A shallow dive into how Agile development has transformed the way that companies develop software, how Agile

addresses traditional product development issues

Why Agile?

in partnership with:

Introduction

Leslie J. MorseCoach & Trainer, Davisbase Consulting

•12+ Years in Software Development & Digital Media Technology

> Primarily Business Analysis role

> Also Customer role

•Start-Up Fortune® 50

Agenda

• Defining our Challenge

• Mapping our Solution

• Completing the Picture

• Wrap-up and Q&A

Framing the Challenge

• Your experience?

• Standish Group Results (Chaos Report 1995 - 2008)

> 31.1% of IT projects will be cancelled before completion

> 52.7% of completed projects cost on average 189% over their original estimates

> Only 16.9% of projects are completed on time and on budget

> 64% of features delivered are rarely or never used

> The larger the project, the more likely the failure

• Developing software is tough and prone to failure

Agile Benefits

67% of organizations find that Agile has improved the frequency of their product releases. May 2009 - Forrester Research

74% of organizations report that Agile practices have resulted in increased productivity.

2008 State of Agile - VersionOne

66% of organizations have found reductions in costgreater or equal to 10% 2008 State of Agile - VersionOne

57% of organizations report improvements in execution capabilities due to increased company

wide collaboration.May 2009 - Forrester Research

83% of organizations attribute improved transparency and project level visibility to their Agile practices 2008 State of Agile - VersionOne

Defining the Challenge

• Development teams are building something that doesn’t exist.

• The customer is attempting to describe what they imagine this non-existent product should be.

• Our developers then try to imagine what the customer is describing and the build the product they believe they heard the the customer describe.

• And finally, the first opportunity anyone has to truly see if the product built is one that the customer needs and wants is after development is complete.

Understanding Success

• How do we define a successful project?

Schedule 61% believe that it is more important to deliver a system when it is ready to be shipped than to deliver it on time.

Scope 87% believe that meeting the actual needs of stakeholders is more important than building the system to specification.

Money 79% believe that providing the best return on investment (ROI) is more important than delivering a system under budget.

Quality 87% believe that delivering high quality is more important than delivering on time and on budget.

Staff 75% believe that having a healthy, both mentally and physically, workplace is more important than delivering on time and on budget.

Dr. Dobb’s Survey. http://www.ddj.com/architect/202800777

Understanding a “Waterfall” Approach

• Waterfall development sequences phases of the project in a ‘throw it over the wall’ approach.

11

Requirements Analysis

Requirements Analysis

22

Architecture and Design

Architecture and Design

33

CodeCode

44

TestTest

55

DeployDeploy

This is typically where we find whether or not we

built a product the customer needs and

want.

This is typically where we find whether or not we

built a product the customer needs and

want.

Being Honest about WaterfallAssumptions and Risks

• Developing software involves uncertainty, its a combination of art and science. No perfect path.

• The IKIWISI (I’ll know what I want when I see it) Law applies.

• Waterfall assumes that up-front planning is enough to take into account all variables.

• Cost of change increases during development, so large effort and budget is allotted for extensive planning.

• No software is so simple that development can be scripted from beginning to end.

• Is it possible to predict all project variables?

Is there a better way?

Will Agile Address Our Success Challenge? AgileAddresses

Schedule Deliver our product when it is ready.

Scope Develop a product that meets our customers needs and wants, even as these may change and evolve.

Money Develop a product that focuses on maximizing ROI rather than simply adhering to budget.

Quality Develop a product of high quality.

Staff Provide a work environment that supports the growth of the team. YESYES

YESYES

YESYES

YESYES

YESYES

• Agile adoption has increased in the last several years across the globe.

• Recent data suggests 69% of companies have adopted an Agile approach in some form.

• Respondents to a recent survey identified improvements in the following areas after adopting an Agile development approach:

82% Increase productivity82% Increase productivity

77% Increase product quality77% Increase product quality

78% Increase stakeholder satisfaction78% Increase stakeholder satisfaction

37% Reduced costs37% Reduced costsSource: Dr. Dobb’s Agile Survey, 2008

Is there a better way?

So what is Agile anyway?

• A philosophy about software development.

• A collection of processes and practices that uphold this philosophy.

• A grassroots movement, which is now mainstream, to fundamentally change the approach to software development.

““Agility is more attitude than Agility is more attitude than process, more environment than process, more environment than

methodology.methodology.””--Jim Highsmith, Agile Project ManagementJim Highsmith, Agile Project Management

The Agile Manifesto

Individuals and interactions, over processes and tools.

Working software, over comprehensive documentation.

Customer collaboration, over contract negotiation.

Responding to change, over following a plan.

We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value the following:

That is, while there is value in the items on the right,we simply value the items on the left more.

Putting Agile to the Test

• The Agile Project Success Challenge

> Schedule

> Scope

> Money

> Quality

> Staff

The Agile Schedule: Round 1

• Agile teams work collaboratively with the customer throughout the project lifecycle.

• The customer is exposed to the emergent product.

• Determinations on functionality and product maturity is evaluated and examined regularly.

• The Agile team is able to ready the product for production when the customer deems the product creates sufficient business value.

• Following the release of the product into production, the Agile team may return to continue development of the product.

