Agile Transformation Journey In A Product Company: A Case Study

1. Agile Transformation Journey In A Product Company: A Case Study
Kyiv Project Management Day
– Kyiv, Ukraine, 2018

2. *
- 14+ years in software development
- 6+ years in helping businesses to improve TTM, Efficiency, Quality,
Transparency and People engagement
- has been involved in different projects from the variety of business domains
(Telecom Billing Systems, Embedded Systems Industry, Payment Systems, Web
and Mobile Development, etc.)
- last 3.5 years worked with world’s largest supplier of online gaming, being
responsible for operations efficiency and Agile adoption at UK/UA/EE/BG/IL/BY
R&D centers
2
Andriy Bahlay
M +38 093 789 64 62
E Andriy.Bahlay@gmail.com
S the.ondrash

3. *Consulting services & solutions
3
Business Transformation Distributed Development

4. *Help clients to
4
Launch products
faster
(Time to Market)
Reduce pre-, post-
production tails
(Quality)
Get more work
done
(Productivity)
Gain business
visibility
(Visibility)

5. *Clients
Ukraine, IL, BG, EE
United Kingdom
Ukraine, Denmark
Ukraine, Denmark
Ukraine, Norway
5
Ukraine, Germany
US, UA, BY
Ukraine, Denmark
Belarus

6. *
6
Disclaimer

7. *
4

8. About Product
• Domain
• Sofia and Kiev locations
• 75+ engineers
• 13+ years on a market

9. Current Structure
Web / HTML5
Devs Devs Devs Devs
Devs
Devs
QA
QAs QAs QAs QAs QAs QAs
Product Mgmt
BABABA
Project Mgmt
PMPMPM
QT
Devs Devs Devs Devs
Devs
Devs
Server / JAVA
Devs Devs Devs Devs
Devs
Devs
R&D

10. Functional structure
...
WHEN?
WHY IS IT
SO SLOW?
D E V E L O P M E N T
P R O J E C T
M A N A G E M E N T
Q A
Resource allocation
and internal prioritization
Transition
between units
Lack of overall expectation
management
Rework!
P R O D U C T
M A N A G E M E N T

11. Current process
… 2W 2W 2W 2W 2W 2W
AREA #1 -
BACKLOG
AREA #2 -
EDCATION
DEVELOPMENT QA PREPS
2W …
DEVELOPMENT QAPRE-DEV ACTIVITIES
DEVELOPMENT QAPRE-DEV ACTIVITIES PREPS
2W

12. 12

13. Agenda
• Problems
• How Agile helps
• Proposed solution
• Results
• Q&A
From the Past - Assessment report, Jun 2013

14. * Create a guiding coalition
• R&D manager
• Program manager

15. * Assessment

16. Assessment Details
• I’ve talked to almost everyone
• “Top to bottom” approach
• 1x1 and group sessions with managers and leads
• Retrospectives with teams

17. 9 AM
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
10 AM
11 AM
12 AM
1 AM
2 PM
3 PM
4 PM
5 PM
6 PM6 PM
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
9 AM
10 AM
11 AM
12 AM
1 AM
2 PM
3 PM
4 PM
5 PM
1st week (Sofia) 2nd week (Kiev)
Assessment
session
Product function
Extended
Retrospective
with teams:
Server Team
XYZ Teams
Interim
results
presentation
for the key
stakeholders
Engagement report
Executive summary,
documented findings and
suggested next steps
Final results
A solution
presentation and
suggested next
steps
Assessment
session
Delivery function
Assessment
session
Architecture
function
Assessment
session
Development
function
Assessment
session
QA function
1
7
Assessment
session
Business goals
Important
projects/milesto
nes,
Org. structure,
Management
team,
KPIs
* Assessment program overview (Sofia)

18. Problems
• Efficiency
(Multitasking, Buffers, Utilization, TTM)
• Quality
(Practices Drop, Rework, Dev & QA)
• Transparency
(Change Mgmt., Impact analysis, Metrics, “Invisible things”)
• Expectation Management & Planning
• Ownership, Responsibility & Commitment

20. *
* Пропаганда нового видения
будущего

21. ** Создание ощущения
необходимости перемен

22. Solution co-creation
Identify long-term and mid-term goals for the transformation, make root-cause analysis
for major challenges, co-create action plan for implementation according to R&D reality
To be defined:
- Teams composition
- Roles & responsibilities: PO, SM, TL
- Review and prepare teams backlogs
- Release cycle management
- Transformation implementation planning
Assessment report presentation
Agile Training for Leadership team
Provide key people with common knowledge of Agile
and Lean approaches in software development
* Разработка видения и стратегии

23. *

24. *
* Влияние

25. * Удаление всех препятствий

26. What Agile brings
• All functions work together towards the same goal
• Fixed teams vs. Resource pools
• Team backlogs vs. Project-based approach
• Product people are close to the team and involved
• Short iterations with potentially deliverable code
• Short feedback loops

27. Issue in functional structure
...
WHEN?
WHY IS IT
SO SLOW?
D E V E L O P M E N T
P R O J E C T
M A N A G E M E N T
Q A
Resource allocation
and internal prioritization
Transition
between units
Lack of overall expectation
management
Rework!
P R O D U C T
M A N A G E M E N T

28. Value Streams
I CAN MANAGE EXPECTATIONS!
...
Stream specific knowledge
Predictable throughput
Smaller scope = better focus
Early feedback on quality
Fast communication
Transparency
Ownership

