Info-Tech Research Group 1
Info-Tech Research Group, Inc. Is a global leader in providing IT research and advice.Info-Tech’s products and services combine actionable insight and relevant advice with
ready-to-use tools and templates that cover the full spectrum of IT concerns.© 1997-2014 Info-Tech Research Group Inc.
Implement Agile Practices That WorkDeliver on time and improve communication with the business to minimize project failure.
Info-Tech's products and services combine actionable insight and relevant advice with ready-to-use toolsand templates that cover the full spectrum of IT concerns.© 1997 - 2014 Info-Tech Research Group
Info-Tech Research Group 2
Today’s application development is hard to manage due to increased scope and decreased timelines. Poor communication amplifies the problem.
Introduction
Is tasked with rolling out Agile within a team or organization.
Needs to understand the risks and gaps that currently exist prior to rollout.
Has to prove Agile effectiveness using metrics prior to wider rollout.
Determine suitability of Agile for your current organization.
Determine the most appropriate projects for Agile adoption strategy based on complexity, duration, importance, and ownership mapping.
Apply best Agile processes to a pilot project.
Calculate the people and technology costs to implement Agile.
Conduct a multi-project rollout.
Communicate with stakeholders.
This Research Is Designed for an Agile Evangelist who:
This Research Will Help You:
Info-Tech Research Group 3
Executive Summary
• App Dev Managers are under increasing pressure to perform more, with less time available to reach markets. Stakeholder miscommunication is being manifested through costly rework.
• Agile offers the ability to clarify communication processes in the form of easy-to-use, mix and match practices. Scrum, a frequently adopted process, should be the foundation of your Agile implementation strategy.
• Migrating to Agile requires a deep understanding of its philosophy. Appreciate how its components are integrated in order to optimize your implementation results.
• Any transition to Agile should start with an assessment of how your organization currently operates. Selection of champion early adopters, a suitable pilot project, and the right metrics measurement is critical to stakeholder buy-in and success.
1. Evaluate organizational metrics: team, management, technology, and culture.
2. Analyze pilot project metrics: complexity, duration, importance, and ownership.
Assessing fit:
Optimizing implementation:
1. Organize the appropriate roles
2. Adopt Scrum processes
3. Track costs
4. Measure performance results
5. Communicate with stakeholders
Info-Tech Research Group 4
What’s in this Section: Sections:
Make the Case for Agile
• Recognize the limitations of the traditional Waterfall methodology.
• Understand the benefits of Agile development and why it is critical in today’s fast paced IT world.
Make the Case for Agile
Assess and Prepare Your Organization
Choose the Right Pilot Project
Rollout Your Agile Pilot
Measure and Communicate Success
Prepare for a Wider Rollout
Summary
Info-Tech Research Group 5
Only a sliver of today’s IT projects are considered on time and on budget, meaning that traditional development methods are not delivering results.
Project failure is still prevalent
• Most development teams experience a disconnect between themselves and the end user. From a CompTIA poll, 28% of respondents reported poor communication to be their greatest cause of project failure*.
• When communication suffers, development teams have a poor understanding of the true needs and expectations of the end user.
Poor communication
• Business needs are rapidly changing as organizations try to maintain their competitive advantage and react to the shifting needs of the market. Development teams struggle to accommodate these changes, resulting in projects being delivered late.
Unrealistic deadlines
• Development teams fail to initially understand all the requirements needed to fully execute the project. This often causes them to fall under budget.
Insufficient resource planning
28%
18%
13%
41%
Root cause of project failure*
Poor communica-tion
Insufficient re-source planning
Unrealistic dead-lines
Other
Other causes of project failure include poor project requirements; lack of stakeholder buy-in/support; undefined project success/closure
criteria; unrealistic budget; insufficient or no risk planning; and lack of control/change process.
- *Rosencrance, Linda. “Survey: Poor communication causes most IT project failures.” Computerworld, 2007.
Info-Tech Research Group 6
We had problems with some of our earlier projects using a Waterfall approach where we got to the end and the customer would tell us that it
was not what they were looking for.
- Jason Burrow, Software Architect
Business strategies and requirements are constantly evolving and teams are having trouble catching up.
Business models are consistently remolded and adjusted
What’s needed
Planning: Defers formal organization, until the business determines it is important for delivery.
Prioritization: The most important requirements are executed in the current iteration, even if it is a modification of a previous delivery.
Focus: Since development teams work closely with their customers, they are able to make changes after each iteration to ensure that priority features are being worked on.
Business needs change too quickly
The success of your project or application is often dependent on how quickly you can react to changes in requirements.
Businesses struggle to keep up with change as applications are delivered with many features never or rarely being used.
Unused features in software development are attributable to features specified in some upfront planning phase, before their ratio of cost to value was considered or known.
Info-Tech Research Group 7
Traditional development processes limit you to obsolete techniques
Waterfall and other traditional processes and practices are delivering undesirable results.
Lack of stakeholder interaction
Changes to a product are difficult and disruptive during the release cycle. Stakeholder communication is pertinent during the entire application life cycle.
