Dear Bob ... Just read your Advice column on "Practice vs Process" and found it really struck a chord with me. For some time now I have been aware of the industry trend toward commoditizing software development (see ASP.NET, Java and offshore) such that the majority of developers are interchangable (read "low cost") parts. This goes nicely with the "Process" mentality you outlined. As someone in the industry I f Dear Bob …Just read your Advice column on “Practice vs Process” and found it really struck a chord with me. For some time now I have been aware of the industry trend toward commoditizing software development (see ASP.NET, Java and offshore) such that the majority of developers are interchangable (read “low cost”) parts. This goes nicely with the “Process” mentality you outlined.As someone in the industry I find this all rather depressing and would prefer more of a “Practice” environement but feel these opportunities are shrinking rapidly. I wonder if you have any comment on the best places to look for these kinds of jobs? Consulting perhaps? – Practicing hardDear Practicing …For the most part, shops that make use of waterfall methodologies, with rigid, sequential phases (for example: feasibility, requirements, external design, internal design, coding, testing, and roll-out) are process-oriented and prime candidates for offshoring as well. My general sense is shops that use the Rational Unified Process (RUP) are headed in a process direction as well, as one of the standard techniques is to create an “object factory.” Shops that are adopting eXtreme programming, contextual design or “agile methodologies” of some kind, in contrast, are going to view development as a practice. Another way of saying the same thing is that these approaches make the discipline more of a craft than a factory.For internal IT, all of this is largely irrelevant, or at least that’s my guess. Since for internal IT the most common mantra is “buy when you can, build when you have to,” the question is whether systems integration is more of a process or more of a practice. I think the latter is a better description, because no matter what mix of standard elements a company buys, it will be a unique blend of standard elements, which will make the effort to glue the pieces together custom work rather than commoditized work.At least, that’s my expectation. To answer your last question, yes, consulting is a practice, at least as I define the term. But I draw a distinction between consultants and contractors; clients engage the former for their expertise; the latter for their efforts. Clients should expect contractors to comply with whatever processes have been defined for the work at hand.One of the nicer ironies, by the way, is that process design is a practice, not a process – something some process design consultants seem to have a difficult time grasping.– Bob ——– Technology Industry