We live in a world where limited resources is a constant battle. One of the biggest struggles is how to get work done and make sure that it brings the most value possible to our customer. Managing GIS work through Scrum provides a way to do this. In this presentation, I will explain the concepts around the Agile methodology and how it could be applied not only in the IT world, but to any GIS work that needs to be done.

1. Getting GIS Done Using the Scrum
Methodology

2. What was our problem?
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Frustrated customers
Reactive staff
Requests getting lost
Little to no visibility into what staff
was working on

3. What was the cause?
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Work lacked prioritization
Lack of resources (time, people,
money)
Not resolving the root of the problem

4. What is Scrum?

5. Scrum
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Scrum is an iterative and incremental agile
software development framework for managing
software projects and product or application
development.

7. Scrum Characteristics
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Agile process
Self-organizing teams
Projects progress in a series of sprints
Requirements are captured as items in a product
backlog

9. Roles

10. Roles
• Product Owner
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Scrum Master
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Represents or is the user or customer
1 voice, even if representing more than 1
person
Represents management to the project
Enforces Scrum values and practices
Removes impediments to the team progress
Scrum Team
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Commits to doing the work

11. Product Owner Needs…
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A understanding of business goals
To have a vision on how tools support
business goals
To be able to coordinate priorities
amongst all users/departments
Authority to make decisions on what
is being implemented and when

12. Product Owner Responsibilities
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Manage the ROI
• Measure the project against ROI
• Prioritize product backlog to maximize ROI
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Calls for release
• Decides when to call for an official release
• Can shift a release forwards or backwards to
maximize ROI
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Establish a shared vision

13. Scrum Master
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Removes the barriers between
development and the product owner
Educates Product Owner about Scrum
• To maximize ROI and meet project
objectives
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Improve productivity in any way
possible

14. Scrum Team
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Typically 5-9 people
Ideally cross functional
Ideally full time

15. Scrum Process

16. Release Planning
• First meeting held by the Scrum Team
• Responsible for determining what work
needs to be accomplished for the project
to be successful.
• Determine level of effort

17. Product Backlog

18. Product Backlog
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Scrum’s version of a requirements
document
List of desired work
Combination of…
• Story based work
• The user can search…
• Task based work
• Improve exception handling on…

19. Product Backlog Example
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Contains
• General priorities
• Ranking 1 through X
• Estimates – imprecise
and rough, used for
assigning into sprints
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Allowed to grow and
change as more is
learned
Prioritized by Product
Owner

20. Sprint Planning

21. Sprint planning meeting
• Purpose of the Sprint Planning meeting
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is to determine what work will be done in
the upcoming sprint
2 parts
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For two week sprints
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Prioritization and Planning
no longer than 1/2 day for 2 week sprints
Participants:
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Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Team

22. Team Commitment
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The team selects the work to be
accomplished in a sprint
• Which items
• How many items
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This is a team commitment, not an
individual commitment

23. Business Commitment
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Business Commitment
• To leave priorities alone during a sprint

24. Sprints

25. Sprints
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In Scrum, projects make progress with Sprints
Sprint are a set amount of time (2 week at DW)
Work is managed through the Sprint Backlog
Progress is tracked through the use of a burn
down chart
During sprints, the team performs
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Analysis
Design
Code
Test
• Project is potentially releasable after every sprint

26. Example of a Sprint Burndown Chart

27. Daily Scrum meetings
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Parameters
• Daily
• 15 minutes
• Answers
• What I did yesterday?
• What I plan to do today?
• Do I have any impediments?
• Many times results in follow-up
conversation among the team

28. Sprint Review Meeting
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Team presents what it accomplished
in the sprint
Usually in the form of a demo
Informal meeting
Participants
• Users, Management, Product Owner,
Other Developers, Scrum Master, Scrum
Team

29. Sprint Retrospective
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Review of what is or is not working in
the process
Important when starting scrum
Participants
• Scrum Master
• Product Owner
• Team

30. GIS and Scrum

31. How does this fits with GIS?
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GIS work is iterative
GIS is strong linked with technology
A GIS project is just that….a project

32. Contact
Jonathan Spitze
Manager of IT Geospatial Asset Management
Denver Water
303-628-6050
jonathan.spitze@denverwater.org