NTT DATA and Atrris Collaborating To Create A New System Development Methodology for Upper Process.- It will be adopted starting in January, 2009 for Expanding Offshore Development -

NTT DATA Corpoartion (Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan, CEO : Toru Yamashita) and Atrris Co., Ltd. (Yoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan, CEO : Masanori Yasumitsu) have reached an agreement whereby the companies will collaborate to create a new system development methodology by which developers can clarify system requirements in the early development stage and reflect them in a target system accurately.
The new methodology will be created by unifing the elements of existing methodologies. The 'MOYA^®' and 'Biz-Alive!^®' from NTT DATA and the 'PEXA^® Methodology'from Atrris. The PEXA methodology defines a series of processes which ensure the quality of the system.

Overview

Development of a client's ideal information system, while staying within their budget and time frame, it is required to execute the so called "Upper Process" accurately. This way a developer can clarify the valid system requirements and then convert them into a correct system design.
Upper Process is important in offshore development where it is desirable to use a more logical approach, not depending on developer's inspiration or experience.
The following 3 points should be followed to ensure high quality of the Upper Process.

1. Discovering all the client's needs, with no omissions, including the true needs which may be hidden in other issues faced by the client.
2. Determining which needs will lead to improvements through system development.
3. Reflecting the needs accurately and completely in the system design.

NTT DATA, through its innovative work on the system development process, has developed 'MOYA' to address point #1 and 'Biz-Alive!' for point #2.Atrris has built 'PEXA Methodology' to address point #3. Both companies will continue to work on the unification of the 3 methodologies'elements, defining the elements for improving the quality of Upper Process to ensure high quality systems design.

To verify the effectiveness of the Upper Process a pilot project using the new methodology was started in March, 2008. Following this project the companies reached an agreement as a result of the methodology's effectiveness. The unification work will be continued until January, 2009, after which new projects will be adopted by both companies.

Looking Ahead

NTT DATA will adopt the new methodology in about 10% of its offshore projects in China and India in next 2 years. The companies plan to develop a new methodology to address the Lower Process in near future. This will enhance the design and production of systems even further. The final goal is, with 'PEXA Engine' and 'PEXA Tools' of Atrris, to provide a development service, covering both the Upper to Lower process.

* About MOYA
Today most business operations are computerized often making it difficult to get a handle on overall operations, MOYA offers a business modeling methodology aimed at clarifying the true needs behind the problems faced by customers and building a system with which all stakeholders can be satisfied. MOYA derives the optimal business model (the To-be model) from multiple perspectives as a basis for creating an information system that works hand-in-glove with business and services.

* About Biz-Alive!
A strategy modeling methodology that assesses the rationality of the IT strategy based on workplace realities. It clarifies the appropriate KPIs (key performance indicators). It ensures consistency between management strategy and IT strategy by focusing on workplace practices and enhancing their effectiveness. Whereas business process reengineering often consists of little more than symptomatic treatment,Biz-Alive! builds in an organizational strategy viewpoint and enables predictions of the effectiveness of business process data. For data analysis, which has a tendency to lose sight of the objectives, hypotheses and scopes are presented from a strategy viewpoint.

* About NTT DATA
NTT DATA Corporation is the top system integration company in Japan, with a long record of accomplishments in large-scale system integration, network services and other areas.

* About PEXA Methodology
PEXA Methodology is an analysis methodology for business process, which enables business process re-enginnering by visualizing and analyzing client's business process, with Atrris' original rule, check list and UML/Usecase.

* About PEXA Engine
PEXA Engine is a run-time engine, implemented by Java. The engine parses and executes directly from business contents, so-called "catalogs", which are created by PEXA Tools.

* About PEXA Tools
PEXA Tools is a collection of useful system development tools, which provide business content generation for PEXA Methodology, task management, and other functions.

* About Atrris
Atrris Co., Ltd is a system integration company, focused on design and development of mission-critical system. The company was founded by ex-members of a Java System Integration team in Sun Microsystems K.K., Japan.

* MOYA^® and Biz-Alive!^® are registered trademarks of NTT DATA Corporation.
* PEXA^® is a registered trademark of Atrris Co., Ltd.