The document discusses selecting pilot projects for an agile transformation. It recommends that pilot projects should demonstrate business value, convince leadership to support the transformation, and create positive momentum. An ideal pilot project has a clear business benefit, can be delivered within 3-6 months by a single team, and has an available sponsor. A selection framework considers both the benefits an agile approach could provide and an organization's readiness to adapt. Assessing these factors helps identify suitable early adopter projects and potential roadblocks. A selection matrix can then highlight the best candidate projects to start with.

1. Where To Start - Agile Pilot Project Selection
Why Pilot Projects Selection is Critical?
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• Should be able to convincingly demonstrate the Business value
• Convince IT and Business Senior Management to provide
commitments/budget to advance the Organization’s Agile
Transformation journey
• Should create a positive atmosphere for other project teams to provide
commitment to follow Agile
• Should highlight the potential organizational problems for scaling agile

2. Where To Start - Agile Pilot Project Selection
Industry Guidance for Selecting Pilot project
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Ideal Pilot Project:
• Has a clearly identified and
measurable business benefit –
it is important enough to get
attention and ensure focus
• Takes 3 – 6 months to deliver
• Can be delivered with one
team
• Business Sponsor is available,
able and willing to prioritise
and elaborate requirements
and make timely decisions
Mike Cohn “Succeeding with Agile Software Development Using Scrum”
Addison-Wesley, 2010

3. Where To Start - Agile Pilot Project Selection
Agile Pilot Project Selection Framework
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Based on our Agile Consulting experience, what we have learned is that
we need to look at two major aspects while selecting pilot Agile projects:
• Agile Benefits (Suitability): This will cover the benefits that projects
can derive or project challenges that will be addressed by adapting
agile delivery. Projects with significant expected benefits should be
considered for initial agile project adaption
• Agile Readiness (Adaptability): This will cover the parameters that
are critical for successful agile delivery. Since Agile needs significant
mindset change, strong organization support is required for pilot agile
projects

4. Where To Start - Agile Pilot Project Selection
Suitability Criteria
• Suitability Criteria should address the key pain areas/challenges that
organization is facing and where Agile can help.
• This can be identified during interview sessions for Agile Readiness
Assessment
For example:
–Requirements are complex and or ambiguous
–Managing technological Risk
–Long Release Cycles
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5. Where To Start - Agile Pilot Project Selection
Adaptability Criteria
• Adaptability Criteria should address the key parameters which can be
major roadblocks for agile adaption for a given organization
• Again, Agile Readiness Assessment helps to identify the potential
roadblocks
• For example:
–Senior Management commitment
–Business Proxy availability
–Importance of Business Idea
–Team Collaboration
–Technology fitment for Agile
–Self Sufficient development teams
–Empowered Project teams
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6. Where To Start - Agile Pilot Project Selection
Agile Pilot Project Selection Matrix
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7. Where To Start - Agile Pilot Project Selection
Agile Pilot Project Selection Matrix - A Sample Output
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8. Why Organizations Fail Adapting Agile?
Summary
• Agile transformation is a continuous journey and not destination
• It should follow the same Agile principles. “Inspect and Adapt”
• During this journey, right selection of candidate projects for agile
adaption will increase the success rate, garner more support for
transformation and also uncover hidden organization problems in
controlled manner
• Agile pilot project selection framework will be customized as per client’s
environment and will help to identify the right candidates for pilot
projects
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9. Why Organizations Fail Adapting Agile?
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