Unpredictable futurePlanning for uncertainty is unrealistic and unsustainable. Whether it be internal technical issues, or an unexpected move by a competitor, having enough flexibility to react to these changes keeps stakeholders informed and is financially responsible.
Condemned by an idea
Since all ideas are developed at the beginning of the release cycle, there is no room for expansion or innovation. The product is condemned to be as good as its original idea and it is difficult or nearly impossible to tailor the project to accommodate market changes.
Mediocre products
A process that does not support continuous change management produces a rigid and uncreative product. New and innovative ideas introduced to the market mid-release cycle can push a product to be less leading edge and more commodity.
Software applications developed through the agile process have three times the success rate of the traditional Waterfall method and a much lower percentage of time and cost overruns. The Standish
Group defines project success as on time, on budget, and with all planned features.
- Cohn, Mike. “Agile Succeeds Three Times More Than Waterfall.” Mountain Goat Software. 2012.
Info-Tech Research Group 8
Embrace Agile to reduce churn and effectively react to change in requirements
Iterations
Continual ImprovementPrioritization
Collaboration
Provides more opportunities for
feedback, as features are tested and released
after each process increment.
By having regular briefings, the team is able to self-manage
improvements and can better focus on
innovation efforts.
The most important requirements are
executed in the current iteration, even if it is a
modification of a previous delivery.
Emphasizing collective progress ownership
motivates team members to work through issues in a professional manner.
Agile facilitates change and allows the development team to change direction every iteration. The cost of change is low and it provides an opportunity for the customer to reassess the features for inclusion in the current iteration based on value and business ROI.
Info-Tech Research Group 9
Agile is a proven methodology
Pragmatism should rule when looking for evidence of project success rates.
Agile alleviates common pain points
Helped us deliver more value to the customer.
- Jason Burrows, Pacific Blue Cross
Agile has opened the flood gates of innovation.
- Senior Director
Of those who have implemented Agile:
52% of teams enhanced their ability to manage changing priorities
58% increased their productivity
54% of teams increased team morale
50% of teams enhanced their software quality
51% of teams experienced accelerated time-to-market
55% reported reduction in project risk
44% reported better alignment between IT and business goals
Source: VersionOne, LLC. Survey: “The State of Agile Development.” 2007.
Agile helped increase communication, collaboration, and transparency.
- Jim Wetzel, Former Project Management Office Director
Info-Tech Research Group 10
Use Info-Tech’s Agile Readiness Assessment Tool to document and track your Agile implementation
Each tab in this tool will help you assess readiness and the impact of rolling out Agile in your organization. This tool will be used throughout this toolkit.
Ensure your evaluation is accurate by including multiple business and IT stakeholders from various departments in the details gathering, evaluation, and discussions.
The Agile Readiness Assessment Tool:
Info-Tech’s Agile Readiness Assessment Tool can be used to collect information about the appropriateness of Agile for your organization given your existing team, culture, and project constraints. It will show opportunities where implementing Agile can increase productivity and reduce costs.
This tool will help you:
• Find the gaps in your organization, departments, and teams.
• Select a test pilot project for your initial implementation of Agile.
• Ensure Agile opportunities are rolled out in an efficient manner.
Info-Tech’s Agile Readiness Assessment Tool.
Info-Tech Research Group 11
Establish an Agile rollout plan
Use a systematic and choreographed rollout strategy for a smooth Agile implementation.
Rollout Agile on a broader scale using lessons learned.
Choose one of several methods for spreading Agile development throughout the organization.
Track the appropriate metrics to validate the pilot as proof of concept.
Understand your sprint velocity and effort overhead to improve project predictability and task completion rates.
Start your Agile implementation by instituting scrum processes with your pilot.
Document the tasks that you were able to complete and note any blockers and complications.
Step 1
Readiness
Step 2
Pilot
Step 3
Implement
Step 4
Measure
Step 5
Rollout
Determine what may be preventing you from reaching your desired Agile state in your organization.
Don’t jump into Agile before establishing the appropriate organizational environment.
Pick the right pilot project with the appropriate duration, complexity, ownership, and importance.
The pilot can be used to develop a proof of concept for wider Agile rollout.
How To Use This Toolkit:• Run through this toolkit multiple times with multiple projects to gauge the success and suitability of Agile in your
department and organization.• Fill the organization and project level gaps identified by the toolkit’s readiness and appropriateness
questionnaire.• Track the effort point burndown and velocity of your pilot project using scrum.
Info-Tech Research Group 12
Info-Tech Research Group Helps IT Professionals To:
Sign up for free trial membership to get practicalsolutions for your IT challenges
www.infotech.com
Quickly get up to speedwith new technologies
Make the right technologypurchasing decisions – fast
Deliver critical ITprojects, on time andwithin budget
Manage business expectations
Justify IT spending andprove the value of IT
Train IT staff and effectivelymanage an IT department
•“Info-Tech helps me to be proactive instead of reactive –a cardinal rule in a stable and leading edge IT
environment.
- ARCS Commercial Mortgage Co., LP
Toll Free: 1-888-670-8889