The strategic development of the Helmholtz Cloud continues to move forward in order to build the best cloud platform for science. On March 3, the development team met for a strategy workshop to evaluate the progress of the project and align it with the vision.
Thinking Outside the Box
Although many requirements are already known and are currently being developed, the team took a step back to see the big picture. In a role-playing exercise, the team simulated a dialog between a researcher and the Helmholtz Cloud. This experiment revealed important aspects that can be improved. For example, existing useful functions available upon login need to be brought to the forefront and, more generally, we should further explore the potential for customization, from booking options to personalized workspaces.
A Second Thought on the Brainstorming Ideas
The first step generated a multitude of ideas without considering their quality. The team used the “How Wow Now Matrix” to separate good ideas from bad ones by ranking them according to originality and feasibility. The “Now” and “Wow” sections show issues that can be easily implemented. Deploying ideas in the “How” area is complex and needs a discussion and planning of several HIFIS working groups.
Quick Wins und Low Hanging Fruits
In the final step of the workshop, the team ranked the ideas using the “impact-effort matrix”. “Low hanging fruits” were identified along with “quick wins”. These categories mainly include issues that improve the quality and usability of the Helmholtz Cloud, such as booking options and the improvement of service cards and descriptions. Features characterized as „Luxury” are postponed until a use case arises.
With a long breath for a borderless Helmholtz Cloud
“Strategic” ideas will require careful preparation of Cloud Management, because they push an ambitious vision and break existing chains: The team aims to give everyone at Helmholtz the opportunity to use all the services offered immediately via Use-Helmholtz-ID-and-go. However, progress must remain in line with legal and compliance requirements. But even if the hurdles are high, the team remains committed to reducing access barriers.
Questions or proposals?
Contact our Cloud Manager at support@hifis.net.