Your SDLC is a power tool, not a compliance document

The Software Delivery Lifecycle (SDLC) document sitting in your governance folder is one of the most useful tools in the business. Most orgs never use it that way. They treat it as a compliance box ticking exercise, and teams see it as a governance burden at best.The SDLC is a value stream. Once you appreciate this it becomes a power tool. It defines how an organisation turns concept into cash, and because it defines it, it’s also how you change it. Treat it as a compliance artefact and you’ve wasted one of the most powerful levers you have. My approach I follow a pretty consistent approach with clients. Map the end to end value stream (concept to cash). Run a RACI exercise to bring clarity to accountabilities and responsibilities between roles. Do a value stream mapping exercise to identify pain points and areas for improvement.Then convert all of it into a full SDLC. Importantly, most SDLCs only start at requirements or design, which means they start halfway through. Mine start at…