Many engineering teams at Akamai Technologies have different software development cycles and unique ways of using Jira. We're working on a critical muli-year, cross-team project, and need to provide frequent updates to senior management. So, how do I get my teams to update a status I can use for reporting? Learn how our agile engineering teams navigate work with management team with a waterfall mindset and see how we use Jira, Confluence and Structure to streamline the status tracking and reporting process.

1. Herding the Cats
JANE ALLARD | DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING | AKAMAI
SHANE COLLEDGE | PROGRAM MANAGER | AKAMAI
Why won’t those engineers update their status?

3. Source: https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1346869-sarah-s-scribbles

4. Waterfall Agile

5. Waterfall Agile

6. Waterfall Agile
Management

7. Waterfall Agile
Team
Team
Management
TeamTeamTeam

8. Waterfall Agile
Team
Team
= flexible
Management
TeamTeamTeam

9. Waterfall Agile
Management
TeamTeam
Teams
Team
Team
= flexible
= frustrated!+Management + +
Team

10. Agenda
Problem definition
Approach
Solution
Example Jira usage
Lessons learned
Next steps

11. Agenda
Problem definition
Approach
Solution
Example Jira usage
Lessons learned
Next steps

12. Agenda
Problem definition
Approach
Solution
Example Jira usage
Lessons learned
Next steps

13. Agenda
Problem definition
Approach
Solution
Example Jira usage
Lessons learned
Next steps

14. Agenda
Problem definition
Approach
Solution
Example Jira usage
Lessons learned
Next steps

15. Agenda
Problem definition
Approach
Solution
Example Jira usage
Lessons learned
Next steps

16. Large,
multi-year,
cross functional
program tracking
Management wants 1-2 years forecast
Teams track work differently
Management wants frequent updates

17. Large,
multi-year,
cross functional
program tracking
Management wants 1-2 years forecast
Teams track work differently
Management wants frequent updates

18. Large,
multi-year,
cross functional
program tracking
Management wants 1-2 years forecast
Teams track work differently
Management wants frequent updates

19. OLD WAY
Manual
Out of Date
Time-consuming

20. Automated
Current
Fast
OLD WAY ASPIRATION
Manual
Out of Date
Time-consuming

21. The process
Pains
Consensus
Inspired by Kaizen events
Brainstorming

22. The process
Pains
Consensus
What we want to fix
Brainstorming

23. Pains
Prioritization
Expectation
Grooming
No clear backlog, managing uncertainty
Not sure on level of detail
Couldn’t be done independently

24. Pains
Prioritization
Expectation
Grooming
No clear backlog, managing uncertainty
Not sure on level of detail
Couldn’t be done independently

25. Pains
Prioritization
Expectation
Grooming
No clear backlog, managing uncertainty
Not sure on level of detail
Couldn’t be done independently

26. The process
Pains
Consensus
Which solution do we try?
Brainstorming

27. Solutions
Define common set of data
Agree on cadence
Accountability to each other
Have project/tickets we all use the same way
with minimum set
Different cadence for different levels of details
Group planning and monthly deliverable review
together

28. Solutions
Define common set of data
Agree on cadence
Accountability to each other
Have project/tickets we all use the same way
with minimum set
Different cadence for different levels of details
Group planning and monthly deliverable review
together

29. Solutions
Define common set of data
Agree on cadence
Accountability to each other
Have project/tickets we all use the same way
with minimum set
Different cadence for different levels of details
Group planning and monthly deliverable review
together

30. Waterfall Agile
Project = Bridge
FEATURE
INITIATIVE
DEL MONTH DEL MONTH

31. Bridging the
gap
Initiatives for teams
Epics for 3-6 months of work
Stories for monthly deliverables
Reflects they way the teams are currently
structured.
Teams were already thinking in terms of larger
chunks of work
Monthly deliverables isn’t exactly sprint planning,
but it moves the teams in that direction

32. Initiatives for teams
Epics for 3-6 months of work
Stories for monthly deliverables
Reflects they way the teams are currently structured.
Teams were already thinking in terms of larger chunks
of work
Monthly deliverables isn’t exactly sprint planning,
but it moves the teams in that direction
Bridging the
gap

33. Initiatives for teams
Epics for 3-6 months of work
Stories for monthly deliverables
Reflects they way the teams are currently structured.
Teams were already thinking in terms of larger
chunks of work
Monthly deliverables isn’t exactly sprint planning, but
it moves the teams in that direction
Bridging the
gap

34. Creating a call-out

35. Creating a call-out
Kept same hierarchy
Allowed teams to quickly find their
work in relation to others

36. Creating a call-out
Highlight an area of a screenshot to
ensure that your audience can focus
on the area you want them to see.
Defined release cadence
Incrementally moving teams toward
a regular release/sprint planning
cycle

37. Planning
sessions
Updates
Reception
Planning sessions
“We can’t plan that far ahead!” - need for iterative approach.
Planning together in one room – good cross-team collaboration
In Practice

38. Monthly deliverable updates
Difficult at first – teams didn’t like working to “outside” schedules
Teams with regular planning cycles adapted quickly
In Practice
Planning
sessions
Updates
Reception

39. Reception
Senior Management:
“Now we know what’s going on!”
Teams:
Number of monthly deliverables became unwieldy
In Practice
Planning
sessions
Updates
Reception

40. Key Takeaways
Buy in from Team Enforced via agreed
upon cadence and
peer pressure
Level set deliverables Change Management

41. What’s next?
• Feedback, dynamic planning, deliverables
• Dissolve the bridge layer

42. Source: https://www.sonomamag.com/enter-sonoma-magazines-cutest-cat-contest/#slide-3

43. Thank you!