According to the author, the application development center (ADC) is the primary vehicle through which the information systems (IS) department can reap the productivity improvements that are commonly advertised with software development tools, such as computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools. This improvement can be realized only through a professionally managed and planned adoption process.

The ADC represents a collection of highly trained development personnel who are responsible for identifying, supporting, and implementing new software development tools for the IS department. Their goal is meta-development; they represent knowledge about the development process itself and, in particular, are experts on specific tools to facilitate development. ADC personnel serve as technical experts for software development tools.

Hobuss is a principal in Hobuss Computer Solutions (HCS) and bases information contained within the book on surveys that HCS has conducted on Fortune 1000 companies and on the experience of companies such as Carrier Corporation in implementing an ADC. He lists the advantages of creating an ADC, which include improved staff productivity (based upon lines of code and function point analysis), increased utilization of development tools, off-loading mainframe processing (many of these tools are personal computer–based), and reduced maintenance expenses (fewer actual errors and better integration with existing applications).

The book is directed at the chief information officer or the head of the IS department. It is structured so that the reader can easily understand how the IS department will benefit from an ADC, how to justify it to higher-level management, and how to integrate the ADC into his or her IS department and development process. Finally, guidelines are offered on how to select specific development products and techniques.

Niederman et al. [1], in a ranking of top IS management issues for the 1990s, found that developing IS human resources is the fourth most important issue and learning and use of IS technologies is the fifth most important. ADC could be viewed as a way to reward highly skilled IS technical personnel by having them help train other IS personnel. ADC could also help facilitate the use of development tools through a greater awareness of their capabilities.

Basili and Musa state that transferring technology (including application development tools) requires an evolutionary and experimental approach [2]. An ADC would serve as a focal point and implementation strategy through which learning could occur. Moad states that the success of the transformation of software development to an automated science rests on a combination of technical and management issues [3]. Again, ADC would serve as a managerial response to automating development.

The implication is that professional management techniques are as important within the IS department as throughout the company, and that a technical solution to a problem is not really a solution. The real solution must come from professional management of personnel and resources.