Silvia Fragola's presentation on agile project management outlines the essence, benefits, and challenges of adopting agile methodologies in software development. Key elements for successful agile implementation include management support, a partnership approach with customers, and an experienced team. The document emphasizes that agility is crucial for innovation and managing complex projects in a rapidly changing environment.

1. Silvia Fragola –
Trainer and coach on Agile Project Management
silvia.fragola@cefriel.com
@silviafragola
May 25, 2015
Agile
methodologies
for
innova2ve
so3ware
development
projects

2. 22
Key points of the speech
1. Illustrating the true essence of an agile approach
2. Describing what kind of projects an agile approach best fits
3. Giving the key elements to be successfully agile

3. 33
First of all
an important premise

4. 44
Agile is not about being undisciplined
Responding to change does not
mean “learning by ear”

5. 55
Agile is a practice
Mature Agile frameworks
require a disciplined,
repeatable, process-
driven approach to
actively manage a
“scope in fieri”

6. 66
Agile is a good practice …
FORRESTER 2012
What are the perceived benefits in your organization of using Agile?
46%
43%
38%
37%
32%
26%
19%
16%
5%
Improved quality
More opportunities for mid course corrections
Overall improved customer or business satisfaction
Better business/IT alignment
Improved time-to-market
Increased team motivation/morale
Greater predictability of results vs requirements
Greater predictability of releases
Increased maintainability
Base: 205 IT professionals – Global Agile Software Application Development Online Survey

7. 77
… but its application is often a challenge
Main “enemies” are:
§ Resistance to change
§ Lack of a global view
§ An entirely top-down or bottom-
up approach
§ Best practices

8. 88
When does it worth
the effort to apply
an agile
approach?
The choice shall be
based both on
intrinsic and
extrinsic
characteristics of
the project

9. 99
Intrinsic characteristics of the
project
1
Extrinsic characteristics of the
project2

10. 1010
Agility: at the heart of the matter 1/2
It is a specific approach to risk
management …
Building more than needed
Build lower priority items
Build right thing wrongly
Poor quality
Having the wrong resources
Discovering functional needs late

11. 1111
Agility: at the heart of the matter 2/2
Predictive approach Agile approach
Source: Mike Cohn
… when there is little knowledge
about the project

12. 1212
Agile approach
An iterative and adaptive process where small, highly-
collaborative teams work in a series of short cycles,
incorporating rapid feedback, to deliver emergent
solutions, emphasizing transparency among all
stakeholders

13. 1313
Agile projects
“Agile projects are large projects that
must be delivered rapidly, that are
research-like and mission-critical, and
that have to be managed in a
turbulent business and technology
environment”
Jim Highsmith
In the earlier days of agile
development, smaller projects
were the norm. Today
companies are tackling all
sizes of projects – even the
very large with hundreds of
people – with agile concepts
and practices
Research
projects are
characterized
by risk and
uncertaninty.
Research
requires
exploration
rather than a
fixed plan.
Research is
synonymous, at
least for our
purposes, with
innovation.
Agility is one
key to achieve
high levels of
innovation
The pace of
business has
accelerated
Agile
projects
have
changed
our views
about what
is an
objective
(value,
quality) and
what is a
constraint
(time)
Turbulence causes projects to acquire
research-like characteristics.
Turbulence, and change caused by
that turbulence, continues to be a
major factor in business

14. 1414
One size does not fit all
Predictive approach Agile approach
§ The final product can be
fully specified and
designed in the early
stages of the project
§ Project is structurally
complex (size, number of
interdependencies …)
§ Project needs a strict
regulatory control
§ Project presents typical
features of emergent
complexity, e.g. due to
lack of clarity of vision,
clear success criteria/
benefits, previous
experience, availability of
information …
§ Product has a significant
component of human
interaction
Combined methods

15. 1515
Intrinsic characteristics of the
project
1
Extrinsic characteristics of the
project
2

16. 1616
Project environmental factors
The whole ecosystem
must think agile

17. 1717
Management
support
1
A partnership
approach with
the customer
2
An
experienced
and
empowered
team
3
Key (extrinsic) factors for a successfull
agile experience

18. 1818
Management support
Management has to
clearly know risks and
benefits of an agile
approach

19. 1919
A partnership approach with the
customer
Source: Catherine Boivie, Cross-organizational collaboration:
from dating to tying the knot
(Dating) pure
transaction
based
relationship
e.g. spot-
buying
(Engagement)
e.g. short-to-
medium-term
contracts
(Marriage)
win-win
collaborative
strategic
relationship e.g.
long-term
agreements rather
than pure
contracts
Senior management
support (family)

20. 2020
An experienced and empowered team
Everyone is
responsible,
everyone has the
authority

21. 2121
Management
support
1
A partnership
approach with
the customer
2
An
experienced
and
empowered
team
3
Key (extrinsic) factors for a successfull
agile experience
Communication and transparency as
enabling factors

22. 2222
Take aways
Agile is not a silver bullet
Adoption of an agile approach must be carefully thought
Start small to decrease risks
Knowledge and trust are the key
Don’t make your own agile

23. 2323
Our approach to agile introduction
AGILE READINESS
ASSESSMENT
(on the base of intrinsic and
extrinsic characteristics of the
project)
DESIGN
(appropriately taylor the
intervention – e.g. top down vs
bottom up)
MONITOR & CONTROL
(definition of KPIs to monitor
for continuous improvement)
SUPPORT
(coaching activities)
“Becoming agile is not a journey into the
unknown, it’s an expedition with its own
characteristics”
Tim Lister

24. 2424
“We can never direct a living system, only
disturb it and wait to see the response … we
can’t know all the forces shaping an
organization we wish to change, so all we
can do is provoke the system in some way by
experimenting with a force we think ight have
some impact, then watch to see what
happens”
Conclusions 1/2
Christopher Avery

25. 2525
A transparent and
shared view of the
future is the key
Conclusions 2/2

26. 2626
Any
questions?