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Lessons from the Cornish Software Mines
The document summarizes the results of an evaluation of an "Agile Programme" in Cornwall, England that was intended to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and create jobs. The evaluation found that half the participating businesses created new jobs, totaling 50 new positions. Many businesses saw increases in revenue, profitability, and customers. The programme provided training, coaching, and ongoing support over several months. Coaching focused on both process improvements and technical skills like test-driven development. The multi-dimensional coaching approach addressed company strategy, product development processes, and code quality. The programme was deemed a success in meeting its goals of supporting businesses and creating new jobs in Cornwall.
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Lessons from the Cornish Software Mines
- 1. Lessons from the Cornish February 2013 So/ware East, Cambridge So/ware Mines Allan Kelly allan@so/warestrategy.co.uk Twi>er: @allankellynet h>p://www.so/warestrategy.co.uk/allankelly
- 2. Allan Kelly • Agile Training & ConsulLng – So/ware-‐Business alignment • Author: – Changing So*ware Development: Learning to be Agile, Wiley 2008 – Business Pa<erns for So*ware Developers, Wiley 2012 97 Things Every Programmer Should Business Analysis Know and Leadership: Henney, 2010 Influencing Context EncapsulaGon in change Pa<ern Languages of Program Design Penny Pullan & Volume 5, 2006 James Archer 2013
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- 4. Objec&ve-‐1 “Convergence” Objec&ve: Social Fund • Help Cornish SMEs • Create jobs in Cornwall Grow Cornwall! Coaching for High Growth
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- 6. Programme evaluaLon • Independent evaluaLon • • commissioned by Oxford InnovaLon • 6 months a/er end of the programme (September 2012) • 13 companies took part – Out of 15 in programme as a whole
- 7. Programme evaluaLon • “Agile Programme met the expectaLons” • Benefits are being realised… – more flexible approach to business, – more responsive through improved workflow – improved communicaLons and team cohesion – in general they are more efficient – be>er customer service and saLsfacLon • TacLcally, businesses report having improved Lmes to market and be>er product tesLng.
- 8. Results • Half of businesses … created at least one new posiLon … average of four jobs per company • Businesses credit Agile (at least parLally) for creaLng 50 new posiLons in total. – Min half of the new jobs were high skilled roles • 7 companies the turnover/revenue had increased – 3 report significant increase. • 6 have increased profitability – 3 experiencing a significant increase. • 6 parLcipants have experienced an increase in customers or opportuniLes, – 3 said it was a significant increase
- 9. How did we help? • Training • Coaching – mulLple levels • Time – on going, Return visits • Agile FoundaLons training workshop – Followed by Process/Product Coaching • Test Driven Development Workshop – Followed by Technical Coaching
- 10. Process Coaching • Monthly Light touch – Review the board coaching – Talk to team, talk to managers – Answer quesLons – What’s working well? – What’s causing problems? – What needs changing? – Discuss alternaLve approaches
- 11. Technical Coaching • Focus on Test Driven Development • Clients using: C, C#, C++ Team found a bug in legacy code using TDD the • 2-‐day C# TDD course day a/er the course – Followed by BDD & Architecture courses later • Ongoing coaching a few days a month – Pair programming • Later PHP TDD training & coaching – With SebasLan Bergmann
- 12. 4-D Coaching Model Building the right thing Building it right Time
- 13. 3 Sided Coaching What is the company making? How is the company organized? Advice for senior managers Company: Strategy Less DirecLve What processes are followed? Are you delivering? Product: Process More DirecLve Advice for teams What is the architecture? Is the Code: Technical code tested? Are you finding bugs? Advice for programmers
