Stick To It

 

One of the cornerstones of IT software development has been the reusable code module. The more reusable code modules that you use, the more efficient and flexible your software systems become. There is no doubt that reusable codes are highly valuable for an IT project, and the project managers who strive to develop and utilize reusable modules end up having an easier time.

There is another dimension to this. Something that is usually not noticed and that is equally useful--and in some cases more profitable--than reusable code modules, and that is the by-products of IT systems development. Many industries have reaped good rewards of by-products of their main product, and so could IT companies; the concept of reusable code modules makes it easier for them.

3M's Post-it
To understand the potential of by-products one only need to see the example of 3M's Post-it Notes. Just to refresh your memory, Post-it Notes were invented in a serendipitous moment within 3M. Dr. Spence Silver of Central Research Department of 3M was working on making adhesive stronger. Instead, he created a process to produce adhesive that would not stick strongly. Dr. Silver had discovered a new adhesive but did not know how to use it. Art Fry, of 3M's new products department, attended one of his seminars about the new adhesive and had a "Eureka!" moment. Art was having problems in finding right pages of …

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