feeding the scrum engine

www.3back.com

Transitioning to Agile: Feeding the Scrum

Engine

Derek [email protected]

andDouglas Shimp

[email protected]

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Two Views of Work*

• Goals – Management View• “What do I want built?”• High-level• Difficult to structure appropriately

• too high-level not useful to team• too detailed directive vs. adaptive

• Tasks – Development View• “What do I have to do today?”• Work queue• Forest vs. trees problems

• Needed• Begin with the end in mind• Encourage agility• Bridge the gap

* from Managing the Work in an Agile Project,

Dr. Daniel Rawsthorne, PhD.

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Managing the Work: WBS View*

The Product Backlog

Product Team Org

Function Structure

Feature 1

Function 2

Feature 3

…

Conversions

Rewrites

Refactorings

…

Training

Dev Environment

Tools

…

Sales Support

Marketing Support

User Docs

…

Business Value /Product Centric

Business Value /Product Centric

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Managing the Work: “To Do” View*

• Now • a.k.a. “Sprint Backlog”• Stories

• Deliverable chunks of value• “Validate-able”• Estimated / “Right-sized”

• Tasks• Complete them to deliver the stories

• Next • Uncommitted, Next Sprint Backlog, or next Release• Stories

• Someday• Stories?• “Buckets” (story generators)• Possibly just “bright ideas” (need further investigation)

De

cre

asin

g P

recis

ion

TaskCentricTaskCentric

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Stories – Bridge Between WBS and To Do

• From XP• use-cases, scenarios, bits of features/function

• not just for users anymore

• Discrete piece of ROI• end-to-end, incremental value

• Format• Required: name, description, validation criteria

• Also: ID#, “story boss,” priority, size estimate

• Good Stories:• “bite”-able ( ~10 in a 30-day sprint )

• validate-able (no partial credit)

• discrete (avoid dependencies)

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Perhaps an example would help?

The Product Backlog

Product Team Org

Function Structure

Feature 1

Function 2

Feature 3

…

Conversions

Rewrites

Refactorings

…

Training

Dev Environment

Tools

…

Sales Support

Marketing Support

User Docs

…

Now

Next

Someday

Stories

© 3Back.com

Example – Structure the WBS

The Product Backlog

Product Team Org

Function Structure

Login

Withdraw Cash

Deposit Checks

…

Conversions

Rewrites

Refactorings

…

Training

Dev Environment

Tools

…

Sales Support

Marketing Support

User Docs

…

© 3Back.com

Example – Feed “To Do” View with WBS

• Now

• Next

• Someday

Decreasing P

recision

Login

WithdrawCash

Deposit Checks

Rewrites

Conversions

…

Training

Dev Env

Sales Support

User Docs

© 3Back.com

Example – Analyze / Add Stories

• Now

• Next

• Someday

Decreasing P

recision

Login

WithdrawCash

Deposit Checks

Rewrites

Conversions

…

Training

Dev Env

Sales Support

User Docs

© 3Back.com

Example – Analyze Stories (detail)

Analysis for Login Use-Case

Login “Happy Path”

“3 strikes” scenario

Login

Unfold to software elements

Develop unit / integration tests

Code up login UI

Update DB with UID / PW

Develop login module

Integrate

Name: Login “Happy Path”

Description:Primary success scenario for Login.

Validation Criteria:

-- login using UID and PW which are stored in DB is given access

-- login w/ UID or PW which is not in the DB is not given access

-- works for DEV and INT

Unfold story into tasks“when it’s time”

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Example – Analyze / Add Stories (cont.)

• Now

• Next

• SomedayLogin

WithdrawCash

Deposit Checks

Rewrites

Conversions

…

Training

Dev Env

Sales Support

User Docs


Login “Happy Path”“3 strikes” scenario

xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx

xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx







© 3Back.com

Example – Prioritize / Unfold Stories

• Now

• Next

• SomedayLogin

WithdrawCash

Deposit Checks

Rewrites

Conversions

…

Training

Dev Env

Sales Support

User Docs












Unfold to swareelements

Develop unit /Integration tests

Code up login UI



Integrate

xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx



xxxxx xx xxx x

xxxxx xx xxx x

xxxxx xx xxx x

xxxxx xx xxx x

xxxxx xx xxx x

© 3Back.com

Example – Do The Work

• Now

• Next

• SomedayLogin

WithdrawCash

Deposit Checks

Rewrites

Conversions

…

Training

Dev Env

Sales Support

User Docs












Unfold to swareelements

Develop unit /Integration tests

Code up login UI



Integrate




xxxxx xx xxx x

xxxxx xx xxx x

xxxxx xx xxx x

xxxxx xx xxx x

xxxxx xx xxx x

xxxxx xx xxx x

xxxxx xx xxx x



xxxx xxxxx

Notice how work outsidesprint just appears

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Example – Clean Up for Next Sprint

• Now

• Next

• SomedayLogin

WithdrawCash

Deposit Checks

Rewrites

Conversions

…

Training

Dev Env

Sales Support

User Docs












xxxxx xx xxx x

xxxxx xx xxx x



xxxx xxxxx

© 3Back.com

Keys to Success

• Be validation-centric• done / work complete

• verified / tested

• validated / demoable or accepted

• no partial credit

• “Right-size” stories• don’t be afraid of small bites

• stories are not tasks

• let the product lead

• Adapt• unfold complexity

• deal with difficulty

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Reminder!

• Staying Agile is an Agile process

• Agile is about people• Play to win vs. playing not to lose

• You don’t “do an agile process…”

…you are the agile process!