common challenges in adopting agile: iiba northampton event 23rd august 2011
DESCRIPTION
Rachel Davies' slides from Northampton IIBA event in AugustTRANSCRIPT
1
Common Challenges inAdopting Agile
by Rachel Davies
© Agile Experience Ltd
About you ..
Are you:
• New to agile?
• Practicing?
• Expert?
2
© Agile Experience Ltd
Traditional Waterfall
Phases of activity focused on a fixed-scope release.
• Divide the work up
• Resist change
• Communicate via documents
© Agile Experience Ltd
Agile is not speeding this up
• Agile is not a caseof “do less, go faster”
• Mistake to focus onreplacing:-– Process– Role descriptions– Tools– Templates– Training
3
© Agile Experience Ltd
Agile Manifesto
Shared values and principles for better ways todevelop software (2001)
© Agile Experience Ltd
Individuals and interactions
over processes and tools
4
© Agile Experience Ltd
Working software
over comprehensive documentation
© Agile Experience Ltd
Customer collaboration
over contract negotiation
5
© Agile Experience Ltd
Responding to change
over following a plan
© Agile Experience Ltd
Key Agile Principles
• Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer ���throughearly and continuous delivery ���of valuable software
• Welcome changing requirements, even late indevelopment.
• Business people and developers must work together dailythroughout the project
• The most efficient and effective method of conveyinginformation to and within a development team is face-to-
face conversation. Build projects around motivatedindividuals. Give them the environment and support theyneed, and trust them to get the job done.
www.agilemanifesto.org
6
© Agile Experience Ltd
Agile is ..
Concurrent activity to create continuous flow ofreleases.
• Develop iteratively
• Cross-functional teams
• Frequent releases
© Agile Experience Ltd
Potential Benefits
• Deliver change more quickly (smallerreleases)
• More confidence in delivery dates (testingdone throughout)
• Improved employee retention (motivatingwork)
• Better solutions (user feedback folded in)
7
© Agile Experience Ltd
But ..
• Products may not be easy to break intoincremental releases.
• Pipeline to live may be constrained.• Iterative development feels like rework.• Reorganising into cross-functional teams is
challenging especially when key functionsare outsourced.
© Agile Experience Ltd
Agile depends on Teamwork
Real-time interactions rather than processorchestrated via artefacts.
8
© Agile Experience Ltd
Teamwork relies on Motivation
• Make vision andbenefits clear
• Permission to try newapproach
• Empower team tomake choices abouthow they work
• Build awareness andresponsibility
© Agile Experience Ltd
New Skills Take Time
Becoming agile requires:
• Understanding principles
• Time to practice
• Coaching to avoid old habits
9
© Agile Experience Ltd
Support across the organisation
Agile can have impact on many areas:• Hiring policy• Line management• Incentives• Operations• Office Furniture
© Agile Experience Ltd
Further Reading
Mike Cohn
– “Succeeding with Agile”
Rachel Davies & Liz Sedley– “Agile Coaching”
James Shore & Shane Warden– “The Art of Agile Development”
10
© Agile Experience Ltd
Any Questions?
Get in touch– Email: [email protected]– Twitter: @rachelcdavies– Blog: http://agilecoach.typepad.com/– Web: http://www.agilexp.com