for the whole trip. I now know how the system works and if I have to return to Chicago I will be prepared.

The problem is that the signs make you feel comfortable because you think that you can just pay online later. That may be true for U.S. residents but it does not apply to those of us who happen to live outside the U.S. In our case we have to send a check or money order through normal mail. This is ridiculous and outrageous. Does anyone working for the Illinois toll-way system realize how difficult it is to obtain a US$2.40 check outside the U.S.? Does anyone realize how expensive it is to process such a check? There is simply no way they will be able to cash a check for such a small amount from a foreign bank. The problem is that if I do not send that check I will have to pay a hefty fine which will be charged automatically to me by my car rental company. It is obvious to me that the system is designed to penalize foreign tourists who are unaware of how the system works and cannot complain. To make things worse, this has to be done within seven days, which is too short for most travelers who do not return in time to their home countries.

Although I will try to send my check tomorrow in order to avoid the fine I cannot avoid thinking that many foreigners will get caught in this trap which could be easily avoided by asking rental companies to provide information to tourists and have them handle change to those who need it. Another solution is to allow everyone to pay over the internet. Right now I am sure that foreigners are unfairly being fined and this is not likely to help tourism in the region.