Tool Box
Issue No. 29 - June/July 2006
Adapting IT to suit you
by Mr Matthew Michalewicz
It seems that everything is becoming “adaptive” these days—from automatic car transmissions (which adapt their gear-change patterns to a driver’s driving style), to running shoes (which adapt their cushioning level to a runner’s size and stride), to Internet search engines (which adapt their search results to a user’s preferences and prior search history).
Given the recent rise of so many adaptive consumer products, it’s only natural that many businesses have begun to inquire about adaptive software systems. And for good reason: As the global marketplace becomes more interconnected and dynamic, the rate of change that businesses face is greater than ever before. These dynamic changes are especially problematic for many traditional IT systems, because their underlying rules and models are static and assume a static marketplace. Over time, these rules and models lose their effectiveness, causing the system’s performance to deteriorate.
Consequently, adaptive software systems are more than just a whimsical desire; for many businesses, they’re a necessity. After all, what’s the point of using a software system that produces sub par schedules, inaccurate demand forecasts, and inferior logistic plans time after time? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to use a software system that could adapt to changes in the marketplace? A software system that could improve with time?
We don’t have to look far to see that many companies have already made this realization. Detmold Packaging Group, a specialist converter of paper and board-based products and one of the larger manufacturers of paper packaging products in Australia and the Asia regions, views adaptability as a highly desired feature in software systems.
“We deal with constant change in our business, and there’s a very real need for software systems that can adapt,” said Tim Welsh, Site Manager at Detmold Packaging. “Ideally, as our organisati...
