Contents
		Introduction  The benefits of quality  Who's paying?  Case study  Executive summary

Hard to measure
Given the wide-ranging interdependencies within Australia's software industry, encouraging smaller companies to gain formal certifications is in everybody's interest. Larger IT service providers could eventually come to prefer developers with SoftwareMark certification, knowing that as subcontractors those companies have the clear processes and internal strategies to get the job done quickly and effectively. Certainly, early suggestions are that SoftwareMark's guidance can be invaluable for small companies (see case study).

The same could be said for companies buying development services directly: certification implies efficiency that could translate into a higher chance of on-time and under-budget delivery, making a certified developer a lower-risk option than one that isn't certified.

It is, however, difficult to know just how much more to pay a certified provider as opposed to a non-certified provider. This problem has long plagued companies hiring individuals, for whom industry certification bodies have created so many formal certification programs that employers are no longer attaching such premiums to the skills.

Back in 2001, for example, a survey by US firm Foote Partners found that pay for holders of 53 industry certifications had increased 8 percent over the year earlier, while the premium pay for 82 more general technical skills was flat overall. The most recent Olivier Internet Job Index, however, noted a significant rise in demand for graduates (presumably, those less likely to have industry certifications).

The implications of this trend: many employers, disillusioned after hiring well-certified individuals that didn't necessarily deliver commensurate value, are choosing less experienced workers that they hope to train in specific methodologies suitable for their own businesses. Still others are looking for more general certifications in IT project management and quality control--a distinct change from a few years ago when industry technical certifications were seen as guarantees that an individual could resolve complex technical and internetworking issues.

With businesses as with individuals, it is ultimately important not to assume that a supplier holding that certification will necessarily deliver a specific level of financial advantage. Many non-certified companies have invested heavily in developing repeatable and effective processes--and may have developed methodologies that they see as providing a competitive advantage--while others may have ticked all the right boxes but lack the philosophical change necessary to turn continual improvement into a constant motivator.

For now, evaluate potential suppliers based on whether they have repeatable processes in place, but focus more on the company's track record than whether or not they have a particular certification. Consider running a small pilot program to see how their processes are reflected in everyday work practice, then expanding the scope if they measure up. Companies that are walking the walk without talking the talk, so to speak, will quickly have their shortcomings revealed when they're put to the test.