The Agile Success Challenge Schedule Deliver our product when it is ready. Did Agile pass? YESYES

The 5 Levels of

Scope on an Agile Project: Round 2

• Agile teams practice continuous planning.

• The customer creates a well articulated product vision.

• New requirements can be added at anytime to the product backlog.

• Agile teams know that value in a product is not created a point of plan.

• The correct scope for Agile project is not originally defined requirements, but whether or not features satisfy the well articulated product vision.

The Agile Success Challenge Scope Develop a product that meets our customer’s needs and wants, even as these may change. Did Agile pass? YESYES

VISIONVISION

ROADMAPROADMAP

RELEASERELEASE

ITERATIONITERATION

DAILYDAILY

The 5 Levels ofAgile Planning

The Agile Product Value Prop: Round 3

• The customer drives the prioritization of the product backlog.

• Agile teams deliver incrementally in order of priority.

• As the product emerges, the customer is able to regularly review and validate the business impact of each feature.

• When sufficient value is present in the features delivered in multiple iterations, the customer can request a product release.

• The customer is always in the driver’s seat, determining the value being created in the product as it emerges.

The Agile Success Challenge Money Develop a product that focuses on maximizing ROI rather than simply adhering to budget. Did Agile pass? YESYES

Agile Product Quality: Round 4

• At the end of each iteration cycle, the development team demonstrates the product to the customer.

• With greater product visibility, the product emerges to reflect the customer’s desire for product functionality.

• The increased collaborative approach to product development ensures that the customer is always in control of product quality.

• Through regular and consistent customer participation, we deliver a product customers like much better!

“Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for. A product is not quality because it is hard to make and costs a lot of money, as manufacturers typically believe. This is incompetence. Customers pay only for what is of use to them and gives them value. Nothing else constitutes quality.”- Peter Drucker

The Agile Success Challenge Quality Develop a product that is of high quality. Did Agile pass? YESYES

The Agile Team: Round 5

• Agile teams are empowered to make decisions that support their short term iteration goals.

• Agile teams experience the luxury of completing working software on a regular basis.

•

Agile teams meet at the end of each iteration to examine the past iteration to determine where improvements can be made, then plans accordingly.

The Agile Success Challenge Staff Provide a work environment that supports the growth of the team. Did Agile pass? YESYES

Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.A

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At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.A

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And the Winner is . . .

• Agile addresses common project obstacles as well as components of project success.

• 642 developers and managers surveyed after adopting Agile:

Productivity

Quality

Customer Satisfaction

Cost

IMPROVEDIMPROVEDIMPROVEDIMPROVED NO CHANGENO CHANGENO CHANGENO CHANGE WORSENEDWORSENEDWORSENEDWORSENED

Dr. Dobb’s Survey: http://ddj.com/architect/207600615

How has using Agile approach for product development affected your IT projects?

82% 13% 5%

77% 14% 9%

78% 15% 7%

37% 40% 23%

Top 10 reasons for Agile

1. Manage rapidly changing priorities better.

2. Accelerated time to market of product.

3. Increased team productivity.

4. Improved product quality.

5. Improved team morale.

6. Improved project visibility.

7. Reduced project risk.

8. Reduced product and project cost.

9. Improved alignment between business & IT.

10.A simplified development process.

Agile. In Conclusion.

• Agile holds that defined processes alone cannot be used to effectively manage complex and dynamic software projects.

• The ‘Cone of Uncertainty’ principle dictates that attempting to predict outcomes in the distant future is error prone. Agile only attempts to manage the manageable.

• The Agile approach brings the customer into the process to drive and manage a project’s ‘triple constraints’.

• Although a better approach, Agile is not a silver bullet.

• Agile is a tool and like other tools, you get out of it what you put into it.

Why Davisbase?

• A leading, national provider of Agile training and coaching services.

• Since 2007, over 1000 classes taught to over 9000 people.

• Training, coaching and consulting work for over 50 Fortune 500 Clients.

• Experienced; “in the trenches” doing what we teach

• Extensive experience with all aspects of software development and project lifecycle across multiple industries and verticals.

• Every title and role from Developer, QA Director, Project Manager, PMO Director through Executive Leadership.

• Average of 12+ years of applied IT Leadership experience.

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‣ Search for ASPE as a Registered Education Provider. Our number is 2161.

‣ At the bottom of our details page, select“See Provider’s Activities”

‣ Find the activity and code stated by the ASPE moderator during the seminar

‣ The seminars are typically a Category 3 for one PDU

Webinar Code:

WSWHYAGILE10

How to Claim your PDU

Contact Us

Steve Davis

CEO, Davisbase LLC

M: 801.361.2643

E: steve.davis@davisbase.com

Andy Painter

CTO, Davisbase LLC

M: 704.835.0194

E: andy.painter@davisbase.com

Bill Gaiennie

COO, Davisbase LLC

M: 949.303.9109

E: bill.gaiennie@davisbase.com

Leslie Morse

Coach & Trainer, Davisbase LLC

M: 803.665.9534

E: leslie.morse@davisbase.com

Remain Engaged

Davisbase Consulting

http://www.davisbase.com

@davisbase

Davisbase Consulting

Leslie J. Morse

@lesliejdotnet

Leslie J. Morse(leslie@lesliej.net)