‘A’StrategyConsulting2013©3/3/2014 1

AgileVitalSignsAgileHealthCheckSimulation

AlexKanaan/Oct2013

“INDIVIU

ALSAND

INTERA

CTIONS

PROCES

SES

OVER

ANDTOO

LS” “WORKING SOFTWARECOMPREHENSIVEOVER

DOCUMENTATION”

“RESPONDI

NGTO

CHANGE

FOLLOWING

OVER

APLAN

”“CUSTOMER

CONTRACT

OVER

NEGOTIATION”

COLLABORATION

About Me

Connect with Me!

More about Me http://www.alexkanaan.com

Read My Blog http://www.alexkanaan.com/#latestnews

Contact Me http://www.alexkanaan.com/#contact

Follow my Tweets @AlexKanDu

Connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arkanaan

‘A’StrategyConsulting2013©3/3/2014 4

YourBenefitsAfterthisSession

• Whoisthissessionaimedat?– AgilePractitionersembarkingontheirfirstAgileProject– AgilePractitionersalreadydoingAgileandhopingtoincreasethepromisedbenefitsofAgile

– Beginnerswhohaveabasic(ifvague)understandingofAgile;youshouldbeatleastfamiliarwithBasicAgileterminology,ceremonies,sprints,AgileTeamroles

• Atthissessionsconclusionyoushouldbeableto:– Improveteamperformanceusingcertainmetrics– Understandandrespectdifferentperspectivesandresponsibilitiesofeachrole

– Uselessonslearnedtohelpyourteambecomehighperforming

‘A’StrategyConsulting2013©3/3/2014 5

TheSimulation-Background

• “WaterMile”isanamusementparkwhichisdevelopingnewsoftwaretoenhanceguestexperience

• “FunTrax”softwaretracksguestspendingandtimespentintheparkviaaGPSenabledbraceletwornbyeachguestwhileinthepark

• WaterMilehadbeenusingwaterfallmethodologyfortheirsoftwaredevelopment.FunTraxisthepilotprojecttoutilizeAgilemethods.

AmazonRiver SafariPools

GreenZoneArcticBeach

Retail Restaurant

WATERMILEFUNPARK

‘A’StrategyConsulting2013©3/3/2014 6

TheSimulation–YourRoles

Youaredividedintothreegroups(roles)

ProductOwner(PO)

ScrumMaster(SM)

TeamDevelopers,Testers,BA,TechLeads

➢AgileteamsareSelf-directed:➢Progressusing“InspectandAdapt”➢AgileteamssucceedtogetherorfailtogetherRemember!

‘A’StrategyConsulting2013©3/3/2014 7

TheSimulation–ProjectFacts/Handouts

FunTraxTeam

PO SM

BAArch

Dev1

Dev2 Dev3

Dev4Tst1

Tst2

• FunTraxfacts– SprintLength:2weeks– Projectran:13sprints– ProjectdeliveredinthreereleaseslabeledABC

– RecurringCeremonies• DailyScrum–8ameachday• SprintPlanning–eachsprintstart• Demo–endofeachsprint• Sprintretrospective–sprintcompletion

‘A’StrategyConsulting2013©3/3/2014 8

A BPo

ints

C

SprintsDelivered

0

26

53

79

105

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

TeamTestingDefects: 10% 50% 1%

PostDeploymentIssues: 100 12 0

AgileVitalSigns–TeamMetrics

Planned

TEAMVelocityChart

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AgileVitalSigns–FunTraxThingstoKnow(A)

• ReleaseA–Facts– TheScrumMasterisanewemployeesoheisespeciallyeagertodeliver.

– TheScrumMasterdevelopedthereleaseplanandmadecommitmentstotheProductOwner

– TherehasbeendelaysindevelopmentbecausetheScrumMasterassignedworklate

– Theproductownerassumedacertainunderstandingofuserneedsasheusedtomanagethemthreeyearsago

– Thecoreteamdoesnothavethesamedegreeofexpertiseinthedevelopmenttoolandthenovicesareafraidtoaskforhelp

A

‘A’StrategyConsulting2013©3/3/2014 10

AgileVitalSigns–FunTraxThingstoKnow(B)

• ReleaseB–Facts– Afterthefirstdeployment,theCEOwentawayandthePOwasassignedtoreplacehimsohewasnotavailabletosupporttheAgileteammostofthisrelease.

– AreplacementPOwasassigned,withlittlehandover.– Teamdecidedtoreducedailymeetingtotwiceaweek.Timingconflictedwithkidsschooldropoff,trafficetc.

– Acommunicationbreakdownoccurredbetweentestersanddeveloperscausingmajortestingdelays.Asaresult,somecommittedstorieswerenotdelivered.

– Theoriginalproductownerreturnedforthefinaldemointhisrelease,butrejectedastorybecausehedisagreedwiththedirectionofthereplacementPO.

B

‘A’StrategyConsulting2013©3/3/2014 11

AgileVitalSigns–FunTraxThingstoKnow(C)

• ReleaseC–Facts– TwooftheteamdeveloperswerecalleduponbythePOtodosomeurgentworkforanotherdepartment.