- 14. 3 Sides Code: Technical • Not a hierarchy Product: Process – Use together or in combinaLon – Value in each dimension Company: Strategy – Whole > Sum of parts • Use different coaches – Difference audiences inside company – Different coaches have different specializaLons
- 15. + Time (the 4th dimension) • Don’t expect it all at once • Different people learn at different speeds • Iterate – Li>le and o/en
- 16. Research Instruments As a User I would like the so/ware to remember my setngs so that I don’t have to re-‐calibrate and re-‐configure the so/ware each Lme I use it. As an Embryologist I would like to be able to replay stored videos of procedures so that I can see how they were performed As a Pa&ent I would like to see confirmaLon that both me and my embryo have been idenLfied correctly so that I can relax and feel confident
- 17. Dev Manager This isn’t esLmaLon, that’s RI MysLc-‐Meg stuff, we KNOW when will be done Burn Down Development Effort 90.0 80.0 70.0 82.0 73.5 60.0 63.5 50.0 57.0 47.0 40.0 46.0 28.0 30.0 24.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 4.0 0.0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 RI Viewer Priority
- 18. RI -‐ The Benefits (own words) Dev team Outside dev • Team enthusiasLc, focused, • Other teams want to adopt moLvated Agile principles • Encourage changes in • Quality dept is happier requirements • Snr Management have graphs to play with • Easier management • MarkeLng speak the same • Higher quality language • Predictability + Flexibility • Customers given accurate • IdenLfy problems quickly Lmescales • Development process is simple
- 20. Xanpan = Kanban + XP Company board – whole company!
- 23. Keep reinforcing the message • Agile Programme R.I.P. • Long live Agile! – Companies cross site visits – Managers “acLon learning set” – Some shared training iniLaLves – OI conLnues High Growth coaching for managers
- 24. Icing on the cake… Retu Agile on the Beach Conference -‐ September rning 5-‐6 S for a 2011 & 2012, Falmouth y eptem 3 rd yea Ke n ber 2 r otes Gabr : Dan N Mary & Tom Poppendieck, Kevlin Henney, 013 iel St orth Steve Freeman, Rachel Davies, Mnhard & ei ichael t Feathers, Eben Upton, …. h>p://www.agileonthebeach.com
- 25. What did we Learn?
- 26. Lessons Learned: DifficulLes • Training + Coaching works – When we didn’t success is slower • Success is relaLve – Company we don’t consider a success, they do! • Horse to water – Not everyone conLnued a/er training
- 27. Lessons Learned: People • Doesn’t align with some people own views • Agile exposes (exisLng) personnel problems – Nowhere to hide – Hard to avoid • People learn at different speeds – Teams & Companies adopt at different speeds • People (companies) need help to get this stuff
- 28. Lessons Learned • Even cheap isn’t cheap enough • Senior Team have problems too – Management coaching required • Process first can be effecLve • Limits of remote coaching – Limits of light touch? • Who’s success is it anyway? – Can a Coach ever claim success?
- 29. Don’t push change -‐ Let them pull! • Lay out your stall A model inside – And wait the corporaLon too?
- 30. What's the best way to take a bridge? Both ends at once Brigadier General Gavin Major Julian Cook Quote: A Bridge Too Far • Cornelius Ryan (Book) Image: Nijmegen bridge from FaceMePLS, CreaLve Commons License on Flickr • Richard A>enborough (Film)
- 31. Our bridges have 3 ends! Tridge, Midland, Michigan -‐ Image from Gary Teall, Fenton Low AlLtude FLAP @ h>p://www.panoramio.com/photo/15573763
- 32. QuesLons Allan Kelly allan@so/warestrategy.co.uk Twi>er: @allankellynet h>p://www.so/warestrategy.co.uk/allankelly
Editor's Notes
- #17 RI -> Distributor -> Infertility Clinic -> Infertile Couple / PatientStories have improved as time goes on
- #18 You can predict when this will be way before you actually get there.
- #19 Agile matches the way that developers want to developNo Gantt, simple project plans, no task lists, no assigning of tasks to individuals, high visibilityMuch greater confidence in the software being produced – it smells betterPredict accurately end points (A 3 month development prediction was accurate to the day !)Identifies problems – they stick out. We had to add other specialists in the team and will probably add more