BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
CHRISTIAN HELDSTABBA CONFERENCE
LONDON 2013
TENAGILETHINGS ABOUT
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
I am a ski instructor complex motion ∙ learning by doing ∙ be an example
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
I am Software Engineer / BA / Agile Coachat Zühlke ∙ various projects ∙ various domains
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
I was working as a Software Developer in agile projects with Business Analysts.
We struggled many times. But we learned from it!
KANBAN
Therefore, these are the TEN THINGS I think you should know:
SCRUM
THE AGILE MANIFESTOADAPT
SILOS ARE FOR FARMERS
THE BING BANG
THEORY
STAY CLOSE
INFORMATION ISNOT KNOWLEDGE
STORIESPRODUCT OWNER
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
THE AGILE MANIFESTO
agilemanifesto.org / 2001
1
To achieve better software development, we believe that the items on the left have more value than the items on the right:
• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a planBA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
A little exercise:
Think about your current project and use the agile manifesto as
a checklist.
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
There are also 12 principles, here are three of them:
Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.
Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a team is face-to-face conversation.
Can that be possible?
no CR’s and quick response to
market changes?
Well, they are very busy.
How should that work?
Can we not just write
documents?
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
SCRUM2
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Good things about SCRUM
Visualises status
Every sprint leads to a deliverable (e.g. walking skeleton)
Team gets quick feedback
Team improves process
Product Owner can decide what comes next
Team is highly focused (shielded, minimal task switching)
An example of a backlog: planning my wedding
visualise status
Who is responsible?
trouble makers
Hint: Evolve the board! (But don’t push it, especially not with your fiancé ;-)
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Kanban3
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Good things about Kanban
Will not change an existing process but will show bottlenecks
Also visualises blockages and dependencies on external sources
Allows steady pace
Supports continuous delivery
Remember: Pull not Push!
Remember: Stick to the work in progress (WIP) limits
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Swarming around bottlenecks
Source: wallpaper-base.blogspot.ch/2010/12/big-bang-theory-wallpaper.html
ONCEJUST WORKED
4
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Big Bang doesn’t workfor executing a project
(you just hurt yourself)
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Problem
Users are not able to express all their needs/wishes right from the start.
You can’t understand everything from the very beginning.
Maybe the team has already implemented what is needed. But how can you know without asking the users?
Constant collaboration …
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
… generates customer value
Source: youtu.be/502ILHjX9EE
ADAPT!5
Source: mrwallpaper.com BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
You might wonder:
Why can’t I just take a process and apply it
like a recipe?
Most of our projects are complex.
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Cynefin FrameworkComplicated
The relationship between cause and effect requires analysis and application of expert knowledge. The approach is to “Sense – Analyse – Respond” and use good practice.
Complex
The relationship between cause and effect can only be perceived in retrospect but not in advance. The approach is to “probe – sense – response” and we can sense emergent practice.
Dave Snowden, 1999
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Remember: Adapt!
In a complex project environment, there is no plan-driven solution.
With your team, study agile processes, learn best practices and adapt them to your situation.
Learn! Adapt!
Do this iteratively and incrementally.Not Big Bang!
INFORMATION ISNOT KNOWLEDGE
6
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Knowledge ?
So, what is…
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, ZühlkeSource: Rainer Grau, Zühlke
Knowledge
Linking of Informationitems
Make information-networks accessible
Applyingknowledge and creating value
Knowledge is context specific
Knowledge is…
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, ZühlkeSource: Rainer Grau, Zühlke
More precise, there are two types of knowledge
Tacit Knowledge…as the efficient form of
Knowledge
Explicit Knowledgerequires effort
Information
durablevolatile
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, ZühlkeSource: Rainer Grau, Zühlke
Knowledge Work is the way…Identify and close knowledge gaps
feedback, iterative, learning, experiment
…solving aComplex Problem
ContextBA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, ZühlkeSource: Rainer Grau, Zühlke
Remember
Knowledge is context specific.
Knowledge is acquired in the heads of people.
Tacit and shared knowledge is the efficient form of knowledge.
Documentation (of any form) holds information not knowledge.
