Is Team System Right for You?

So, you've been hearing all this buzz around Visual Studio Team System, Team Foundation Server, blah blah blah.. How do you know if it's right for you?

That's what we Developer Technology Specialists are here to help you with!  Take a look at the below questionnaire.  Answering some initial questions about your environment will help us help you better.  You might find that Team System is a better solution that you first thought!  If you're not sure how to answer, it's no big deal.  The questions are designed mostly to help identify where you are today, and where you want to be tomorrow!

1. What tools do you currently have in place for the following areas?

   1. Version Control?
   2. Defect Tracking?
   3. Issues Management?
   4. Testing (unit, load, functional, other)?
   5. Modeling/Infrastructure Diagramming?
   6. Build & Deployment?
   7. Project/Task Management?

2. Is your development environment basically homogeneous in nature (i.e. all .NET, all Java), or do different teams/projects use different technologies?

3. Are these tools currently integrated in any fashion?

   1. Do you see value in doing so?

4. Do you currently have distributed development teams?

   1. Multiple offices nationally?
   2. Internationally?
   3. Off-shoring?

5. If yes, does each location use different tools? Do locations collaborate with each other on project topics, and if so, how?

6. What types of projects/applications do you develop?

   1. Web applications?
   2. Web services?
   3. Client/server?
   4. Windows applications?

7. Do you outsource to 3rd party groups for development?

8. Do you currently employ any specific development processes (MSF, RUP, Agile, XP, custom, etc.) to your software development lifecycle?

   1. If not, do you plan to implement any sort of process to your lifecycle?

9. Do you currently have any CMMI initiatives?

10. Do you currently have any mandates for Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance?

11. What current process, tool, or procedure currently works best for your team? Why?

12. What current process, tool, or procedure currently needs the most improvement for your team? Why?

So what do you do with your answers to the above questions? If Team System looks to be a decent fit, my advice is to contact your MS account manager with this information. He or she will put you in contact with your local technical specialist who can further examine your needs and provide you with the right solution around Team System.