Another look at why Agile works Be Agile rather than Do Agile Agile Tour 2009 in Chengdu

Agenda Another look at the software development The nature call for Agile

Another look at the software development

The nature call for Agile

Difference between building a… And a Bridge… A Software…

Design vs. Construction Design Difficult to predict Require expensive and creative people Construction Easy to predict

Design

Difficult to predict

Require expensive and creative people

Construction

Easy to predict

Design in software Can you get a design that is capable of turning the coding into a predictable construction activity?

Can you get a design that is capable of turning the coding into a predictable construction activity?

The Base for Design Civil Engineering models Engineering Code Mathematical Analysis Software Design Peer Review…

Civil Engineering models

Engineering Code

Mathematical Analysis

Software Design

Peer Review…

Design effort for building a bridge is about 10% of the job Building a software for a large project , design is at least 50% of the work By Steve McConnell

In fact The source code is a design document and that the construction phase is actually the use of the compiler and linker. -- Jack Reeves

The source code is a design document and that the construction phase is actually the use of the compiler and linker.

-- Jack Reeves

Conclusion Software development is a creative process, which is not easily planned. Predictability may well be an impossible target.

Software development is a creative process, which is not easily planned.

Predictability may well be an impossible target.

Software Development: A Stochastic System Requests arrive at different times with different effort Test or programming effort take variable time People work faster or slower, get sick, or work longer or shorter Even if the initial condition (or starting point) is known, there are many possibilities the process might go to, but some paths are more probable and others less.

Requests arrive at different times with different effort

Test or programming effort take variable time

People work faster or slower, get sick, or work longer or shorter

Queues – A way to manage a system Detailed requirements specifications waiting for design Code waiting to be tested Components waiting to be integrated …

Detailed requirements specifications waiting for design

Code waiting to be tested

Components waiting to be integrated

…

A Stochastic System with Queues

As utilization goes up in a system with lots of variability, average cycle time gets worse

Nonlinear Delay and overload does not start at 99.99% Clearing the queue takes longer than making it Observations for highway

Nonlinear

Delay and overload does not start at 99.99%

Clearing the queue takes longer than making it

Analogy to Traditional Product Development with big batches

Throughput can get slowed by… High utilization levels Size of requirements Variability Queue size

High utilization levels

Size of requirements

Variability

Queue size

So, Queues are a Problem Impact on cycle time Inventory with no ROI Allow defects Affect the cost and ability to respond to change

Impact on cycle time

Inventory with no ROI

Allow defects

Affect the cost and ability to respond to change

Queue management in Agile – 1 Change the system to utterly eradicate queues Feature teams, Acceptance TDD … Sequential parallel

Change the system to utterly eradicate queues

Feature teams, Acceptance TDD …

Queue management in Agile – 2 Learn to see remaining queues with visual management Product backlog Sprint backlog

Learn to see remaining queues with visual management

Product backlog

Sprint backlog

Queue management in Agile – 3 Reduce variability Clear-fine user story Limited size of tasks

Reduce variability

Clear-fine user story

Limited size of tasks

Queue management in Agile – 4 Limit queue size Time box

Limit queue size

Time box

Go towards Agile Agile: ready ability to move with quick easy grace Deliver value fast with high quality and morale Constant improvement

Agile: ready ability to move with quick easy grace

Deliver value fast with high quality and morale

Constant improvement

Next… What’s the most important factor? It’s all about People!

What’s the most important factor?

It’s all about People!

Agile vs. discipline Scrum & XP use and require a high level of disciplined people

Scrum & XP use and require a high level of disciplined people

Better to teach people and risk they leave, than not and risk they stay. - anonymous

Better to teach people and risk they leave, than not and risk they stay.

- anonymous

Traditional management for people Plug Compatible Programming Units Resource utilization level 95% Cost Control …. Lower Morale Good people will leave

Plug Compatible Programming Units

Resource utilization level 95%

Cost Control ….

How will good people stay? Be recognized as competent professionals Allowed to decide on how to conduct their technical work

Be recognized as competent professionals

Allowed to decide on

how to conduct their

technical work

Management in Agile Boundaries and self-organizing accepting the process rather than the imposition of a process. make all technical decisions.

Boundaries and self-organizing

accepting the process rather than the imposition of a process.

make all technical decisions.

Hierarchies in Agile

Specialization in Agile

Be Agile rather than do Agile No matter how much agile practices you are using… Are you adapting your process? Are you putting people first?

No matter how much agile practices you are using…

Are you adapting your process?

Are you putting people first?

References “ The New Methodology” of Martin Fowler “ Scaling Lean & Agile Development” of Craig Larman and Bas Vodde . “ What (Else) Can Agile Learn from Complexity?” presentation given by Jurgen Appelo at Agile 2009.

“ The New Methodology” of Martin Fowler

“ Scaling Lean & Agile Development” of Craig Larman and Bas Vodde .

“ What (Else) Can Agile Learn from Complexity?” presentation given by Jurgen Appelo at Agile 2009.

Agile in System thinking Today’s problems come from yesterday’s solutions. The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back. Behavior will grow worse before it grows better The easy way out usually leads back in The cure can be worse than the disease Faster is slower There is no blame Cause and effect are not closely related in time and space Small changes can produce big results… but the areas of highest leverage are often the least obvious You can have our cake and eat it too – but not all at once Dividing an elephant in half does not produce two small elephants

Today’s problems come from yesterday’s solutions.

The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back.

Behavior will grow worse before it grows better

The easy way out usually leads back in

The cure can be worse than the disease

Faster is slower

There is no blame

Cause and effect are not closely related in time and space

Small changes can produce big results… but the areas of highest leverage are often the least obvious

You can have our cake and eat it too – but not all at once

Dividing an elephant in half does not produce two small elephants

OutSofting introduction In China, based in Beijing. Agile development training (public and in-house) Scrum introduction, CSM, CSPO. Test-Driven Development. Agile development consulting Agile coaching for development organization Agile coaching for executives. Coaching on Engineering practices Chinese-speaking ScrumMasters for project kick-off and team coaching. Impediments identifications and solutions finding Distribution of Agile development related tools in China Such as Atlassian (has all the pieces of the puzzle) : Issue tracking, Agile project management, CI, Enterprise wiki.

In China, based in Beijing.

Agile development training (public and in-house)

Scrum introduction, CSM, CSPO.

Test-Driven Development.

Agile development consulting

Agile coaching for development organization

Agile coaching for executives.

Coaching on Engineering practices

Chinese-speaking ScrumMasters for project kick-off and team coaching.

Impediments identifications and solutions finding

Distribution of Agile development related tools in China

Such as Atlassian (has all the pieces of the puzzle) : Issue tracking, Agile project management, CI, Enterprise wiki.

OutSofting’s mission in China Actively contribute to the improvement and expansion of Agile development in China.

Actively contribute to the improvement and expansion of Agile development in China.