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, ZühlkeSource: Rainer Grau, Zühlke
Source: digital.lib.ecu.edu
SILOS ARE FOR
FARMERSNOT PROJECTS
7
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Stuck in Silos?
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Or better all on the same pasture?
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Remember
No, you can’t just document knowledge!
Build up tacit knowledge in your team by encouraging them to work and learn together.
Keep the team stable.
Again: Documentation is information, not knowledge!
STAY AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE
8
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
The thing about bubbles
Think of information as bubbles.
You learn and perform best if you are together in the same room with your customer and the rest of your team.
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
How to deal with a distributed team?e.g. off-shoring, multiple developer centres
Use tools and be creative, because you are a team:
- Distributed planningwith tools like Jira Agile, VersionOne, IceScrum, Mingle, Rally
- Distributed pairingby screen sharing and telephone conferences
- Distributed retrospectiveswith tools like the Microsoft LiveMeeting, Google docs, MS Powerpoint
Important: From time to time, meet in person (e.g kick-off, Hackathon)
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
How to deal with missing customers?
Well, that’s so important that it gets its own number!
The Product Owner9
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Will that be my job??
Hm,probablyNot, butlets talkabout it.
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Responsibilities of a Product Owner
Empowered to make decisions
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Business Analyst = Product Owner?
BABOK:Business analysts should always work to ensure that requirements are aligned with organizational goals and objectives and that all stakeholders have a shared understanding of those goals, objectives, and requirements. They must also work to manage risks and validate that the requirements, if delivered, will create real value for stakeholders.
YesWe care about vision, collaboration and customer value.
Business Analyst = Product Owner?
NoWe are trained to focus on details. Can we focus on the big picture and just-in-time documentation?
We are not used to delegate requirements maintenance (stories, acceptance criteria).
Are we really able to plan releases?
Can we prioritise the stakeholders requests?BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Are we empowered to make decisions?
Probably not.
In the role of the Product Owner, we are most likely a Proxy-PO.
If you don’t have the power to make decisions, then you will go back and forth to the real decision maker and the team.
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
WORK WITH
STORIES
10
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Stories are the new requirements
As a teacher, I want to update
grades online so that I no longer
depend on administrators to do it
for me.
Acceptance Criteria:
I can add grades for all subjects in the syllabus.
I can add grades from my office computer or
my notebook at home connected to the
university network.
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
As a <person in role> I want to <goal> so that <the benefit>
Add flesh on the
bone
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Work with stories
It is very productive!
Sketch the product during a workshop with customers.
Bring them in order.
Note dependencies, sources, hints, etc.
Split them if required.
And if you like to, put them into an electronic system.
Plan releases with story mapping
EpicsFirst release or sprint: walking skeleton
Story
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
A real world example
Mapping of RAM abstraction levels to agile terms
Product Level (product goals)
Business Function Level
Feature Level (product features)
Function Level (use cases, actions)
Component Level (details – consists of)
Themes
Epics
User Stories
Tasks
Visions
Source: fileadmin.cs.lth.se/cs/Education/Examensarbete/Rapporter/2008/Vetart_2008-27.pdfBA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
If you need to be more formal use RAM(Requirements Abstraction Model - University Blekinge)
• structured requirements management approach
• standardization
• traceability (reduce gold-plating or detects missing stories)
Mapping of RAM abstraction levels to agile terms
Product Level (product goals)
Business Function Level
Feature Level (product features)
Function Level (use cases, actions)
Component Level (details – consists of)
Themes
Epics
User Stories
Tasks
Visions
Source: fileadmin.cs.lth.se/cs/Education/Examensarbete/Rapporter/2008/Vetart_2008-27.pdf
If you need to be more formal use RAM(Requirements Abstraction Model - University Blekinge)
• structured requirements management approach
• standardization
• traceability (reduce gold-plating or detects missing stories)
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Alternatives:
SAFe: Scale Agility Framework
DAD: Disciplined Agile
Delivery
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
Enjoy your ride!
Agile ManifestoScrumKanbanBig BangAdaptInformation ≠ KnowledgeSilos are for FarmersStay CloseProduct OwnerStories
BA Conference 2013, Ten Things about Agile | Christian Heldstab, Zühlke
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