Becoming Agile: in an imperfect world

Front Cover......Page 1
brief contents......Page 6
contents......Page 8
foreword......Page 18
preface......Page 20
acknowledgments......Page 22
about this book......Page 24
Roadmap......Page 26
Author Online......Page 28
about the cover illustration......Page 29
Agile fundamentals and a supporting case study......Page 30
Moving to agile......Page 32
1.1 Is Agile just another process?......Page 34
1.1.1 The Agile Manifesto and related values......Page 35
1.1.2 The agile principles......Page 36
1.1.3 The agile practices......Page 38
1.2 A paradigm shift from a plan-driven mentality......Page 39
1.3 Agile and the bottom line......Page 40
1.4 How this book will help you become more agile......Page 43
1.6 Looking ahead......Page 45
The story of Acme Media......Page 46
2.1 Case study background and circumstances......Page 47
2.3 About the individuals......Page 48
2.4.1 The existing process......Page 49
2.4.2 A process with more agility......Page 50
2.4.3 The ultimate process......Page 51
2.6 Looking ahead......Page 53
Getting started......Page 54
Are you ready for agile?......Page 56
3.1.4 Clarifying priorities and reminding everyone of the consequences of changing them......Page 57
3.1.7 More efficient planning and estimating......Page 58
3.1.10 Achieving the right level of project structure......Page 59
3.2.1 Scrum......Page 61
3.2.2 Extreme Programming......Page 63
3.3 Create your own flavor to become agile within your constraints......Page 64
3.3.1 Your goal: reach the right level of agility for your organization......Page 65
3.3.2 Characteristics that make agile easier to adopt......Page 67
3.3.3 Roadblocks that others have overcome......Page 69
3.5 Looking ahead......Page 71
The fitness test: all about readiness assessments......Page 72
4.2 Reducing the risks of agile adoption using assessments......Page 73
4.3 Increasing productivity during transitions......Page 75
4.4 Getting executive buy-in for agile adoption using readiness assessments......Page 76
4.5.1 Readiness-assessment tables......Page 78
4.5.2 Finding out the results......Page 81
4.7 Looking ahead......Page 86
The importance of obtaining executive support......Page 87
5.1 Why should we pursue agile?......Page 88
5.2 The cost of migrating......Page 89
5.3 The risks in migrating......Page 90
5.5 Communicating frequently with your executive team......Page 91
5.7 Following Acme Media as the company obtains a sponsor......Page 92
5.9 Looking forward......Page 94
Improving buy-in by creating a core team......Page 95
6.1 Who should be in the core team?......Page 96
6.2 Choosing the core team at Acme Media......Page 97
6.3 The kickoff meeting......Page 98
6.3.1 Tough questions......Page 99
6.3.2 Your role in the migration......Page 100
6.5 Looking forward......Page 101
The mindset of an agile leader......Page 102
7.1.1 Attributes of a good coach......Page 104
7.1.2 Training and mentoring the core team......Page 105
7.2 Agile management: more shepherding, less directing......Page 106
7.2.2 Working with other managers......Page 107
7.2.4 Demonstrating value......Page 108
7.2.5 Leading the team to ownership......Page 110
7.3 Creating a team with an agile mindset......Page 111
7.3.1 Culture and roles......Page 112
7.3.2 Characteristics that influence individual performance......Page 113
7.5 Looking forward......Page 115
Injecting agility into your current process......Page 116
8.1.1 Documenting the existing process with Acme Media......Page 117
8.1.2 Deciding what to keep: identifying existing valuable practices......Page 120
8.1.3 Another potential tool: documenting a perfect process......Page 122
8.2 Enhancing the existing process......Page 123
8.2.1 Deciding what to change at Acme Media......Page 124
8.2.2 Feasibility phase......Page 126
8.2.3 Planning phase......Page 128
8.2.4 Development phase......Page 129
8.2.5 Adapt phase......Page 130
8.2.6 Deployment phase......Page 131
8.4 Looking forward......Page 133
Selecting a pilot project......Page 134
9.1.1 A project you can complete in 2 to 8 weeks......Page 136
9.1.2 A medium-priority project......Page 137
9.1.3 A project that hits all phases and areas......Page 138
9.2.1 Request backlog......Page 139
9.2.2 Selecting a pilot project: an example......Page 140
9.4 Looking forward......Page 141
Kicking off......Page 142
Feasibility: is this project viable?......Page 144
10.1 Feasibility in the big picture......Page 145
10.2 Selecting a feasibility team......Page 147