– Nooneinformedtherestoftheteam.

C

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TheSimulation–Mission• YouhavebeengivenperformancedataforanewAgileteam’s

firstproject,deliveredinthreereleases• Mission:Describeatleastonethingyourrolecouldhavedone

differentlyineachreleaseA,BandC.

Group:ProductOwner/ScrumMaster/CoreTeam

A

B

C

?

?

?

or or

‘A’StrategyConsulting2013©3/3/2014 13

AgileVitalSigns–FunTrax

• Eachteampleasedocumentyourgroupfindingsonthehandout.

• Youhave10minutes.• Pleasebringyourcompletedhandouttothefrontwhenyouaredone.

• DeemaandIwillbemovingaroundtheroomtoansweranyquestions.

‘A’StrategyConsulting2013©3/3/2014 14

A BPo

ints

C

SprintsDelivered

0

26

53

79

105

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

TeamTestingDefects: 10% 50% 1%

PostDeploymentIssues: 100 12 0

AgileVitalSigns–Findings-Metrics

Planned

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AgileVitalSigns–FindingsReleaseA

A

ProductOwner ScrumMaster CoreTeam

• POmustbealignedwithcurrentenduserneedsintheproductbacklog

• POneedstoensureenduserreadinessbeforedeployment

• POreliedonSMpromiseswithoutensuringteamcancommit

• SMisnotauthorizedtomakecommitmentsonbehalfoftheteam.

• SMshouldhaveaccountedforunevenskilllevelsincapacityplanning

• SMisactingasPMassigningtasksinsteadoflettingteambeself-directed.

• Teamshoulddecideasagroupwhattheycandeliver.

• TeamshouldbeselfdirectedandnotwaitforSMtoassignthemwork

• Experiencedteammembersshouldhelpnovices

• Novicesshouldspeakupandaskforhelp

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AgileVitalSigns–FindingsReleaseB

B

ProductOwner ScrumMaster CoreTeam

• ThelargenumberofdefectsshowsthePOwasdisconnectedfromtheteam.

• ReplacementPOshouldbeempoweredtomakebindingdecisions.

• ThePOneedstobeknowledgeableandempowered

• SMshouldhavebeenmonitoringmetricstoremoveimpediments

• SMdidnotenforceagilepracticesandshouldnotagreetodropDailyScrum

• Teamplannedvelocityhastobere-examinedeverysprint.

• Shouldnothaveagreedtodropdailyscrum

• Couldhavepickedbettertimeordonebyphone

• Teamshouldnotstopcommunicatingwitheachotherorknowingeachother’sstatus.

‘A’StrategyConsulting2013©3/3/2014 17

AgileVitalSigns–FindingsReleaseC

C

ProductOwner ScrumMaster CoreTeam

• Theproductownercannotutilizeteamresourcesforworkoutsidethebacklog

• SMshouldbetrackingmetricsdailyandnoticedaflatteningindelivery.

• SMnotrecognizingandremovingimpediments

• SMshouldspeakupindailyscrumwhenhesawnumbersdroppingintheburndownchart

• Thetwodevelopersthatgotdistractedwerenottransparentaboutwhattheywereworkingon

• Restoftheteamdidnotspeakupwhentheysawteamperformancedropping

‘A’StrategyConsulting2013©3/3/2014 18

LessonsLearned

• ProductOwner:– POmustbeknowledgeableandempowered

– Canhededicateenoughtimetosupporttheteam?

– Ishealignedwithendusersandotherbusinessstakeholders?Backlogshouldnotbecreatedanavacuum

– UseenduserrepresentationintheDEMOanddon’tjustrelyonPO

• ScrumMaster:– NotaPM

– Mainrole:adheretoprocessesandremoveimpediments– Tracksmetricstorecognizeproblems

– Notauthorizedtocommitteam

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LessonsLearned

• CORETEAM:

– Mustbeselfdirected

– Mustcommunicatewitheachother– Membersneedstocalleachotherout

– Mustaskfor/givehelptopeersasneeded

– Stayfocusedontasksandnotworkonotherthings

– AgileteamsDevelopplans/commitmentstogether

• MeasurementMetrics:– Sprint-over-sprintvelocity–pointsdeliveredpersprint

– Testdefects–%oftestissuespertestconditions

– Postdeployment–franticcallsfromusersaftergo-live

– Burndownchartisa“proactive”metric,theteammembersneedtoupdatetaskhoursandviewtheirchartdaily

‘A’StrategyConsulting2013©3/3/2014 20

FinalWords

AgileTeamSucceedstogetherorfailstogether,therearenoheroesformissedtargets

Agileteamsmovefastandcan’tafforddelays

Thankyou!

Next Steps…If you liked my presentation,

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Connect with Me!

More about Me http://www.alexkanaan.com

Read My Blog http://www.alexkanaan.com/#latestnews

Contact Me http://www.alexkanaan.com/#contact

Follow my Tweets @AlexKanDu

Connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arkanaan