My presentation slides from the Pune UnConference 2018. Here I discuss the value of quality and how dysfunctions may affect it. Every team is focused towards delivering quality, no one wakes up in the morning with an idea to introduce defects, we naturally ideate to solve problems. Unknowingly though, dysfunctions always creep in and identifying a dysfunction is extremely difficult especially when you are a part of the dysfunction. The context of defect severity and how these may create an illusion of quality; how accountability of a single person (e.g.: Product Owner) may result in a "Lack of Commitment" dysfunction; and how cost is not proportional to quality especially when it comes to delivering virtual products and services related to it.

1. A “Quality” Debate
By VISHAL PRASAD
Product Development Consultant
@AgileMaven
Pune Agile Unconference 2018 www.PuneAgileUnConference.com
© 2014-18, Scale Up Pvt. Ltd. All Rights Reserved. www.ScaleUpConsultants.com

2. This presentation was originally used for the talk “A Quality Debate” at the Pune
Agile UnConference 2018 (PAUC18) held on 19th
August.
Pune Agile Unconference 2018 www.PuneAgileUnConference.com
© 2014-18, Scale Up Pvt. Ltd. All Rights Reserved. www.ScaleUpConsultants.com

3. This presentation contains copyright free images from pexels and google.

4. What is it?

5. It’s Subjective

6. It’s Subjective
It’s Relative

7. Cost
Scope Time

8. Story 1: The Innovation Lab
On 3rd August 2018, I met Stella who’s heading an
innovation lab for a world renowned product company
attempting to spread their wings into consulting. I was
called to assess their existing agile practices and provide
any suggestions for improvement. Stella has been a very
successful Project Manager and also authored a book on
Project Management. Here’s an extract from our
conversation:

9. Stella: The idea is simple, we call in the
customer’s cross-functional team to our
innovation lab for 5 weeks and the SOW
states that we have to acquaint them with
hands-on Agile and DevOps practices while
building a useable prototype so that they
can continue even without us after 5 weeks.

10. Stella: The idea is simple, we call in the
customer’s cross-functional team to our
innovation lab for 5 weeks and the SOW
states that we have to acquaint them with
hands-on Agile and DevOps practices while
building a useable prototype so that they
can continue even without us after 5 weeks.
Vishal: Great, how can I help?

11. Vishal: Great, how can I help?
Stella: The idea is simple, we call in the
customer’s cross-functional team to our
innovation lab for 5 weeks and the SOW
states that we have to acquaint them with
hands-on Agile and DevOps practices while
building a useable prototype so that they
can continue even without us after 5 weeks.
Stella: What do you suggest
we teach and build?

12. Vishal: Well, what you build will be
decided by the Product Owner.

13. Vishal: Well, what you build will be
decided by the Product Owner.
Stella: We don’t have one, it’s
costly for a 5 week assignment.
It’s a heavy investment for a
prototype.

14. Vishal: Well, what you build will be
decided by the Product Owner.
Stella: We don’t have one, it’s
costly for a 5 week assignment.
It’s a heavy investment for a
prototype.
Vishal: Okay, if your SOW states DevOps, there’s some
groundwork that’ll be needed. You can manage the scope
of your DevOps implementation, but I’ll suggest you
begin with TDD.

15. Vishal: Well, what you build will be
decided by the Product Owner.
Stella: We don’t have one, it’s
costly for a 5 week assignment.
It’s a heavy investment for a
prototype.
Vishal: Okay, if your SOW states DevOps, there’s some
groundwork that’ll be needed. You can manage the scope
of your DevOps implementation, but I’ll suggest you
begin with TDD.
Stella: That’ll be difficult. We have only 5
weeks and testing is time consuming. We
have to deliver the prototype as well.

16. Vishal: How will you verify if your
Continuous Integration was
successful without tests?

17. Vishal: How will you verify if your
Continuous Integration was
successful without tests?
Stella: Since we just need to teach the
concept and not really have it in place,
we’ll have a tech lead merge the code from
developer branches twice everyday. As a
project manager, it’s my expectation that
the tech lead makes sure that the integration
is successful.

18. Vishal:

19. Vishal:
Stella: It’s acceptable considering the
boundaries of our cost, scope, and time.

20. Story 2: The Mumbai Dabbawalas
A lunchbox delivery and return system that delivers hot
lunches from homes to people at work in Mumbai. The
lunchboxes are picked up in the late morning, delivered
predominantly using bicycles and railway trains, and returned
empty in the afternoon.
Each dabbawala, regardless of role, is paid around ₹8,000 per
month.
It’s estimated that they make less than one mistake in every six
million deliveries.

21. Dabbawalas
Scope: Deliver lunch
Cost: ₹5 per delivery
Time: Bicycle + Train Commute
Better Dabbawalas
Scope: Deliver lunch & dinner
Cost: ₹10 per delivery
Time: Faster using drones
Let’s replace this with a better system
Has the quality improved?

22. Theorem: Quality has a peak at a specific cost, time, and scope; beyond which it remains unaffected.

23. Theorem: Quality has a peak at a specific cost, time, and scope; beyond which it remains unaffected.
Corollary: Quality under the peak at a specified cost, time, and scope is always inferior.

24. Theorem: Quality has a peak at a specific cost, time, and scope; beyond which it remains unaffected.
Corollary: Quality under the peak at a specified cost, time, and scope is always inferior.
Corollary: In order to be superior, Quality is NOT negotiable; irrespective of the cost, time, and scope.

25. Today, I’ll introduce 3
defects in my source
code.

26. Story 3: Your actions would be ...

27. It depends
on the
severity of
the defect.

28. My Show Stopper from 2009

29. My minor defect from 2013

30. The Product
Owner is
accountable.

31. We have seen this happen

32. When do you realise that it’s critical? 2017

33. Critical Applications?

34. Critical Applications?

35. Quality is
directly
proportional
to cost.

36. Mercedes Maruti Suzuki
How safe would you like to be?

37. Which one has a better software?

39. The cost isn't defined by the craftsmanship of the engineers rather the raw
materials utilised define the cost.

40. The cost isn't defined by the craftsmanship of the engineers rather the raw
materials utilised define the cost.
Shouldn’t an experienced developer logically deliver better results than a
newbie?

41. The cost isn't defined by the craftsmanship of the engineers rather the raw
materials utilised define the cost.
Shouldn’t an experienced developer logically deliver better results than a
newbie?
Let's define the raw materials for software craftsmanship: adequate training
that up-skills engineers, latests bug free libraries, investment in information
radiators, good management practices, etc.

42. The cost isn't defined by the craftsmanship of the engineers rather the raw
materials utilised define the cost.
Shouldn’t an experienced developer logically deliver better results than a
newbie?
Let's define the raw materials for software craftsmanship: adequate training
that up-skills engineers, latests bug free libraries, investment in information
radiators, good management practices, etc.
The Project Management triangle is not incorrect; when it comes to software,
our understanding of the triangle may not be correct.

43. The cost isn't defined by the craftsmanship of the engineers rather the raw
materials utilised define the cost.
Shouldn’t an experienced developer logically deliver better results than a
newbie?
Let's define the raw materials for software craftsmanship: adequate training
that up-skills engineers, latests bug free libraries, investment in information
radiators, good management practices, etc.
The Project Management triangle is not incorrect; when it comes to software,
our understanding of the triangle may not be correct.
Quality (craftsmanship) is NOT negotiable!

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© 2014-18, Scale Up Pvt. Ltd. All Rights Reserved. www.ScaleUpConsultants.com