release planning with user stories

RELEASE PLANNING WITH USER STORIES

Planning for Success

Introductions

Years of experience in Agile

Test first charts

In the context of Release planning…

What puzzles you?

What action do you want to take?

What ideas do you have?

What challenges do you have?

Introduction

BBC Process

VisionRealit

y

Actions

Decisions

Vision Value Drivers

Generating a

BacklogSizing Priority

Return on

Investment

Theming MMF and MVP

Risk Assessm

entPlanning Setting

GoalsReportin

g

Introducing the Product

Introducing the Product

The BBC has commissioned a new weather app.

The project has the go-ahead.

The requirements have been captured and written as user stories.

It’s your job to get a delivery plan together.

Vision Value Drivers

Generating a

BacklogSizing Priority

Return on

Investment

Theming MMF and MVP

Risk Assessm

entPlanning Setting

GoalsReportin

g

Vision and Value

VisionRealit

y

Actions

Decisions

Product Vision Statement

For

[defined market]

[product]

is the only

[product category]

that offers

[differentiator].

This means that

[benefit].

What makes it different………

What it means to the customer or user…………..

What it’s called…...………….

Who it’s for…………………..

What it does………………….

Vision

For

[people who value spending time outdoors],

[The Mobile Weather App]

is the only

[Mobile Weather Application]

that offers

[a personalised and community based service].

This means that

[others in the community of the app user share the experience and the BBC gains valuable feedback

on usage and lifestyles].

Vision Value Drivers

Generating a

BacklogSizing Priority

Return on

Investment

Theming MMF and MVP

Risk Assessm

entPlanning Setting

GoalsReportin

g

Value Drivers

Definition of value driver from Finance something adding value to product or

service an activity or organizational focus that

enhances the value of a product or service in the perception of the consumer and which therefore creates value for the producer.

The journey is the most important thing

Take my time to visit places along the way

Staying with local people will allow me to understand different cultures

Australia is a useful target, but could be somewhere else

Speed of getting there is not important

Five star luxury is not necessary, although the odd treat might be nice

Things I Value (Value more)

Things I don’t Value (Value less)

I want a Trip to AustraliaVa

lue

Drive

rs

Cons

trai

nts

Example of unclear Value

Original name: Service Data Capture Project

Revised name: Beneficiary Relationship Management System

Drivers: Remain aligned to capturing data

Result: Confusion. Some delivering a Case Management System, some delivering a Data Capture System. Wasted effort. Conflict. Overspend.

Value Drivers

Exercise In two groups,

discuss the Vision Statement and produce a list of things that are “important” to the product.

Prioritise and select the top three.

For

[people who value spending time outdoors],

[The Mobile Weather App]

is the only

[Mobile Weather Application]

that offers

[a personalised and community based service].

This means that

[others in the community of the app user share the experience

and the BBC gains valuable feedback on usage and

lifestyles].

Vision

Value Drive

rs

Generating a

Backlog

Sizing

Priority

Return on Investmen

t

Theming

MMF and MVP

Risk Assessme

nt

Planning

Setting

Goals

Reporting

Backlogs & Roadmaps

What is the difference between a backlog and a roadmap?

Backlogs & Roadmaps

RoadmapItem

Epic orRequirement

Epic orRequirement

Epic orRequirement

RoadmapItem

Epic orRequirement

Epic orRequirement

Epic orRequirement

Epic orRequirement

Epic orRequirement

RoadmapItem

Epic orRequirement

Epic orRequirement

RoadmapItem

Epic orRequirement

Epic orRequirement

Epic orRequirement

Epic orRequirement

SeniorManagers

Team & Project Manager

Product Manager & Head Of

Why a backlog?

