This document discusses applying agile project management principles to embedded systems development. It notes four key challenges with developing embedded systems in an agile way: the need for system documentation, hardware-software interdependencies, heterogeneous teams, and real-time functionality requirements. It proposes adapting agile principles to focus on early demonstrations and deferred design decisions. Kanban is presented as one agile tool that can help visualize workflows and make bottlenecks visible. Overall, the document advocates adopting an agile mindset and culture focused on continuous delivery, self-organizing teams, and valuing working demonstrations over documentation.

1. AGILE PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
For Embedded Systems Development
Ravneet Kaur
Software Process Manager
Philips

2. “It is possible to finish on schedule and under budget
but still not deliver anything of value.”

3. Why Traditional Projects Failed?
Requirements are never clear till end of the Project and
always keep changing.

4. Why Traditional Projects Failed?
We can‘t estimate huge Projects upfront.

5. Why Traditional Projects Failed?
Institutionalization of Large Batch Sizes

6. Why Traditional Projects Failed?
Underutilization of Cadence

7. Why Traditional Projects Failed?
Hostility to Variability and Worship of Conformance
Managing Timelines instead of Queues

8. Why Traditional Projects Failed?
Inflexibility
and
Centralized Control

9. Why Traditional Projects Failed?
No Feedback from the customer till the big bang delivery.

10. Agile Project Management
Agile Project Management is a value-driven approach that allows
Project Managers to deliver high-priority, high-quality work.

11. Agile Project Management
Agile Project Management is about embracing change,
even late in the development stage.

12. Agile Project Management
It’s about delivering the features with the greatest
business value first, and having the real-time
information to tightly manage cost, time and scope.

13. Traditional Vs Agile

14. Most popular Agile Project Management Tool
Scrum

15. Agile Project Management in Embedded Systems
There are four key constraints that make it challenging
to develop embedded systems in agile ways.

16. Agile Project Management in Embedded Systems
Need for system level documentation
Especially in areas were standards and regulations play a major role,
simply developing a working product can not be something to be
aimed at to the detriment of important documentation.

17. Agile Project Management in Embedded Systems
Hardware-Software Interdependences
The development of hardware and software (and often mechanics
too) are highly dependent on each other. Coupled with the long
development cycles of hardware and mechanics development this
makes iterative and incremental development challenging.

18. Agile Project Management in Embedded Systems
Heterogeneous teams with different skillsets
Traditionally software, hardware and mechanics developers have
been very separated in the development process and furthermore
each developer likely has their own area of expertise. Thus,
developing the system in an agile way is difficult since knowledge
transfer between developers is challenging.

19. Agile Project Management in Embedded Systems
Inflexibility due to real-time functionality
Real-time requirements of embedded systems mean that certain
functions need to happen in a predictable time window on the chip.
This makes the design flow very challenging, as the smallest
features and bug fixes can significantly change the timings of the
chip. Thus, modular and readable code can not always be achieved
when speed and power consumption of the design matter more.

20. Agile Manifesto

21. Agile Principles for Embedded Systems
Development
Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through
“early and continuous delivery of valuable software”.
Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through
“early and continuous demonstrations which lead to
the valuable system”.

22. “Welcome changing requirements, even late in
development”. Agile processes harness change for the
customer’s competitive advantage.
“Defer making restricting design decisions to allow
changing requirements, even late in development”.
This way the change can be harnessed for the customer’s
competitive advantage.
Agile Principles for Embedded Systems
Development

23. “Deliver working software frequently”, from a couple of
weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the
shorter timescale.
“Deliver demonstrations leading to the working system
frequently”, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months,
with a preference to the shorter timescale.
Agile Principles for Embedded Systems
Development

24. “Working software” is the primary measure of progress.
“Demonstrations and working system” are the primary
measure of progress.
Agile Principles for Embedded Systems
Development

25. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge
from “self-organizing” teams.
The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge
from “co-operating and self-organizing“ teams.
Agile Principles for Embedded Systems
Development

26. Agile Principles – change in culture and mindset
Business people and developers must work together daily
throughout the project.
Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them
the environment and support they need, and trust them to
get the job done.
The most efficient and effective method of conveying
information to and within a development team is face-to-
face conversation.

27. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The
sponsors, developers, and users should be able to
maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good
design enhances agility.
At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become
more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior
accordingly.
“Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not
done”—is essential.
Agile Principles – change in culture and mindset

28. Agile Project Management in Embedded Systems
Kanban

29. Visualise workflow with value stream mapping

30. Value stream mapping to Kanban Board

31. Kanban makes bottlenecks visible

32. Kanban helps in improving process

34. One day in Kanban Land

35. One day in Kanban Land

36. One day in Kanban Land

37. One day in Kanban Land

38. One day in Kanban Land

39. One day in Kanban Land

40. One day in Kanban Land

41. One day in Kanban Land

42. One day in Kanban Land

43. One day in Kanban Land

44. One day in Kanban Land

45. One day in Kanban Land

46. Kanban for System Thinking

47. Kanban for System Thinking

48. Kanban for System Thinking

49. Kanban at Scale

50. Kanban at Scale

53. Ravneet Kaur
Certified SCRUM Master
LKU Certified Kanban Practitioner
SAFe Agilist
Certified SAFe Program Consultant
ISTQB® Certified Tester
ETSI Certified TTCN-3® Expert
OMG Certified UML Professional™
Software Process Manager
Philips
ravneet.kaur@philips.com
0049-1746066353