29. Value Streams
• Tools
• Games
• UI/UX

30. ** Актуальность предложенного
изменения

31. Open Questions from people
• How to deal with QA-only activities (regression)
• How to deal with Automation team
• How to deal with production issues / maintenance
• How to deal with system-wide integration
• How to deal with non-product development activities
• …

32. UI/UXGAMESTOOLS
Value Streams
Web / HTML5
Devs Devs Devs Devs
Devs
Devs
QAQAs QAs QAs QAs QAs QAs
Product Mgmt
BABABA
Project Mgmt
PMPMPM
QT
Devs Devs Devs Devs
Devs
Devs
Server / JAVA
Devs Devs Devs Devs
Devs
Devs
R&D

33. UI/UXGAMESTOOLS
Value Streams -> Cross-functional Agile Teams
Web / HTML5
Devs Devs Devs Devs
Devs
Devs
QAQAs QAs QAs QAs QAs QAs
Product MgmtProduct
Owner
Product
Owner
Product
Owner
Agile PMs
Agile PMAgile PMAgile PM
QT
Devs Devs Devs Devs
Devs
Devs
Server / JAVA
Devs Devs Devs Devs
Devs
Devs
R&D

34. Server / JAVA
TEAM
Roles
Web / HTML5
DevsDevs
QA
QAs QAs
Product Mgmt
Product
Owner
Agile PMs
Agile PM
QT
DevsDevs
DevsDevs
R&D
Tech lead
Dev
Manager
Dev
ManagerTech lead
Tech lead
QA Lead
RTE
Product TL
Product
Manager
R&D
Manager

35. * Roles & responsibilities
35
• Team Leader vs. Practice Leader
• PM (PC) vs. APM
• BA vs. PO

36. * Scaled Agile Framework
Overview
SAFe is a practical way to scale LEAN and
AGILE methodologies to an ENTERPRISE
LEVEL to address challenges causing troubles
in these four areas.
The SAFe spans three levels of PORTFOLIO,
PROGRAM and TEAMs making an approach
understandable and practical for CTOs and top
management of development organizations.
SAFe provides practical recommendations on
how to establish and efficient, flow driven
delivery systems starting with ideas on
PORTFOLIO and down to TEAMs through
execution on PROGRAM level.
What is SAFe
36

37. DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5DAY 1
Process Kick-off
workshop
Every project is different.
Let’s define:
- Roles
- Artifacts (and tools)
- Ceremonies
- Practices: DoD, CI,
DoR, AQA, code reviews,
etc.
Agile Training
Two days Agile training for Two teams (Pilot
team & one more Team)
Align everyone on terminology to speak the
same language. Discuss WHY we need Agile
and HOW to do in Agile way.
Module 1. Agile and Lean thinking
Module 2. Frameworks: Scrum and Kanban
Module 3. Agile Estimation and Planning
Module 4. Teamwork
Backlog and Tools
It's crucial for the project
to have well-structured
and well-defined Backlog.
Let's create a Backlog
and setup the Tools
necessary to have.
- Tools Set-up
- Tools Workshop
- Backlog Grooming
Sprint “ZERO”
Planning
Let’s plan the work for the
Sprint. We have to define
Sprint goal and create
Sprint backlog.
- Conduct Sprint Planning
meeting
- Follow-up and next
steps
*
* Agile Injection in details

38. Current process
… 2W 2W 2W 2W 2W 2W
AREA #1 -
BACKLOG
AREA #2 -
EDCATION
DEVELOPMENT QA PREPS
2W …
DEVELOPMENT QAPRE-DEV ACTIVITIES
DEVELOPMENT QAPRE-DEV ACTIVITIES PREPS
2W

39. Agile process
2W 2W 2W 2W 2W 2W 2W 2W …2W
DEV+QA DEV+QA IP AREA #1 -
BACKLOG
DEV+QA DEV+QA IP
AREA #1 -
BACKLOG
DEV+QADEV+QADEV+QA
PRE-DEV
DEV+QA
PRE-DEVPRE-DEV

40. Change
is not easy

41. 41
* Закрепление изменений в
корпоративной культуре

42. Results
• Productivity: +20%
• Quality: post-production tail cut to 25%
• Time to Market: (from 3.5-4m to 2m)
• Visibility: full control on “what” & “when” will be delivered
• Efficient organizational structure
• Efficient cross-functional collaboration
• PO function should be strengthened
• Employee Engagement

43. Tools Games UI/UX

44. ** ”Leading Change” by John P. Kotter

45. *
45
* Создание ощущения
необходимости перемен

46. 46
* Влияние* Влияние

47. 47
* Создание коалиции
* Создание коалиции

48. *
48
* Актуальность
предложенного
изменения

49. * Разработка видения и стратегии

50. 50
* Пропаганда нового видения
будущего
* Пропаганда нового видения
будущего

51. 51
* Быстрые победы
• Инкрементное добавление ценности
• Движение к цели малыми шагами

52. 52
* Удаление всех препятствий

53. 53
* Регулярный анализ и развитие
перемен
* Регулярный анализ и развитие
перемен

54. 54
* Закрепление изменений в
корпоративной культуре
* Закрепление изменений в
корпоративной культуре

55. *
55
* ”The Culture Map” by Erin Meyer

56. *
56
Bulgaria

57. *
57

58. ** Основа успешных изменений –
ВСЕГДА люди

59. *
*QUESTIONS?