Transitioning to Agile: Feeding the Scrum Engine Derek Wade [email_address] and Douglas Shimp [email_address]

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.

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

Managing the Work: WBS View* Business Value / Product Centric 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 …

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) Decreasing Precision Task Centric

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)

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)

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)

Perhaps an example would help? Stories 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

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 …

Example – Feed “To Do” View with WBS Now Next Someday Decreasing Precision Login Withdraw Cash Deposit Checks Rewrites Conversions … Training Dev Env Sales Support User Docs

Now

Next

Someday

Example – Analyze / Add Stories Now Next Someday Decreasing Precision Login Withdraw Cash Deposit Checks Rewrites Conversions … Training Dev Env Sales Support User Docs

Now

Next

Someday

Example – Analyze Stories (detail) Login Unfold to software elements Develop unit / integration tests Code up login UI Update DB with UID / PW Develop login module Integrate Analysis for Login Use-Case Login “Happy Path” “ 3 strikes” scenario 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”

Example – Analyze / Add Stories (cont.) Now Next Someday Login Withdraw Cash Deposit Checks Rewrites Conversions … Training Dev Env Sales Support User Docs Analysis for Login Use-Case Login “Happy Path” “ 3 strikes” scenario xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx

Now

Next

Someday

Example – Prioritize / Unfold Stories Now Next Someday Login Withdraw Cash Deposit Checks Rewrites Conversions … Training Dev Env Sales Support User Docs Analysis for Login Use-Case Login “Happy Path” “ 3 strikes” scenario Unfold to sware elements Develop unit / Integration tests Code up login UI Update DB with UID / PW Develop login module Integrate xxxxx xx xxx x xxxxx xx xxx x xxxxx xx xxx x xxxxx xx xxx x xxxxx xx xxx x xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx

Now

Next

Someday

Example – Do The Work Now Next Someday Login Withdraw Cash Deposit Checks Rewrites Conversions … Training Dev Env Sales Support User Docs Analysis for Login Use-Case Login “Happy Path” “ 3 strikes” scenario Unfold to sware elements Develop unit / Integration tests Code up login UI Update DB with UID / PW Develop login module 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 xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx Notice how work outside sprint just appears

Now

Next

Someday

Example – Clean Up for Next Sprint Now Next Someday Login Withdraw Cash Deposit Checks Rewrites Conversions … Training Dev Env Sales Support User Docs “ 3 strikes” scenario xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx xxx x xxxxx xx xxx x xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxxx

Now

Next

Someday

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

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

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!

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!

Thank You!