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When Agile doesn’t work
Tips and tricks
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AGILE
Idea
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Agile in theses
Focus on
result
Be flexible
Work
effectively
Involve
customer
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Idea of Agile
Choose
Estimate
Develop
Integrate
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Expected impact
Customers
 Better quality
 Cheaper products
 Faster results
Managers
 Better forecasting
 Better client
understanding
Developers
 More freedom
 More relax
 Better code
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AGILE
Challenges and improvements
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Challenge 1 - When and how much?
Two typical questions from customer before project starts
 “When project will be ready?”
 “How much will it cost?”
 “What are the releases and features?”
Typical answers
 “I do not know – it’s Agile”
 “Let me calculate”
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Challenge 1 - When and how much? - Impact
 Manager calculates project using other method
- Team understanding may differ
 Project delays
 Pressure on developers increases
- Client expects price and change requests explanation based on given
methodology
 Manager needs to map methodologies
- It is not clear for customer, so trust is lost
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Challenge 1 - When and how much? – Ideas
Solution
Abstract
estimations
Process
framework
Statistics
gathering
Stable
teams
Similar
projects
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Challenge 2 – Customer is “dummy” in SW Dev.
Typical customers
 Customer doesn’t know what he really wants
 Customer knows “exactly” what he wants
 Customer doesn’t understand Agile process
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Challenge 2 – Customer is “dummy” in SW Dev. – Impact
 Requirements are changed all the time.
- However price and time is fixed (“We agreed already”)
 Every change requests is a hell for manager
- However sprint is ongoing
 Customer is not really involved as product owner
- Developers do best they can
 Customer doesn’t like it
 Customer is too involved
- Argues about estimations
- Controls every step
- Advices “best” solutions
 No time for code improvements approved
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Challenge 2 – Customer is “dummy” in SW Dev. – Ideas
Solution
Process
presentation
Example
projects
Agile
training with
customer
Controlled
first sprints
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Challenge 3 – Team is different
Typical teams are
 Growing at project start
 Have different expertise
 Not a team yet
 Not professionals yet
But Agile process is already applied, so…
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Challenge 3 – Team is different - Impact
 Team velocity is unpredictable
- New members ramping-up
- Juniors
- Problems between team members
 Planning is not valid
- More pressure from management or client
 Overestimates
 Task assignments
 Micromanagement
 Team leader is assigned
- Conflicts with Agile principles, but actually works 
www.luxoft.com
Challenge 3 – Team is different – Ideas
Solution
Apply
Agile
gradually
Stable
teams
Ramp-
up
trainings
Core
team
Gather
Statistics
www.luxoft.com
Bunch of questions to be solved
Price estimations
Long-term planning
Release planning
Scalability (Scrum of
Scrums)
Long-term Reporting
Documentation
development
Dependencies
management
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Some of good things
Scrums
organize
Scrums improve
communications
Retrospective
increases
motivation
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THANK YOU

Алексей Денисюк "When Agile doesn't work. Tips and Tricks"

  • 1.
  • 2.
  • 3.
    www.luxoft.com Agile in theses Focuson result Be flexible Work effectively Involve customer
  • 4.
  • 5.
    www.luxoft.com Expected impact Customers  Betterquality  Cheaper products  Faster results Managers  Better forecasting  Better client understanding Developers  More freedom  More relax  Better code
  • 6.
  • 7.
    www.luxoft.com Challenge 1 -When and how much? Two typical questions from customer before project starts  “When project will be ready?”  “How much will it cost?”  “What are the releases and features?” Typical answers  “I do not know – it’s Agile”  “Let me calculate”
  • 8.
    www.luxoft.com Challenge 1 -When and how much? - Impact  Manager calculates project using other method - Team understanding may differ  Project delays  Pressure on developers increases - Client expects price and change requests explanation based on given methodology  Manager needs to map methodologies - It is not clear for customer, so trust is lost
  • 9.
    www.luxoft.com Challenge 1 -When and how much? – Ideas Solution Abstract estimations Process framework Statistics gathering Stable teams Similar projects
  • 10.
    www.luxoft.com Challenge 2 –Customer is “dummy” in SW Dev. Typical customers  Customer doesn’t know what he really wants  Customer knows “exactly” what he wants  Customer doesn’t understand Agile process
  • 11.
    www.luxoft.com Challenge 2 –Customer is “dummy” in SW Dev. – Impact  Requirements are changed all the time. - However price and time is fixed (“We agreed already”)  Every change requests is a hell for manager - However sprint is ongoing  Customer is not really involved as product owner - Developers do best they can  Customer doesn’t like it  Customer is too involved - Argues about estimations - Controls every step - Advices “best” solutions  No time for code improvements approved
  • 12.
    www.luxoft.com Challenge 2 –Customer is “dummy” in SW Dev. – Ideas Solution Process presentation Example projects Agile training with customer Controlled first sprints
  • 13.
    www.luxoft.com Challenge 3 –Team is different Typical teams are  Growing at project start  Have different expertise  Not a team yet  Not professionals yet But Agile process is already applied, so…
  • 14.
    www.luxoft.com Challenge 3 –Team is different - Impact  Team velocity is unpredictable - New members ramping-up - Juniors - Problems between team members  Planning is not valid - More pressure from management or client  Overestimates  Task assignments  Micromanagement  Team leader is assigned - Conflicts with Agile principles, but actually works 
  • 15.
    www.luxoft.com Challenge 3 –Team is different – Ideas Solution Apply Agile gradually Stable teams Ramp- up trainings Core team Gather Statistics
  • 16.
    www.luxoft.com Bunch of questionsto be solved Price estimations Long-term planning Release planning Scalability (Scrum of Scrums) Long-term Reporting Documentation development Dependencies management
  • 17.
    www.luxoft.com Some of goodthings Scrums organize Scrums improve communications Retrospective increases motivation
  • 18.

Editor's Notes

  • #8 “Let me calculate” Which method is used? Who calculates and gives commitments? How both methodologies have to be mapped?
  • #9 “Let me calculate” Which method is used? Who calculates and gives commitments? How both methodologies have to be mapped?
  • #10 “Let me calculate” Which method is used? Who calculates and gives commitments? How both methodologies have to be mapped?