The document discusses effective project management. It argues that being "agile" is less important than being effective. Projects should be viewed as releasing products, and a project's success is determined by how well its processes align with the product's maturity. The document outlines a 5-step approach: 1) Don't focus on being agile but on being effective; 2) View projects as releasing products; 3) Align a project's processes with a product's maturity to determine if it is born a winner or loser; check a project's "DNA".

1. Rational agility
EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS
Roman Mildner
February 28th, 2012

2. Questions
• Should we be agile?
• Can we be agile in safety-critical environments?
• How much agility do we need?
• Should we care?
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 2

3. Effective project management in five easy steps.
1. ‘Agile’ doesn’t matter.
2. Projects are releases.
3. Projects are born winners (or losers).
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 3

4. STEP 1
‘AGILE’ DOESN’T MATTER
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 4

5. The traditional approach according to an agile programmer
1. Describe the process
2. Review the process
3. Print out the process
4. Rethink the process
5. Go To 1
6. Work the process
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 5

6. The agile approach according to a process-aware programmer
1. Make up some feature
2. Code
3. Adapt feature to code written
4. Get some pizza
5. Goto 1
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 6

7. Agility, the oldest approach
Ancient agility:
• Individuals and interactions
over processes and tools
• Working software product over
comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over
contract negotiation
• Responding to change over
following a plan
QED.
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 7

8. What ‘rational’ and ‘empirical’ really mean
Rational Empirical
Attitude First think, then do Learning by doing
What’s important Strict reasoning Experience
Dealing with errors Preventive Corrective
Effort Initially Later
Examples in our world CMMI, Automotive SPICE SCRUM
Typical anti-pattern Analysis paralysis ‘Taskforcitis’
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 8

9. How we really decide
Feel
Rationalize
Life experience
‚Rational‘ decision!
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 9

10. ‘Agile’ doesn’t matter
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 10

11. STEP 2
PROJECTS ARE RELEAESES
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 11

12. Projects create product releases
Degeneration
Development
Units
Saturation
Maturity
Growth
release
First
Product maturity 
Process weight
Rationalization
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 12

13. STEP 3
PROJECTS ARE BORN WINNERS OR LOSERS
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 13

14. Fit for the job?
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 14

15. The project-DNA
Process
Product and Process Quality..
dimension
Requirements Development
Requirements Management
Configuration Management
Measurement and Analysis
Supplier Agreement Mgmt.
Decision Analysis and…
Organizational Training
Process Design/Focus
Validation/Verification
Project Monitoring…
Product Integration
Technical Solution
Risk Management
Project Planning
OPD/OPF
VAL/VER
Releases
REQM
RSKM
PPQA
PMC
SAM
DAR
Product maturity
CM
MA
RD
OT
PP
TS
PI
Development 100% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 0% 0% 0% 0% 75% 75% 50% 75% 25%
1
2 Introduction 100% 75% 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% 25% 50% 25% 75% 100% 75% 100% 50%
3
4 Growth 100% 100% 100% 75% 75% 100% 100% 75% 75% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
5 Maturity 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
6 Saturation 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
7 Degeneration 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 15

16. Practical example
Product maturity Requirements Management Project Planning
Development feature list burn down chart, milestones
Introduction + specification (use cases) + effort estimations
+ user reviews + scheduling
+ simple traceability + exact responsibilities
+ project plan
Growth + full traceability + management reviews and
+ full specification quality gates
Maturity + formal project lifecycle
Saturation
Degeneration
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 16

17. The human factor in your project
Degeneration
Development
Units
Saturation
Maturity
Growth
release
First
D Dominance
D I S C I Influence
Product maturity  S Steadiness
Process weight
C Compliance
Rationalization
D I S C
Team 1 Team 2
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 17

18. Answers
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 18

19. Q&A
Q: Should we be agile?
A: Wrong question! You should be EFFECTIVE.
Q: Can we be agile in safety-critical environments?
A: Yes-but. With the carefully crafted project-DNA.
Q: How much agility do we need?
A: Align with product maturity.
Q: Should we care?
A: Yes, urgently!
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 19

20. Effective project management in five easy steps.
Step 1: ‘Agile’ doesn’t matter.
Step 2: Projects are releases.
Step 3: Projects are born winners or losers.
CHECK
YOUR
PROJECT’s
DNA!
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 20

21. About the author
Roman Mildner, PMP
United Mentors
Eupener Str. 139
50933 Cologne, Germany
Tel +49-221-2605266
http://unitedmentors.com/RomanMildner
http://twitter.com/RomanMildner
http://www.projectcrunch.com
http://www.projectcrunch.de
February 28th, 2012 EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES: THE RIGHT DNA FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS . © 2012 UNITED MENTORS GMBH 21