Deciding what to build

Deciding “What” to Build

The Agile EnterpriseStrategically Aligned, Throughput Focused, Human Powered
“Dennis Stevens helped us develop a structured approach that connected customer value to execution. He helped us deliver over $200 million in value to our customers.”
-- Ric Merrifield, Microsoft Corporation
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“Dennis Stevens helped us align business analysis, architecture, development, QA, support and implementation. He was an advocate for the success of our business"
-- Rob Andes, CTO, John Deere
Connecting the Strategy and ExecutionHBR: The Next Revolution in Productivity
Agile in the Enterprise
Core Team Member
“In a time growth and change, Dennis Stevens helped us identify and develop the capabilities needed to deliver technology that was critical to our success."
-- Mike Rouse, COO, Security First Network Bank
Exploiting Agile Development
Cutter: Rethinking the Agile Enterprise
Agile Business Analysis
Agile Extension to the BABOK

Do you see it?

Now you see it!

The “How” TrapA human condition
The Fosbury Flop
Sending a fax isn’t ever “what” someone is doing

With a How FocusEffort Expands Faster then Value
#1. Undifferentiated Scope
#2. Over analyze and over design
#3. Delivery is over engineered

#1 Undifferentiated Scope

What is Business Value?
Increase or protect revenue, decrease or prevent costs, increase service, maintain compliance or prepare for the future in alignment with the business strategy

Business Value Goal Model Example
Tire Manufacturer
Survive by re-establishing credibility
Business Value Goal
Fix the tires
Settle lawsuits
Address morale
Repair distributor relationships
Improve PR
Focusing Objectives
Revenue
Customer Satisfaction
Market share
Production levels
Expenses
Standard Objectives

What is Customer Value?
What the customer perceives as important and is willing to pay for.

Customer Value Map Example
high
Starbucks
Emphasis
low
quality
speed
convenience
fashion
selection
ambiance
price
location
serviceexpertise
factors of customer experience
Explicit performance gap
We are here

Describe the product as a set of outcomes – or capabilities.
Jump Over Bar
Notify Customer
Verb - Noun

Explicit Performance Gaps
Business Value
Customer Value
AnotherOutcome
Risk
Risk
Business Risk
Technology Risk
Organizational Risk
Market Risk
KEY
Low Performing
Medium Performing
High Performing
High Value
Medium Value
Low Value
High Risk
Moderate Risk
Low Risk

Have a road map

Specific Initiative To Achieve a Specific Outcome
At the end of the effort – that outcome should be recognizable
AnotherOutcome
KEY
High Value
Medium Value
Low Value
Low Performing
Medium Performing
High Performing
High Risk
Moderate Risk
Low Risk

When the performance goal is achieved
We don’t need to invest here anymore
AnotherOutcome
KEY
High Value
Medium Value
Low Value
Low Performing
Medium Performing
High Performing
High Risk
Moderate Risk
Low Risk

Revisit the road map frequently
If the outcome isn’t realized – either your understanding of the model is wrong – or you didn’t do a good job with the initiative
When lost it the forest, if the map doesn’t agree with the terrain, in all cases believe the terrain

#1 Undifferentiated Scope
Tips
Articulate business value
Articulate customer value
Make value explicit
Have a road map
Revisit the road map frequently

#2 Over Analyze and Over Design

Start with the simplest thing that might possibly work

Reduce risk early – focus on next highest increment of value
Trim the tail
2,500
Value
Knowledge Growing (risk reduction)
2,000
1,500
$ in k
1,000
500
Value
Cost

Discovery
An increment whose purpose is to prove a technology or gather feedback. May be a technology proof or a prototype.
Prove it before investing more then needed

Goat Path
A story that defines the absolute minimum required to walk a happy path of an activity from one end to the other. Can include supporting technical stories.
When we need rapid feedback to address business risk

Gravel Road
A story that is robust enough to cover multiple options and paths but whose implementation can be broken by extraordinary uses.
Paved Road
A story that is solid and can withstand high capacity and resilient to frequent use.
Super Highway
A story with lots of bells and whistles that is tightly integrated into other uses, intuitive and robustly functional.
Allows trimming the tail
Do we always need the Super Highway?

#2 Over analyze and over design
Tips
Reduce risk early with as little investment as possible
Be focused on a small specific objectives

Over Engineered

#3 Over Engineered
Until something is delivered it is all untested assumptions
Strategic decisions become concrete at the implementation level – make sure delivery is focused on value

#3 Over Engineered
The runway is more important than the road map
Make sure the right context (architecture, value, schedule, costs) exists for delivery
Make work ready so the next most important thing can be worked on

#3. Solutions are over engineered
Tips
Establish context and deliver early and frequently

Tips
#1. Undifferentiated Scope
Articulate business value
Articulate customer value
Make value explicit
Have a road-map and test your assumptions
#2. Over analyze and over design
Reduce risk early with as little investment as possible
Be focused on a small specific objectives
#3. Solutions are over engineered
Establish context and deliver early and frequently

Questions
Dennis Stevens
President, Synaptus
Enabling the Agile Enterprise
@dennisstevens
www.synaptus.com
www.dennisstevens.com

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Deciding what to build

by Dennis Stevens on Feb 20, 2011

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Deciding what to build — Presentation Transcript