AGILE REMEDIES FOR BLOCKED PROJECTS

Transcription

1 AGILE REMEDIES FOR BLOCKED PROJECTS call Copyright We Believe IT Ltd 2013

2 Carl Davies Director at We Believe IT (UK)

3 WE BELIEVE IT CAPABILITIES Scrum mastering, Scrum coaching and training Change management and project management 121 Leadership coaching IT strategy delivery and interim senior IT leadership Bespoke Software solution and reporting development (e.g..net, SQL Server, MVC, cloud, document Database)

4 CONTENTS Myth Busting Agile Recap on Agile: Fundamentals 3 Compelling facts about Agile Agile Remedies: Case Studies Conclusions Agile 2: Everyone s a Geek

5 VERY SPECIAL NATURE OF SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

6 How did we get into this fine mess? >>> We re replacing manual systems that took decades to evolve! >>> We expect users to be expert process architects >>> We re building a new production line. >>> Artists or engineers?

7 Recap on Agile Fundamentals

8 Many variations on Agile >>> XP, DSDM, Scrum etc >>> Scrum the most popular by far

9 Core Scrum Process

10 Core Agile Values Individuals and interactions Working software Customer collaboration Responding to change over over over over Process and tools Comprehensive documentation Contract negotiation Following a plan

11 Composition of Scrum 1. Behaviours 2. Process and Procedure 3. Roles and Rituals

12 Agile Behaviours (agilemanifesto.org) Customer first >>> Satisfaction is highest priority Close teamwork >>> All work together daily Reflectiveness >>> Team must continuously improve Transparency >>> Accountability is high must be open Empowerment >>> You tell me the answer Self management >>> Pull from backlog, pull together Kindle high energy >>> Lets get everyone on full beam

13 Process and Procedures Flow and Velocity>>> Stimulating maximum output JIT Planning>>> Things change so adapt at right time Continuous improvement >>> Keep fine tuning approach Timeboxing >>> Strict adherence to schedules Prioritisation >>> Strictly deliver business value only Release Planning >>> Chain of sprints to end game

14 Roles and Ritual Scrum Master >>> Removes impediments to keep flow Product Owner >>> Prioritises content of sprints Sprint Planning >>> Sprint backlog and estimation Retrospective >>> Accountability is high must be open Daily Scrum >>> Stand up and be accountable! Product Backlog>>> Bucket of all requirements Pair programming, unit tests etc>>> Teccie stuff!

15 What do you think? What s your perception of Agile? Experiences to date?

16 3 Compelling facts about Agile

17 1. EVOLUTIONARY PRINCIPLES

18 1. Based on evolutionary principles >>> It takes trial and error to adapt creative solutions to the problem domain >>> The best ideas and innovations evolve >>> Complex systems cannot be designed 100% accurately up front

19 2. IT HAS DEEP ROOTS

20 2. Based Lean Engineering foundations >>> Lean roots in 1990 s lead back to Henry Ford >>> Principles of waste reduction >>> Customer value, flow, pull approach, JIT plan

21 3. CUSTOMERS LOVE IT!

22 3. Yep our business colleagues love it >>> It feels so natural >>> I m back in the driving seat >>> IS are listening to me >>> I m feeling confident we ll get this done

23 GENUINE PERILS!

24 Sprint Burnout>>> High intensity exhaustion

25 Quality could suffer>>> Fast pace could lead to short cuts...

26 Too lean is not appealing >>> Stark results: over emphasis on function over form

27 Skinny on business analysis>>> In at the deep end could mean too much thinking on feet!

28 Agile Fundamentalism>>> Hard core fanatics and Program de jour thinking

29 Case Studies

30 1. ASSET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

31 SITUATION >>> assets needed a tracking system >>> 3m overall project spend >>> Business case driven by compliance >>> Software critical to project success >>> 4 man project: BLOCKED after 9 months >>> Internal customer EXASPERATED!

