communication challenges in distributed agile projects

Communication Challenges in Distributed Agile Projects

S. M. Sohan http://www.smsohan.com

Summary

•  Scope •  What is distributed agile? •  What are the key communication

challenges? •  How to win the challenges? •  Q & A

3/22/10 S. M. Sohan - Communication in DASD 2

Agile

•  Individuals and Interactions •  Customer Collaboration

3/22/10 S. M. Sohan - Communication in DASD 3 *www.agilemanifesto.org

People

•  Developers •  Customers •  Managers


Agile Development Team

•  Self-managed •  Open space •  Informal


Agile Customer

•  Very responsive


10:00:01 AM you wrote:

Please let me know if you have any feedback on the…

10:00:15 AM she wrote:

Here is my quick feedback: a)… b)…

Agile Business Team

•  Ensures seamless collaboration


Distributed Project Types

•  Distributed Team •  Remote Team •  Outsourced


Distributed Team


Tester

Dev

Dev

Dev

Tester

Client

Tester

Dev

Tester

USA Argentina India

* Distributed Agile Development at Microsoft Patterns and Practices, Ade Miller

Remote Team


Customer Team

* Communication in Distributed Agile Development: A Case Study

Outsourced


Customer Outsourcing Vendor

Outsourcing Client

Contracts project and meets requirements

Provides Software Product

Delivers working code

Outsources Programming

* Modified Agile Practices for Outsourced Software Projects, Batra.

Distributed Project: Scale


Distributed Project: Opportunities*

•  Cost-benefit •  Resource •  Local knowledge •  Round the clock development


*A Case Study of Coordination in Distributed Agile Software Development, Steniar et al. * Distributed Agile Development at Microsoft Patterns and Practices, Ade Miller

Agile vs. Traditional Distributed* R

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Agile

Traditional GSD


• A Case Study of Coordination in Distributed Agile Software Development, Steniar et al.

Challenging Factors Challenging Factor Frequency of

Studies

Synchronous Communication 9

Collaboration Difficulties 6

Communication Bandwidth 6

Tool Support 6

Large Team 5

Office Space 2

Multiple sites 1


*Using Scrum is Global Software Development: A Systematic Literature Review, Hossain et. Al.

Common Challenge # 1

•  Language and Accents*: “We tried to use telephone-conference, but

it didn’t work well, because of language problems…. It takes time to organize telephone-conference”


*A Case Study of Coordination in Distributed Agile Software Development, Steniar et al.


•  Solution: – Augment with written communication –  IM – Emails – Wiki etc. – Conference Phone – Projector


* A Case Study of Coordination in Distributed Agile Software Development, Steniar et al. * Knowledge Sharing in Agile Software Teams, Chau et al. (MASE, Wiki Based) * Knowledge Management Support for Distributed Agile Software Process, Holz et al. (PRIME) * Distributed Agile Development at Microsoft Patterns and Practices, Ade Miller * XP Expanded: Distributed Extreme Programming, Braithwaite et al.

Common Challenge # 2 •  Time Zone


Common Challenge # 2 •  Solution: – Use team representatives per office – Team Buddy




•  Solution: – Modularize?



finishlinestudios.com


•  Solution: – Use asynchronous communication: Emails,

Wiki


ruf.rice.edu dev-farm.com


•  Solution: – Shift core hours


* Distributed Agile Development at Microsoft Patterns and Practices, Ade Miller * Fully Distributed Scrum, Jeff Sutherland et al.

Common Challenges # 3

•  Cultural Issues •  Solution: – One Team, One Codebase; One Team, One

Build. – Traveling. – Team events. – “Let people play”


* XP Expanded: Distributed Extreme Programming, Braithwaite et al. * Fully Distributed Scrum, Jeff Sutherland et al.


•  National Holidays:

•  Solution: – Early communication – Plan accordingly



•  Trust:

•  Solution: – Traveling – Training – Blogs, Social Networks – Video conferencing for shared demo


* Distributed Agile Development at Microsoft Patterns and Practices, Ade Miller * Fully Distributed Scrum, Jeff Sutherland et al.

www.pragia.cz


•  Mindset: “Thus we conclude that if the customer is

not able or willing to participate actively in the communication when needed, any communication mechanism becomes redundant.”


* Communication in Distributed Agile Development: A Case Study, Korkala et al.

Distributed Stand-up Meeting

•  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BZ2RkrINSE&feature=channel

•  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1RqhRcPJZ0&feature=related


Distributed Team Challenge # 1

•  Planning meetings

•  Solution: – Use online tools – Same time – Reduce dependencies


* Fully Distributed Scrum, Jeff Sutherland et al.


•  Online tools



•  Daily status updates:

•  Solution: – One scrum master per team – Scrum of scrums – Weekly meetings


* Fully Distributed Scrum, Jeff Sutherland et al. * A Case Study of Coordination in Distributed Agile Software Development, Hole et at.


•  Knowledge sharing •  Solution: – Rotate developers on modules, projects. – Use groupware: Emails, Wiki, Blogs etc. – Use online project management tools.


* Essential Communication Practices for Extreme Programming in a Global Software Development team, Layman et al. * Communication in Distributed Agile Development: A Case Study, Korkala et al.


•  Self-managing

•  Solution: – Use pull-method instead of push. – Empower each office with autonomous

decisions.


* XP Expanded: Distributed Extreme Programming, Braithwaite et al. * Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit, Poppendieck and Poppendieck.


•  Modeling and planning

•  Solution: – Electronic tools


*The Agile Scaling Model (ASM), S. Amber et al.


•  Pair-programming

•  Solution: – Frequent code review meetings



Remote Customer Challenge # 1

•  Reviews and feedbacks

•  Solution: – Video conferencing – Extensively use IM, Email – Use online tools. – Desktop sharing tools.


* Fully Distributed Scrum, Jeff Sutherland et. al.


•  Business domain knowledge transfer •  Solution: – Training – Audio/video conferencing – Groupware.



•  Requirements Transfer

•  Solution: – Executable acceptance tests


* XP Expanded: Distributed Extreme Programming, Braithwaite et al.

Feature: Addition In order to avoid silly mistakes As a math idiot I want to be told the sum of two numbers Scenario: Add two numbers Given I have entered 50 into the calculator And I have entered 70 into the calculator When I press add Then the result should be 120 on the screen

Outsourced Project Challenge # 1

•  Relaying knowledge

•  Solution: –  Include off-shore team in client meetings. – Use audio/video recording.



Outsourced Project Challenge # 2

•  Process mismatch

•  Solution: – Ensure key contact people. – Frequently communicate with the key

contact people.



Unsolved Challenge

•  Distributed Pair Programming •  Whiteboard discussion



Conflicting Literature

•  Telephone/Video conferencing •  Modules per team •  Multiple scrum-masters


Communication Tools


Wish List

•  Integrated communication tool •  Traveling and rotating members •  Seamless real-time communication tools


Questions

communication challenges in distributed agile projects

Technology

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asynchronous communication

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