2. INTRODUCTION
SPEAKERS
Gary Jones, Valtech
Alastair Brown, Valtech
Graeme Austin, Xtrakter
Gary Maplestone, Xtrakter
EXPERIENCE REPORT ON THE AGILE TRANSFORMATION AT XTRAKTER
3. INTRODUCTION
BUSINESS CASE FOR CHANGE – Graeme Austin
PROCESS FOR CHANGE – Gary Jones
SHAPING THE PROCESS - Gary Maplestone
THE POWER OF METRICS – Alastair Brown
QUESTIONS
5. XTRAKTER OVERVIEW
Market infrastructure for bond trading
Transaction reporting conduit to the FSA
Primary data repository for European bond market
ORGANISATIONAL CHALLENGES
Silo mentality
Legacy culture from previous management
Preparing company for sale
Xtrakter is part of the Euroclear group of companies. Xtrakter is regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) of
the UK as an approved Service Company FRN: 491843
6. XTRAKTER TIMELINE 2007-2008
September 2007
Product management department formed
First analysis of product life cycle, soup to nuts
Issues around Velocity company-wide
October 2007
Time to market
Predictable quality
Predictable delivery
November 2007 onwards
Prepare company for sale
September October January 2009
November Nov 2008
2007 Product 2007 First Oct 2008 Selection of
2007 Prepare Sale
life cycle review of Health Check Consultancy
for Sale Agreement
begins Waterfall begins
7. XTRAKTER TIMELINE 2008-2009
October 2008
Revisit product development life cycle
Health check on Waterfall methodology
„There has to be a better way‟
November 2008
Sale and Purchase Agreement signed
January 2009
Agile consultancy beauty parade
September October January 2009
November Nov 2008
2007 Product 2007 First Oct 2008 Selection of
2007 Prepare Sale
life cycle review of Health Check Consultancy
for Sale Agreement
begins Waterfall begins
8. BUSINESS CASE
DRIVERS
Product life cycle management
Predictable quality
Predictable delivery
CHALLENGES
Business case definition
Leadership team as aligned unit
Awareness change required
10. PROCCESS FOR CHANGE
Oct 2008 September October February
April 2009 April 2009
Xtrakter 2009 2009 2010
Xtrakter Valtech
Think Valtech Valtech Xtrakter
Attend Assessment
About Agile Agile Running
Agile Edge of Xtrakter
Change Training Coaching Solo
13. PRODUCT OWNER ENGAGEMENT
THE CHALLENGE
New responsibilities for our Product Managers:
• Approval of minor product enhancements
• Single point of prioritisation
ACTIONS TAKEN
Initially lots of business coaching from Valtech
Excellent support for the Agile transformation from the
Director of Product Management
14. AGILE REQUIREMENTS
THE CHALLENGE
Requirements too detailed too soon
Stale requirements
Bloated requirements
ACTIONS TAKEN
Promote conversation with introduction of stories
Focus BA team on the immediate requirement (Just enough!)
Heavy demand for coaching in this area
15. AGILE REQUIREMENTS
THE CHALLENGE
Requirements too detailed too soon
Stale requirements
Bloated requirements
ACTIONS TAKEN
Promote conversation with introduction of stories
Focus BA team on the immediate requirement (Just enough!)
Heavy demand for coaching in this area
16. DELIVERY STAFF HIDING BEHIND THE
PROCESS
THE CHALLENGE
We were initially at risk of losing „organic‟ communication
e.g.
• Refusal to respond to simple queries
• Reluctance to give initial „Rough Order of Magnitude‟
estimates
ACTIONS TAKEN
Guidance had to be given; Agile is a framework, not a manual
for all activity.
There is still a need for a non-deterministic system that can
„self-heal‟
17. FRUSTRATED REQUIREMENTS OWNERS
THE CHALLENGE
“I don‟t want to have to justify why my request deserves
attention”
“You were more responsive to our requirements BEFORE
Agile!”
ACTIONS TAKEN
Explanation as to why the new approach benefits the
organisation as a whole
Coaching/advice from a 3rd party i.e. Valtech, to take the
heat out of the situation
19. INFLUENCE OF METRICS
POWERFUL COMMUNICATOR OF PROGRESS
– Coupled with stand up meeting and Retrospectives
Highlight Potential Risks Early
Cultural Influence of high visibility
– Early Risk Identification
– Impediment Removal
– Completion of working software
– Clarity of priority
What we did
– Ultra low cost of entry
– Leading Indicators
20. BACKLOG AND CATEGORISATION
5: ANALYSIS IN
1: IDENTIFIED 2: APPROVED 3: PRIORITISED
PROGRESS
6: READY 10: IN
7: IN DEV 8: IN QA
FOR DEV DEPLOYMENT
23. WHAT WE DID
ITERATION CUMULATIVE FLOW
(AS A BURN UP)
POSITIVE PATTERNS
– Velocity Increasing
– Team understanding achievable level of commitment
PATTERNS REQUIRING ANALYSIS
– Large amount of work in progress
– Scope increasing mid iteration – prioritisation unstable
– Over commitment in early iterations
24. WHAT WE DID
VALUE CRITERIA
POSITIVE PATTERNS
– Operational Improvement (Value) and Business Value greatest
LEADING INDICATORS
– Large amount of work in progress
– Large number of points in prioritised
– QA constraint
26. CULTURE CHANGE
“There is nothing more difficult to take in
hand, more perilous to conduct, or more
uncertain in its success, than to take the
lead in the introduction of a new order of
things. For the reformer has enemies in all
those who profit by the old order, and only
lukewarm defenders in all those who would
profit by the new order…”
Nicolo Machiavelli
27. PRE-REQUISITES ARE CRUCIAL
PREPARE THE WAY IN ADVANCE
– Staff Briefings
– Send key staff to Agile Seminars
– Refer to the Agile idea in discussions with Senior
Managers….repeatedly
– Use crises when they arise to illustrate how Agile could avoid
them
– Pick your launch date with care…one shot!
YOU MUST HAVE BUY-IN AT THE TOP…CULTURE CHANGE HURTS!
28. INCREDIBLE IMPROVEMENTS FROM THE
OUTSET
TEAM CO-OPERATION
KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
TEAM MORALE
REDUCED DEFECT RATE
PREDICTABILITY
VELOCITY