32 EXTERNAL INTERVENTION: TASKS FOR WE BELIEVE IT >>> 4 months left to complete >>> UNBLOCK >>> Take leadership >>> Deliver project objectives >>> Perform Scrum Master and Scrum Coach roles

33 ACTION >>> Re-forged communications and trust >>> Strongly recommended Scrum approach >>> Diplomatically reconfigured team >>> SCRUM SOLD! Adopted in 1 week >>> Revisited technology & architecture >>> Backlog and release plan >>> 1-2 week sprints, fully joined team

34 RESULTS >>> Customer confidence 100% recovered >>> Project went live flawlessly >>> Fully bonded team >>> Energy levels boosted >>> Rumour mill good word spread >>> A member of staff moved on

35 2. ASSET PLANNING SOFTWARE

36 SITUATION >>> Stop start project for 2 years >>> 1m overall project spend: v. complex >>> Team abandoned previous month >>> 3 months till critical compliance/audit >>> Smouldering IT/Business relationship >>> Internal customer NOWHERE TO TURN!

37 EXTERNAL INTERVENTION: TASKS FOR WE BELIEVE IT >>> 3 months left to complete >>> UNBLOCK and GET BACK ON TRACK (XMAS!) >>> Sort crisis in relationship >>> Determine technical platform >>> Perform Facilitator and Scrum Coach roles

38 ACTION >>> Reduce expectations/ pragmatic solution >>> Strongly recommend Scrum approach >>> Advocate/ support team reconfiguration >>> SCRUM SOLD! Adopted rapidly >>> Demonstrate impeccable comms >>> Listen hard, can do attitude! >>> 1 week sprints, fully joined team

39 RESULTS >>> Customer confidence 75% recovered >>> Sense of crisis averted >>> Fully bonded team >>> Expectations simmered >>> Clarity on technical solution, de-mystified >>> Normalised relationship with IS

40 RETROSPECTIVE: CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

41 RETROSPECTIVE: CUSTOMER FEEDBACK >>> Brave, great teamwork, matched expectations >>> Astonished at level of work completed >>> Product better than expected, fun >>> Product owner highly inflencial >>> Scrum and coaching right choice >>> Quick failures, IS won confidence back >>> Fully working DEFRA compliant application

42 Conclusions

43 CAREFUL: DON T MISATTRUBUTE >>> Scrum vital but not the only cause of success >>> Good leadership and technical decisions >>> Right people on the bus agile folk >>> External intervention broke the impasse >>> Tough decisions >>> Waterfall could have worked!!

44 FORMULA FOR UNBLOCKING >>> Apply Scrum >>> URGENT LEADERSHIP, SET EXAMPLE >>> External help to break impasse >>> Weed out performance issues >>> Reconfigure team >>> Increased resources, shorter duration >>> Love up the customer

45 GENUINE CHALLENGES TO AGILE ADOPTION >>> Real dedication across whole team >>> F2F environment optimal but unrealistic >>> Physically and mentally exhausting >>> Raised accountability tough for many folk >>> Need all IS support >>> Many people won t adapt tough decisions!

46 THE CHALLENGE AGILE HYPE OR FOR REAL???

47 HYPE OR REALITY? FAD? >>> Agile based on 3 key, enduring foundations >>> Watch out for hype Team is the critical factor BREAK THE RULES? >>> Nope, coding the same under the bonnet COMPROMISE QUALITY FOR SPEED? >>> Potentially be careful

48 AGILE V2 EVERYONE JOIN THE GEEK CLUB

49 AGILE V2 >>> Address organizational context: readiness >>> Pervasive agile, most projects, most depts >>> New roles: coaching and teambuilding >>> Structures for managing fallout! >>> Genuine alternatives to F2F >>> Managing distributed teams effectively >>> Ultimately realms of HR dept or CEO

50 PERVASIVE AGILE: WHO WILL DRIVE IT?

51 AGILE REMEDIES FOR BLOCKED PROJECTS >>> Big thanks for listening >>> Big thanks to Sam! >>> Talk to us any time! call Copyright We Believe IT Ltd 2013