This document discusses the keys to successful team-based software development. It argues that people are the most important asset, as good people can overcome poor processes or tools. It emphasizes co-location, communication, and collaboration among team members. Processes should be tailored to the organization and support agility, iteration, and managing the software lifecycle. Tools should integrate development tasks but people are still more critical than any tool. Successful teams communicate well and work together to combine their skills, break down barriers, and deliver business value.

1. “Team-based development”
The real key to software success
y
Paul Ramsay
National Consulting Manager
Equinox Limited
27 J ne 2007
June
FINAL – Version 3
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

2. Agenda
 The challenge
 The reality
 The experience
 The keys
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

3. The customer expectation
Time Now
Cost Quality Free Perfect
Functionality Everything and more!
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

4. The development dilemma
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

5. The vendor solution
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

6. The reality …
People People
p
make it happen
Process can be
the “glue” that holds Process
P
everything together
Tools can enhance Tools
productivity and
efficiency
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

7. … in that order!
 Despite the platitudes that “people are our greatest asset”
people really are your greatest asset – there is no
substitute for quality
 Good people will always overcome poor or non-existent
processes or tools
 “An undisciplined carpenter with a power tool becomes a
dangerous undisciplined carpenter”
d di i li d t ”
 The latest methodology or tool won’t save you – there are
no silver bullets
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

8. People – look for attitude, diversity and depth
Diversity
Depth
“Kii mai koe ki ahau he aha te mea nui o te ao? Maaku e
kii atu ki a koe - he tangata he tangata he tangata"
“If you asked me what i th greatest thi
k d h t is the t t thing, I wouldld
tell you - it is people, it is people, it is people"
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

9. People – develop the “tool-box” concept
 Skills:
The tools you have in your
toolbox (“know what”)
 Knowledge:
What tool to use and
when (“know when”)
 Experience:
How to apply the tool
(
(“know how”)
)
“What’s in your bag of tricks?”
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

10. People – teamwork makes the dream work
Teamwork:
 is productive
 is creative
 builds character
 produces new leaders
 promotes a sense of
belonging
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

11. Process – tailored to fit
 Needs to be tailored to the culture and characteristics of
your organisation – “one size fits one”
 Can either be an accelerator or a brake depending on how
p g
it is applied
High Formal
Processes
Complexity
Low
Complexity Agile
Processes
Low High
Flexibility Flexibility
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

12. Process – three key approaches
 Agile
 Visible
 Responsive
 Adaptive
 Iterative
 Incremental
“The Learning Spiral” “Don’t try and drink the ocean”
http://www.nald.ca/fulltext/abc/undcur/p50.htm
p p
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

13. Process – managing the lifecycle
 N hi exists i
Nothing i in
isolation
 Development does not
end with delivery
 Software will continue to
change – increasing
complexity and decay
p y y
 Design for maintenance
 Actively manage
y g
changes
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

14. Process – supporting mindsets and principles
P ti i d t d i i l
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/solutionaccelerators/msf/default.mspx
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

15. Tools – integrated development environment
 Development language
User
 Version control
 Build management
 Test management
IDE
 Defect management
Content Context
 Project management
 Tracking and reporting
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

16. Tools – Visual Studio Team System
Business
Analyst
Web Clients and
XML Web Services
Operations, QA
Third-
Third-Party IDEs
and Help Desk
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

17. QEII National Trust
 C
Covenant D t b
t Database
Development
 Managing covenants to
protect natural features on
private land
 First development using
Microsoft VSTS Team
Foundation Server
 Six month project
 Team of five people
p p
 www.openspace.org.nz
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

18. NZAID
 Scholarship System
Development
 Managing scholarships to
undertake post-secondary
study or vocational training
 Five month project
 Team of seven people
 www.nzaid.govt.nz
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

19. Schering-Plough Animal Health
 VetPlan System
Redevelopment
 Original developed by Equinox
in 1997 to manage customer
loyalty rebate system
 Redeveloped in 2007 using
latest Microsoft technologies
 Six month project
 Team of seven people
 http://www.spah.co.nz
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

20. Three primary keys to a successful team
 Co-location
 Communication
 Collaboration
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

21. Co-location
 Facilitates team interaction and communication
 Greater ability to focus on the task at hand with less
unrelated distractions
 Improved ability to respond to issues as they arise
 Closer working relationships both within the team and with
the customer
 Reduced administrative overhead with less “traditional”
monitoring and reporting required
g p g q
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

22. Communication
 G d communication skills
Good i ti kill
are essential
 As a team grows the
number of communication
“channels” can grow
g
exponentially
 A common technical
solution i t use a
l ti is to
common “bus” or shared
repository to replace all the
point-to-point connections
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

23. Collaboration – people
Stakeholders and
Sponsor
p
Monitoring
and Reporting
Process Project Manager
Customisation
Task Allocation
and Tracking
Process
Guidance
Development Team
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

24. Collaboration – teamwork
 Combine skills, experience and
judgement
 Break down barriers between
departments and disciplines
 Forming, storming, norming and
performing
f i
 “Keeping the band together”
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

25. Collaboration – tools
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

26. Some final observations
 Know and trust the team
 Invest in training and development – “the grass is always
greenest where it is watered”
watered
 Don’t reinvent the wheel – reuse and improve
 Collect relevant data unobtrusively with no developer
developer-
perceived interference
 Always do a post implementation review and apply the
lessons learned to your next project – “deliberate learning”
 Finally, remember it is all about the business and
y,
delivering business value
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

27. Possible next steps
 I di id l
Individual
 Look to leverage off what you already know and do
 Learn about teams and team dynamics
 Team
 How can we work more effectively as a team?
 What principles and practices do we need to adopt?
 Organisation
 Focus on your greatest asset
 Encourage team-based delivery supported by innovative
g y pp y
processes and tools
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007

28. Thank you
Questions and discussion
paul.ramsay@equinox.co.nz
www.equinox.co.nz
© equinox limited 2007