agile release planning, management, and communication

Resource Systems

The need for agilityHistory of Product DevelopmentDelivery of EPCOTFuture Challenges &

RecommendationsReflection Questions?

November, 2007 decision to adopt SAAS Strategic decision expected to yield:

More frequent releases to customers Steadier stream of income Efficient Deployment and Support

October 2008 Epcot Deadline First delivery under the SAAS model 3 New Product Lines AHCA Convention & Expo

6-8 month release cyclesConfidence in developing, testing,

and implementation5 member team1 main productOther departments streamlined for

success

Need to restructure applicationNew development environment3 New product lines2-3 Month development windows3 New developers

http://freedomthirst.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/world-upside-down.jpg

Where do we start? New product lines not yet defined Not sure of structural change needed

Development and communication silo's

Adding new developers

http://sweetanniesjewelry.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/comfort-zone2.jpg

http://www.fullsteamahead.net/buttons/newlogo.jpg

Agile Development MethodologyScrum Master CertificationDissemination of agile values:

Iterative Sprint Delivery Team Collaboration Customer Driven Specifications

Daily scrum, retrospective meetingsVS Team Foundation System(TFS)Daily Builds of Application

Product Development was relieved when EPCOT reaches beta

Rest of organization is unaware of reality: We still have backlog to finish Beta’s are now generating even more backlog

Suddenly we need Project plan and priorities To communicate effectively with the

organization about our status

Home-brewed bug tracking application

Accessible by everyoneScrum-like enhancements added:

Ability to categorize by sprint Task Maintenance

Required effort of 2 team members Crucial artifact for Dev Coordination

Team and others It takes a lot of time to maintain it

Call, Email, Walk Over… Do whatever it takes!

Lots of projects and ever changing priorities Vision was only at 2-3 Months We don’t have enough time to prepare

for releases

No! We’re beginning to revert to old ways Waterfall Method: Design, Develop, and

then Test. We are able to do the sequential steps

within 2-3 monthsScrum Adoption

Was NOT embraced by Business Analysts No focus on Iterative Developmenthttp://www.positive-thinking-for-you.com/images/confidence-jump.jpg

Organized 6 Month Vision Dev coordination agrees to furnish

Product Development must commit to: Design specifications that satisfy

customer needs Realistic project timelines Effective, ongoing communication

Detail oriented Maintain project plan Showcase our critical path ALWAYS stay up-to-date

Assertive communication skills Communicate frequently with Dev Coordination

Team, Product Development, etc. Uses internal portal for external communication

▪ Delivery Dates, Project Lists, Date Changes and Why

Commitment to iterative development Flexible project specifications

▪ Meet customer’s actual needs▪ Ability to mix and match due to time crunch

United effort across Product Development Scrum is useful for core development

processes Business Analysts should explore others

▪ Dynamic Design Systems: “Must Have”, “Should Have”, “Could Have” categorization of features

Identify obstacles ASAP We have daily builds, so let’s use them! Commit to developer Peer-to-Peer Testing

▪ Better to find bugs early, rather than later.▪ Informal code reviews▪ Better resolution times▪ Knowledge sharing

Maximize “effective” development time Formalize engineer assignment by product

area as needed

Exponential product growth on horizon Outsourcing and need for distributed

project management capabilities May need more substantial tools Team should explore tools like

ProjExec® Online Collaboration and Planning Real-Time Presence Alerting

Things will NOT Change Overnight Dev Coordination Struggles to Define 6 Month

Vision We don’t have the right business analyst skill

sets▪ Naturally Comes from Training Team▪ Can’t be learned by entry-level position.▪ Current group excels in testing

The one(s) yelling may not be most in need! Lack of Engineers in Integration Area could rival

need for Project Coordinator

“If not now, when?” and “Never say No” mentality needs to be redefined. Can we continue to grow at the desired

pace, while still maintaining this philosophy?