Bluefly is an online retailer of high-end fashion that has been implementing Scrum since 2006 to improve its software development processes. Initially, Scrum was only partially implemented with limited training. Over time, Bluefly adapted Scrum further by integrating additional teams, upgrading tools, and adding an outsourcing partner. While the transition to Scrum was challenging and faced resistance at first, Bluefly has seen improvements in areas like teamwork, delivering working software in iterations, ownership across roles, and better preparation to adapt to changing business needs.

1. History of Scrum @ Bluefly, Part 1 Matt Raines Vice President of Technology Bluefly [email_address] @matthewraines

3. About Bluefly Pure play online retailer of high-end designer closing and accessories Launched in Sept 1998 ~$100mm in net revenue Tech team of 18 plus outsourcing team / consultants

4. Agenda

5. Dawn of Man (circa pre-2006) Unpredictable track record for project delivery Poor communication and integration with business stakeholders Struggled to meet expectations and deadlines Delivered product was not always what the business wanted and it was too late to change it Big platform migration project to implement Business users overwhelmed with requirements - at least 6 months to define requirements Lack of business users to define business solutions due to turnover No thorough understanding of the new platform – hard to design, hard to define business solutions

7. The Old Testament (circa dec 2006) Tech mgmt made decision to implement Scrum Limited number of people (managers) went to training Engaged a Scrum Process Mentor to facilitate transition Reorganized teams into Scrum teams Applied this methodology to a platform migration project

8. The Roman Empire (2007-2008) Forced implementation during the largest project in the company’s history New eCommerce platform Multiple teams w/ multiple disciplines Augmented with consultants Product owner not trained to be a good product owner Prioritization of backlog Didn’t test the finished features Level of engagement ended at the Review meeting IT management was struggling to understand their new roles

9. The Spanish Inquisition (2007-2008) Team reorganization Role ambiguity = F.U.D. Reorg was not voluntary, rather it was “imposed” from top down Loss of identity – my team doesn’t exist anymore Co-location Why do I have to move from where I am. My communication is fine. Who do I report to? Feels like I report to 7 managers (team members) Self organize, Dammit! Why don’t you love Scrum?

10. The French Revolution (present day) Adapted Scrum to Bluefly Integrated Sys Ops team to Scrum Added outsourcing partner Upgraded tools along the way Design reviews Project / product roadmap planning

12. Preview of Coming Attractions (10 lessons learned) Grossly overestimated our team’s tolerance for change Thought people would love Scrum – they didn’t Insufficient training, mentoring & coaching Democratic decision making can lead to mediocre solutions Fine line between discussion and argument Reluctance of individuals to make a decision Not setting any boundaries for “team makes decisions” Must have leaders – the stronger the better Thought that short iterations meant we would be faster Challenge of team vs. individual performance impacts on performance reviews Must plan at least 2 quarters ahead It’s not about the tools you use Scrum is a framework that you must adapt to your environment to be successful

13. Roll the Credits (Wins) Teamwork Finishing stories, carry each other through the sprint Confidence in what we can be achieved Increased ownership across functional boundaries Teams seek improvement in process Consistent story completion percentages Genuine partnership with product owners Non-stop conversation about roadmap and prioritization Engaged at the idea phase of business planning vs implementation Releases included all expected features Increased communication Improved Engineering practices Continuous integration, Automated Testing Better prepared to handle the “audibles” that get called by the business – these happen a lot!

14. Matt Raines Vice President of Technology Bluefly [email_address] @matthewraines