Helps you arrange your work Increases visibility Gives the project a focal point Lets you see what you’ve got Allows you to look ahead at what is

coming Is the project on a page Basis of basic project metrics

Planning by using a backlog

Priority 1Size 2

Priority 2Size 4

Priority 4Size 3

Priority 1

Priority 2

Priority 3

Priority 4

Priority 5

Priority 6

Velocity = 9

IterationOne

BacklogIteration 1 Plan

Priority 1Size 1

Priority 2Size 8

IterationTwo

Iteration 2 Plan

Priority 1Size 4

Priority 2Size 3

Priority 4Size 3

Iterationn

Iteration 3 Plan

Velocity = 9 Velocity = 10

Priority 7

Priority n

Backlog with swim lanes

Introducing the Backlog

User Stories

Understanding what’s in there Review the set of Stories

What can we use to understand and order the stories as given

Use priority ordering, based on the vision and value drivers already identified

Lay the stories out in one list, higherst priority at the top

Vision

Value Drive

rs

Generating a

Backlog

Sizing

Priority

Return on Investmen

t

Theming

MMF and MVP

Risk Assessme

nt

Planning

Setting

Goals

Reporting

Sizing

What do we mean by Sizing? Working out the relative complexity of

different User Stories. Most commonly done using Affinity

Sizing or Planning Poker. Best done in a group, by the team. They are estimates.

Vision

Value Drive

rs

Generating a

Backlog

Sizing

Priority

Return on Investmen

t

Theming

MMF and MVP

Risk Assessme

nt

Planning

Setting

Goals

Reporting

Priority

What do we mean by priority? We need to be organised about what we

do. Value to the customer should be a key

consideration. Needn’t be fixed, but needs to be more

stable the closer it comes to development.

What else can we prioritise by?

Vision

Value Drive

rs

Generating a

Backlog

Sizing

Priority

Return on Investmen

t

Theming

MMF and MVP

Risk Assessme

nt

Planning

Setting

Goals

Reporting

Return on Investment

How to calculate RoI

Vision

Value Drive

rs

Generating a

Backlog

Sizing

Priority

Return on Investmen

t

Theming

MMF and MVP

Risk Assessme

nt

Planning

Setting

Goals

Reporting

Story Theming

What is story theming?

A collection of User Stories, a useful group which we want to use to help plan and deliver

Going through the process of theming helps to clarify what you have and what is missing

Themes can become the basis of planning or just inform the process

The important element is having the conversations driven by themes

Stories in the Backlog

Map Stories to ThemesTHEME 3

THEME 4

THEME 5

THEME 2

THEME 1

Approaches for Theming Stories Simplicity

Do the simplest thing you could possibly work first and get it working end to end. You have always got something to demonstrate. If that’s still too big then .....

By User or Persona Try focussing on a subset of users or a single user, start with the most

valuable. Select the Persona who provides maximum coverage or who provides

the greatest challenge (or risk).

Process Pick the “Happy Path” first, the path that is taken the majority of the

time. Add the edge cases and exceptions as you go, be prepared to look at alternatives if you run out of time or budget.

Data Set Limit the data set that you apply the functionality to, add others as

you build and learn from the first. For example: Customers in a CRM.

By Feature Arrange by groups of stories against a Feature and work out minimal

builds….

Exercise

In groups, look at the set of stories First of all, what possibilities are there for

grouping the stories Agree on one way and try it

What does it tell you about the backlog?

Non-functional Requirements Constraints on the design Can have an impact on all or many of

functional user stories Making adjustments:

Decompose the NFR into smaller requirements and prioritise e.g. the order of platform compatibility

Cumulative effect – each iteration should still maintain the NFR i.e. don’t drop it in later iteration

Use definition of done and acceptance criteria to maintain integrity of the NFR

Turn some NFRs into non-software functional product

Identifying NFRs

Review the user stories for the application

Identify which stories are non-functional. How are you going to manage their

implementation or challenge their existence?