10.2.1 Selecting feasibility team members at Acme Media......Page 148
10.3 Introducing the known requirements to the feasibility team......Page 150
10.3.2 Analyzing an idea with the Feasibility Discussion Guide......Page 153
10.3.4 Modifying the idea during feasibility analysis......Page 155
10.3.5 Reacting to the feedback......Page 156
10.3.7 Regrouping after technical analysis......Page 160
10.4 The go/no go decision......Page 161
10.5.2 Feasibility for risk management vs. go/no go......Page 163
10.7 Looking forward......Page 164
Aligning the pilot team with the project......Page 165
11.1 Identifying the pilot team......Page 166
11.2 Preparing the pilot team......Page 167
11.2.2 Providing a mechanism for feedback......Page 168
11.3.1 Creating an elevator statement......Page 169
11.3.2 Introduce the team to the features......Page 170
11.3.3 Common understanding of the features......Page 173
11.4 The tradeoff matrix......Page 174
11.5 Project worksheet......Page 175
11.5.8 Major milestones......Page 178
11.7 Looking forward......Page 179
Populating the product backlog......Page 180
Feature cards: a tool for “just enough” planning......Page 182
12.1 The structure of a feature card......Page 183
12.1.2 Additional feature-card benefits......Page 185
12.2 A team approach to creating feature cards......Page 186
12.2.1 Creating a feature card at Acme Media......Page 187
12.2.2 Reviewing the feature cards as a team......Page 189
12.3.1 User stories......Page 190
12.3.2 Use cases......Page 191
12.3.3 Functional specifications......Page 192
12.4 Limitations in using feature cards......Page 193
12.4.3 Compliance and traceability......Page 194
12.5 Hard-copy cards vs. electronic cards......Page 195
12.6 Key points......Page 197
12.7 Looking forward......Page 198
Prioritizing the backlog......Page 199
13.1 The art of prioritizing, sequencing, and grouping features......Page 200
13.2 Prioritizing the backlog at Acme Media......Page 201
13.2.1 Prioritizing by value......Page 203
13.2.2 Evaluating risk......Page 204
13.2.3 Grouping related features......Page 207
13.3 Other ways to prioritize features......Page 209
13.4 Key points......Page 210
13.5 Looking forward......Page 211
Estimating at the right level with the right people......Page 212
14.1 Contrasting traditional and agile estimation techniques......Page 213
14.2 The importance of whole-team estimation......Page 214
14.3.1 Using story points for quick estimation......Page 216
14.4 Estimating story points at Acme Media......Page 218
14.6 Looking forward......Page 220
Enough information for scheduling......Page 222
Release planning: envisioning the overall schedule......Page 224
15.1.2 Development iteration length......Page 225
15.1.3 How long do you need between iterations?......Page 226
15.1.4 Determining the overall timeline......Page 227
15.2 Completing the release plan by assigning features to iterations......Page 228
15.2.1 Assigning features to iterations at Acme Media......Page 229
15.3 Communicating the release plan with a kickoff meeting......Page 230
15.5 Looking forward......Page 232
16.1 Clearly defining the goals: what is “feature complete”?......Page 233
16.2 Using feature modeling to identify and estimate tasks......Page 234
16.2.1 Outlining the workflow for a feature......Page 235
16.2.3 Outlining the screens for a feature......Page 236
16.2.4 Adding details to a screen by considering user interaction......Page 237
16.3 Identifying and estimating tasks......Page 238
16.4 Determining the hours available in an iteration......Page 240
16.5 Bringing estimates and capacity together to complete the plan......Page 241
16.6 Making status visible......Page 242
16.6.1 Visibility within an iteration......Page 243
16.6.2 Tracking release status......Page 245
16.6.3 Finding tools that work for you......Page 246
16.8 Looking forward......Page 249
Building the product......Page 250
Start your engines: iteration 0......Page 252
17.2 Completing contracts with third parties......Page 253
17.3 Preparing environments and support tools......Page 254
17.4 Obtaining funding......Page 255
17.5 Finalizing and dedicating the project team......Page 256
17.6 Cheating: starting the work early......Page 257
17.8 Looking forward......Page 258
Delivering working software......Page 259
18.1 Supporting the agile principles during development and testing......Page 260
18.1.3 Whenever possible, communicate face to face......Page 261
18.1.4 Pay attention to technical excellence and good design......Page 262
