The Ann Arbor software industry consulting firm Stout Systems has added a new service for the technology industry.

The "Stout Technology Assessment" is a 12-point review of code, database schema, environment, practices and processes for a small to mid-sized company or for a single team within a large company.

The service is designed for the non-technical manager (or no-longer-technical manager) or other IT stakeholder overseeing a software development activity.

The review provides an outside assessment of how closely any team is adhering to industry best practices.

"The Technology Assessment service evolved from years of consulting for clients of all sizes in a wide variety of industries," said John W. Stout, founder of Stout Systems. "We found that it is difficult for managers and executives to stay on top of industry best practices. They're often too busy to have a complete picture of technologies, processes and team functions, and as a result, added time and cost creep into software releases."

More information about the "Stout Technology Assessment" is available at www.stoutsystems.com/assessment.

This new service is complemented by the release of Stout's free publication I/T Sanity Check: 12 Questions Top Technical Managers Ask. This publication helps technical managers and executives self-assess their software development activity by ensuring that all of the right questions are asked.

I/T Sanity Check: 12 Questions Top Technical Managers Ask is available online at no cost at www.stoutsystems.com/ITSanityCheck.