As more and more companies are embarking on the journey of Agile Transformation, leaders are on the constant lookout for various kinds of metrics to measure the progress. Newer and more improved Metrics are being created everyday. Some of them are naive, while the others are complicated to measure. Most metrics are focused on execution. Through his experience, Deepak have seen multiple perspectives for measuring transformation. Deepak shared his perspective about measurement, and offered the participants, his understanding of Agile Transformation. He discussed about the metrics that make sense from a business perspective. At the end of the day, its not only the Technology/Engineering leaders, but, also business leaders who fund the transformation and business gets equal share of their benefits form the transformation.

1. Agile
Transformation and
the Metrics Drama
Deepak T Gururaja
A Storyline

2. Once upon a time…..
O X is a legacy corporation that has been
serving customers for more than 25 years
O Their product is robust and has been in
existence for 20+ years
O They have seen the tides of time – the
ups and downs
O Were able to survive through the waves
O Has more than 50% of the market share
O Customers are with them for a long time

3. One day they see
O A new competitor Y – comprising a group of
young “inexperienced” people seem to be
eating their market share
O X lost the last 2 contracts to Y
O All executives from Company X get together
to do a comparison
O Competitor has one fourth their strength and
10% of operating costs
O Their product is sooo customizable
O Their deployment time is only 10% of ours

4. How could this be possible

5. Eureka…..
O One senior executive finally figured out what Y is
doing different….
O They are doing A.G.I.L.E

6. Agile transformation plan is
born
O A formal program office is setup for Agile Transformation
O Meeting prospective vendors and shortlisting based on
O Services provided
O Type of Coaches
O Compatibility of Culture
O Cost
O Availability of coaches across locations
O …etc
O The best vendor is shortlisted
O Coaches are brought onboard
O Leadership addresses the entire organization in an “All
Hands Meeting” and conveys the path for transformation

7. Then Comes the coach

8. Coach starts off with the
coaching…
O Discovery of the teams
O Analysis of the teams current state
O Build a coaching roadmap
O Send everyone to Agile trainings
O Coaches start engaging with the teams on
a day to day basis

9. Metric drama starts… Everyone
is Looking at the metrics
O Velocity
O Cycle time/Lead Time
O Throughput
O Sprint/Release/Epic Burndown
O Schedule Adherence
O Estimation Accuracy
O Feature Size distribution
O Say-Do-Ratio
O Retrospective effectiveness
O And finally – “Assessments”
O …

10. As a result
O Velocity starts to go up
O Cycle Time begins to reduce
O All teams are taking up assessments
O All kinds of graphs start doing the rounds
O Leaders are happy….

11. And the executive who had
suggested Agile Adoption
goes….

12. Transformation is termed
complete

13. While Everyone was Busy
looking at the graphs…
O Company Y signed 2 more deals

14. What really happened?
O Team velocity was increased by 20%
O Teams’ estimation efficiency was
improved
O Cycle times for teams had reduced
O Team’s Say-Do-Ratio was always more
than 100%
O Teams' throughput was consistent

15. What got missed here?
O While the transformation was going on,
people forgot the intended outcome of
transformation

16. Lets look at the type of metrics
O Output based metrics
O Outcome based metrics

17. The Problem with Metrics
O Metrics are usually output based, and
never outcome based
O The problem with outcome
O Its an event and can be measured only
after the event occurs in the course of time

18. What best can we do?
O Look at some of the leading indicators of
outcome and iterate over them
O Key is to have as shorter a feedback loop
as possible

19. Lets take up this game
O Lets define an outcome of transformation
O Lets see what are some of the output
based metrics
O Lets ponder upon what are some of the
leading indicator of the outcome
O See how we can reduce the feedback
loop

20. Transformation Goal –
Increase Revenue
O Lets Define
O What are the Output Based Metrics
O What are some of the leading indicators of
the outcome
O How can we reduce the feedback loop for
these leading indicators
O What actions we can take towards these
leading indicators

21. Transformation Goal –
Increase CSAT ratings
O Lets Define
O What are the Output Based Metrics
O What are some of the leading indicators of
the outcome
O How can we reduce the feedback loop for
these leading indicators
O What actions we can take towards these
leading indicators

22. Transformation Goal –
Increase Market Penetration
O Lets Define
O What are the Output Based Metrics
O What are some of the leading indicators of
the outcome
O How can we reduce the feedback loop for
these leading indicators
O What actions we can take towards these
leading indicators

23. Let me leave you with an
experience I had yesterday
O I visited a temple in Chilkur
O Surprisingly No -
O Hundi
O Direct Donations
O Seva Tickets/Special Darshan
O What is their expected outcome
O Simple – More and more people come in to
the temple
O How do you think this outcome is caused?