agile transformation and the metrics drama : presented by deepak gururaja
TRANSCRIPT
Agile
Transformation and
the Metrics Drama
Deepak T Gururaja
A Storyline
Once upon a time…..
O X is a legacy corporation that has been serving customers for more than 25 years
O Their product is robust and has been in existence for 20+ years
O They have seen the tides of time – the ups and downs
O Were able to survive through the waves
O Has more than 50% of the market share
O Customers are with them for a long time
One day they see
O A new competitor Y – comprising a group of young “inexperienced” people seem to be eating their market share
O X lost the last 2 contracts to Y
O All executives from Company X get together to do a comparison
O Competitor has one fourth their strength and 10% of operating costs
O Their product is sooo customizable
O Their deployment time is only 10% of ours
How could this be possible
Eureka…..O One senior executive finally figured out what Y is
doing different….
O They are doing A.G.I.L.E
Agile transformation plan is born
O A formal program office is setup for Agile Transformation
O Meeting prospective vendors and shortlisting based onO Services provided
O Type of Coaches
O Compatibility of Culture
O Cost
O Availability of coaches across locations
O …etc
O The best vendor is shortlisted
O Coaches are brought onboard
O Leadership addresses the entire organization in an “All Hands Meeting” and conveys the path for transformation
Then Comes the coach
Coach starts off with the coaching…
O Discovery of the teams
O Analysis of the teams current state
O Build a coaching roadmap
O Send everyone to Agile trainings
O Coaches start engaging with the teams on
a day to day basis
Metric drama starts… Everyone is Looking at the metrics
O Velocity
O Cycle time/Lead Time
O Throughput
O Sprint/Release/Epic Burndown
O Schedule Adherence
O Estimation Accuracy
O Feature Size distribution
O Say-Do-Ratio
O Retrospective effectiveness
O And finally – “Assessments”
O …
As a resultO Velocity starts to go up
O Cycle Time begins to reduce
O All teams are taking up assessments
O All kinds of graphs start doing the rounds
O Leaders are happy….
And the executive who had suggested Agile Adoption
goes….
Transformation is termed complete
While Everyone was Busy looking at the graphs…
O Company Y signed 2 more deals
What really happened?
O Team velocity was increased by 20%
O Teams’ estimation efficiency was
improved
O Cycle times for teams had reduced
O Team’s Say-Do-Ratio was always more
than 100%
O Teams' throughput was consistent
What got missed here?
O While the transformation was going on,
people forgot the intended outcome of
transformation
Lets look at the type of metrics
O Output based metrics
O Outcome based metrics
The Problem with Metrics
O Metrics are usually output based, and
never outcome based
O The problem with outcome
O Its an event and can be measured only
after the event occurs in the course of time
What best can we do?
O Look at some of the leading indicators of
outcome and iterate over them
O Key is to have as shorter a feedback loop as possible
Lets take up this game
O Lets define an outcome of transformation
O Lets see what are some of the output
based metrics
O Lets ponder upon what are some of the
leading indicator of the outcome
O See how we can reduce the feedback
loop
Transformation Goal –Increase Revenue
O Lets Define
O What are the Output Based Metrics
O What are some of the leading indicators of
the outcome
O How can we reduce the feedback loop for
these leading indicators
O What actions we can take towards these leading indicators
Transformation Goal –Increase CSAT ratings
O Lets Define
O What are the Output Based Metrics
O What are some of the leading indicators of
the outcome
O How can we reduce the feedback loop for
these leading indicators
O What actions we can take towards these leading indicators
Transformation Goal –Increase Market Penetration
O Lets Define
O What are the Output Based Metrics
O What are some of the leading indicators of
the outcome
O How can we reduce the feedback loop for
these leading indicators
O What actions we can take towards these leading indicators
Let me leave you with an experience I had yesterday
O I visited a temple in Chilkur
O Surprisingly No -
O Hundi
O Direct Donations
O Seva Tickets/Special Darshan
O What is their expected outcome
O Simple – More and more people come in to the temple
O How do you think this outcome is caused?