Agile Lifecycle, Tools, Techniques

IM Symposium

3 Daily Stand-Up Iteration Backlog Priority List Agile Lifecycle: Release Planning (creates Priority List) Iteration Planning (creates Iteration backlog) Daily Standup Fixed-length Iterations Iteration Review (Review product deliverables from increment /sprint, increasing visibility.)

Agile Principles apply holistically to all team members. Agile Practices and Disciplines are applied as appropriate to each area of the team. Planning Analysis Design/Dev QA IM Symposium

Release Planning (creates Priority List/Product Backlog) Business Owners List their requirements in order of priority. Delivery of work for BA, Dev and QA teams is set IM Symposium Daily Stand- Up Iteration Backlog Priority List

Start work based on Priority List. Review First Draft requirements document with Dev and QA. Ensures right-sized documenting - Simplicity Fosters shared context Facilitates Task Estimation at Iteration Planning Prompts thoughts about Acceptance Testing IM Symposium Daily Stand- Up Iteration Backlog Priority List

Iteration Planning (creates Iteration Backlog) Requirements already reviewed by entire team. Dev Team estimates tasks and hours - enough to fill 2-4 weeks of work. QA team knows what to expect and prepares just enough to test what is agreed upon BA team works on next wave if Requirements based on Priority List IM Symposium Daily Stand- Up Iteration Backlog Priority List

IM Symposium Daily Stand- Up Iteration Backlog Priority List Start work based on Priority List. Write code and Check-In (Daily at a Minimum) Generate Automated Unit Tests while coding Review with BA early and often Completed code incorporated into Daily Build – fostering Continuous Integration

Iteration Planning (creates Iteration Backlog) Dev team displays working code. QA team knows exactly what is testable. Entire Team Critiques the Prior Iteration – makes suggestions for improvements. Dev Team works on next wave of Requirements based on Priority List IM Symposium Daily Stand- Up Iteration Backlog Priority List

IM Symposium Daily Stand- Up Iteration Backlog Priority List Test Delivered Code QA team wrote scripts during development. Submit Bugs/Defects. Create Automated test scripts to serve as regression suite.

Lots of Tools available Task specific packages Planning Analysis Development QA Holistic products – Does IT All Open Source Packaged products SaaS products IM Symposium

Planning: Started with: SaaS – Subscription – Rally Up and running instantly 1 year contract – basic support Currently Use: Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 with Team Foundation Server Required separate Server Consultants hired to train IM Symposium

Analysis: Started with: Microsoft Word SharePoint – document management Currently Use: No change IM Symposium

Development: Started with: IDE – RAD Source Control – CVS Build Engine/Server – Cruise Control Currently Use: Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 with Team Foundation Server IDE Source Control Build Engine/Server Kony AntHillPro – Environment Deployments IM Symposium

QA: Started with: Quality Center Currently Use: No Change IM Symposium

How to Select the right tools… Ask your team. Consider technologies. Assess your commitment to Agile Adoption. Evaluate start up and maintenance costs IM Symposium

IM Symposium Delivery Adoption Customer Web Portal– Go-Live Adopt Tools: Source Repository - CVS Build Server – Cruise Control Planning Tool – Rally Hire Agilists Developers Build Manager SCRUM Master Leverage Quality Center for Performance Testing Apr Tier 3 Customer Sites Live Customer Web Portal Kick-Off 6 Portal Releases / Yr Executive Dash Board Live Review Tool Sets to prepare for next level of Adoption Automated Promotions across Environments Target Unit Testing Practices / Discipline Quality Center for Automated QA Regression ISD Dash Board Add 450 Tier 2 Customer Sites Live SharePoint 2010 & Silverlight 4.0 Prototyping Upgrade Tools: Source Repository - TFS Build Server – AntHillPro Planning Tool – TFS Coded UI Recordings supplement Unit Testing ISD Dash Board Phase 2 Marketing Dash Board Live 6 Portal Releases / Yr Automated Build Engine calls and executes Coded UI

IM Symposium Delivery Adoption Customer Web Portal– Go-Live Adopt Tools: Source Repository - CVS Build Server – Cruise Control Planning Tool – Rally Hire Agilists Developers Build Manager SCRUM Master Leverage Quality Center for Performance Testing Apr Tier 3 Customer Sites Live Customer Web Portal Kick-Off 6 Portal Releases / Yr Executive Dash Board Live Review Tool Sets to prepare for next level of Adoption Automated Promotions across Environments Target Unit Testing Practices / Discipline Quality Center for Automated QA Regression ISD Dash Board Add 450 Tier 2 Customer Sites Live SharePoint 2010 & Silverlight 4.0 Prototyping Upgrade Tools: Source Repository - TFS Build Server – AntHillPro Planning Tool – TFS Coded UI Recordings supplement Unit Testing ISD Dash Board Phase 2 Marketing Dash Board Live 6 Portal Releases / Yr Automated Build Engine calls and executes Coded UI

Provide Increased Visibility PMs present in Daily Stand-Up Project Web Access PMO Dashboard Working Code demonstration every 2 weeks Adherence IBC ITIL Processes Proposed and delivered E-Signoff via SharePoint IM Symposium

Continuous Planning and Prioritization: Some features get prioritized out of a release: Can be perceived as failure to deliver original requirements Can be perceived as money never spent on low value features Development Disciplines: Source code repository only as accurate as the last check in. Unit Testing a challenge if not part of culture/skill set. Tools can help promote disciplines, but are no guarantee. Continuous Integration requires a lot of up front coordination and commitment IM Symposium

Getting TEAM Buy-In: There are times to insist on a process and ensure it is adopted: Prioritization Estimations Code Check-In Continuous Integration There are times to implement a process and let the team suggest how to improve it: Combining Release planning and Iteration Planning when all artifacts are ready. Do away with Stand-Ups for an Iteration and have only weekly meetings. Make the deal that suggestions get a full Iteration to live and breathe and then review if they worked IM Symposium

Transforming This… IM Symposium

IM Symposium Visibility Accountability Responsibility Promoting This…

Not as easy as it seems Experienced Agile delivery leader Key Some will always oppose change Leverage Automation Tools for visibility Get tools when Self-Discipline wanes/fails Stakeholders buy in when they see results routinely To have a disciplined practice, teams must practice their disciplines and have the discipline to practice IM Symposium

Executive Sponsorship – Long Term Populate team with experienced Agilists: Technical Lead / Certified Scrum Master. Developer(s) skilled in Unit Testing methods. Source code and Build server Specialist. Team Empowerment from Exec. Sponsor No fear when making decisions. Expected experiment, innovate, and LEARN from mistakes. Continuous Business Prioritization Reviews Changes are Expected Team shares Impact of Changes Continuous Code Integration – Automated on Code Check-In Commitment & Consistency Daily Stand-Ups Iteration Reviews & Retrospectives Continuous Improvement – as the team evolves IM Symposium

Nelson Neill, CSM Manager, Provider Assessments Independence Blue Cross, Informatics IM Symposium