Vision

Value Drive

rs

Generating a

Backlog

Sizing

Priority

Return on Investmen

t

Theming

MMF and MVP

Risk Assessme

nt

Planning

Setting

Goals

Reporting

Stories in the Backlog

Decide what Features are Required

FEATURE 1 FEATURE 2 FEATURE 3 FEATURE 4 FEATURE 5

For examplePAYMENTS RETURNS COMPLAINTS VOUCHERS

Map Stories to FeaturesFEATURE 1 FEATURE 2 FEATURE 3 FEATURE 4 FEATURE 5

Group Stories to Minimal Sets

FEATURE 1 FEATURE 2 FEATURE 3 FEATURE 4 FEATURE 5

Group Stories to Minimal Sets

FEATURE 1 FEATURE 2 FEATURE 3 FEATURE 4 FEATURE 5

Minimal Marketab

le Feature

Minimal Marketab

le Feature

Minimal Marketab

le Feature

Minimal Marketab

le Feature

Minimum Viable Release

Who uses MMF/MVPs?

Who cares about MMF and MVP/MVR?

Vision

Value Drive

rs

Generating a

Backlog

Sizing

Priority

Return on Investmen

t

Theming

MMF and MVP

Risk Assessme

nt

Planning

Setting

Goals

Reporting

Risk Management

Taking a risk-led view of the plan Can be performed pre- or post-planning What does the risk profile look like within

the plan?

Probability

Imp

act

Hig

hLo

w

Low High

Risk profile of projectFEATURE 1 FEATURE 2 FEATURE 3 FEATURE 4 FEATURE 5

Probability

Imp

act

10

00

0% 100%50%

70

40%

70*40%=28

12.5

3.528

39

45

2.8

16 28

1.06

9

Risk score of projectFEATURE 1 FEATURE 2 FEATURE 3 FEATURE 4 FEATURE 5

5

1

20

3

35

5

2

2 5

20

18

18

3

1

3

5

6

10

4

30

10

15

311

12

9

8

20

5

1

2

15

12

4

3

8

2

19

9

3

2

10

2

3

Total risk score: 80

Total risk score: 175

Total risk score: 123

Risk Profile by Release

R1

R2

R3

Tota

l ri

sk s

core

Risk Burn-down by Release Plan

Start R1Complete

R2Complete

R3Complete

Tota

l ri

sk s

core

Active Risk Burn-down

Spri

nt

1

Spri

nt

2

Spri

nt

3

Spri

nt

4

Spri

nt

5

Spri

nt

6

Spri

nt

7

Spri

nt

8

Spri

nt

9

Spri

nt

10

Spri

nt

11

Spri

nt

12

Spri

nt

13

Spri

nt

14

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Risk managedRisk loaded

Ris

k S

core

Exercise

Draw a chart on a sheet, either as a risk zone or risk matrix

Place cards on sheet according to risk On front, colour code according to risk

category On back calculate risk score

Vision

Value Drive

rs

Generating a

Backlog

Sizing

Priority

Return on Investmen

t

Theming

MMF and MVP

Risk Assessme

nt

Planning

Setting

Goals

Reporting

Planning

Planning

Lay your stories out in the order you plan to have them done.

Remember to check your plans with your Product Owner.

Vision Sprint Goals Velocity Themes MMFs Value

What to do Also consider

Project Plan

Vision

Value Drive

rs

Generating a

Backlog

Sizing

Priority

Return on Investmen

t

Theming

MMF and MVP

Risk Assessme

nt

Planning

Setting

Goals

Reporting

Setting Goals

Setting Release Goals

A series of mini visions for the project Should tie in to the Project Vision Should be clear and concise Should be well communicated &

understood Up on a wall Everyone knows what it is

Exercise: Give your releases a goal

Vision

Value Drive

rs

Generating a

Backlog

Sizing

Priority

Return on Investmen

t

Theming

MMF and MVP

Risk Assessme

nt

Planning

Setting

Goals

Reporting

Reporting

Reporting – Burn Ups

What we can use for reporting Risk Return on Investment Story Points / Estimation MMFs MVPs Themes Business Value

Remember: it is better to collect the data and then not use it than to not collect it

then need it…

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