18.1.6 Welcome changing requirements, even late in development......Page 263
18.1.9 Obtain customer feedback as early as possible......Page 264
18.1.10 Minimize team distractions during development iterations......Page 265
18.2 Where to begin?......Page 266
18.2.2 Making assignments......Page 267
18.3 Completing a feature......Page 268
18.3.1 What the work looks like......Page 269
18.4 Key points......Page 271
18.5 Looking forward......Page 272
Testing: did you do it right?......Page 273
19.1 Unit testing......Page 274
19.2 Integration testing......Page 275
19.3 Functional testing......Page 276
19.4 Exploratory testing......Page 277
19.5 Test automation......Page 278
19.6 Key points......Page 280
19.7 Looking forward......Page 281
Embracing change......Page 282
Adapting: reacting positively to change......Page 284
20.1.1 Feature is larger than expected......Page 285
20.1.3 The business need changes......Page 286
20.1.5 A team member is unavailable......Page 287
20.1.7 Team throughput is lower than expected......Page 288
20.2 Adapting during an iteration......Page 289
20.3.1 A change in feature scope......Page 290
20.4 Adapting at the end of an iteration......Page 291
20.4.2 Re-evaluating priorities: what are your options?......Page 292
20.5 How Acme Media adapts during adapt week......Page 294
20.5.1 Reviewing the work completed......Page 295
20.5.2 Demonstrating the work......Page 296
20.5.3 Personality types and demonstrations......Page 297
20.5.4 Demonstrating incomplete features......Page 298
20.6.2 Output from Acme Media’s UAT......Page 299
20.7 Changes in the business climate......Page 300
20.8.1 Evaluating team velocity......Page 301
20.8.3 Features originally slated for iteration 2......Page 302
20.10 Looking forward......Page 305
Delivery: bringing it all together......Page 306
21.1.1 To support a constraint......Page 307
21.1.2 To meet a predetermined schedule......Page 308
21.1.3 When there is enough value......Page 309
21.1.4 To test the product......Page 310
21.2.1 What about quality level?......Page 311
21.2.2 Completing functional/usability testing......Page 312
21.2.4 Validation of nonfunctional requirements......Page 313
21.3.1 The running maintenance and support worksheet......Page 315
21.3.3 Enabling system monitoring, and creating an escalation process......Page 316
21.4 Communication and training......Page 317
21.5.1 Deciding to go live......Page 318
21.5.3 Deployment considerations......Page 320
21.5.4 Creating a deployment and backout plan......Page 321
21.6.1 Celebrate!......Page 323
21.7 Key points......Page 324
21.8 Looking forward......Page 325
The retrospective: working together to improve......Page 326
22.1 Setting expectations for the retrospective......Page 327
22.2 Time to digest: a survey in advance......Page 329
22.3 Conducting the retrospective meeting......Page 331
22.4 What to expect during the meeting......Page 333
22.5 Converting the feedback into action......Page 336
22.6 Key points......Page 337
22.7 Looking forward......Page 338
Moving forward......Page 340
Extending the new process across your company......Page 342
23.1.2 Confusion about the process......Page 343
23.1.4 Starting to feel agile......Page 344
23.2.1 Embracing change to deliver customer value......Page 345
23.2.2 Customer involvement and feedback......Page 346
23.2.3 Planning and delivering software frequently......Page 347
23.2.4 Technical excellence......Page 348
23.2.5 Human-centric practices......Page 349
23.3.1 Spanning the chasm......Page 351
23.3.2 Using the SAMI......Page 355
23.3.3 Agile practices......Page 359
23.5 Conclusion......Page 360
appendix A: Readiness assessment tables by practice......Page 362
B.1 Overview of the phases......Page 383
B.2 Feasibility: define and validate your vision......Page 384
B.3 Planning: speculate and create a living plan......Page 386
B.4 Development: exploration with a schedule......Page 387
B.5 Adapt: react to new information......Page 389
B.6 Deployment: deliver, train, revisit, and close the project......Page 390
C.1 Feasibility phase......Page 391
C.3 Development phase......Page 392
C.4 Delivery phase......Page 393
appendix D: Example: determining process and document needs for a project......Page 394
appendix E: Quantitative feedback on the SAMI......Page 397
resources......Page 400
A......Page 402
D......Page 403
F......Page 404
M......Page 405
P......Page 406
R......Page 407
T......Page 408
W......Page 409
Back Cover......Page 410