Download - The agile advantage
The Agile AdvantageThe Agile Advantage
Abigail SamuelAbigail SamuelInformation Developer, IBM India Software LabsInformation Developer, IBM India Software Labs
[email protected]@gmail.com
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About this presentationAbout this presentation
The goal and objectives of this presentation are:The goal and objectives of this presentation are: To remove some perceived mind blocks about AgileTo remove some perceived mind blocks about Agile To highlight why technical writers should actually like AgileTo highlight why technical writers should actually like Agile To convert the challenges into advantages so that we can To convert the challenges into advantages so that we can
integrate more smoothly into an Agile development teamintegrate more smoothly into an Agile development team
The presentation covers the following topics:The presentation covers the following topics: Ensuring quality in technical documentation by using the Ensuring quality in technical documentation by using the
opportunities that Agile providesopportunities that Agile provides Tips for a technical writer in an Agile projectTips for a technical writer in an Agile project How Agile teams can leverage the expertise of a technical writerHow Agile teams can leverage the expertise of a technical writer
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Key characteristics of quality documentation
Developing Quality Technical InformationDeveloping Quality Technical Information~ Ensuring usefulness, not just conformance~ Ensuring usefulness, not just conformance
Easy to findEasy to findEasy to findEasy to find
OrganizationOrganization
Visual effectivenessVisual effectiveness
RetrievabilityRetrievability
Easy to useEasy to useEasy to useEasy to use
Task orientationTask orientation
AccuracyAccuracy
CompletenessCompleteness
Easy to understandEasy to understandEasy to understandEasy to understand
ClarityClarity
ConcretenessConcreteness
StyleStyle
Timeliness (correct estimates and sizing)
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Developing Quality Technical InformationDeveloping Quality Technical Information ~ using Agile to your advantage ~ using Agile to your advantage
Benefits for TWsQuality documentation
Benefits for TWsQuality documentation
Benefits for TWsQuality documentation
Benefits for TWsQuality documentation
User storiesUser stories
VisibilityVisibility
FeedbackFeedback Test-driven developmentTest-driven
development
TW on par with dev and
test
TW on par with dev and
test
Collaborative environment Collaborative environment
Involved from the
beginning
Involved from the
beginning
AGILEOn-time deliveryOn-time delivery
CompleteComplete
ClearClear
Properly sizedProperly sized
EffectiveEffective
Task-orientedTask-oriented
ConcreteConcrete
UsefulUseful
OrganizedOrganized
RetrievableRetrievable
AccurateAccurate
MinimalMinimal
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Tips for a technical writer in an Agile projectTips for a technical writer in an Agile project
Get involved
Increase product knowledge
Take the initiative
Add value
Establish formal review process
Plan tasks for hardening sprints
Implement feedback
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Tips for a technical writer in an Agile projectTips for a technical writer in an Agile project
Provide TW inputs during story-pointing or planning poker sessions
Results in more accurate sizing or effort estimation
Helps to better understand each story and its documentation requirements
Attend and try to participate in all the scrum activities and meetings
At sprint planning, the stories picked for the sprint, TW tasks, priorities are discussed
Be prepared to communicate your status daily during stand-up or scrum meetings
Use retrospect meetings to improve and establish TW process followed in the team
In sprint-end demos, provide inputs related to user experience, get doc feedback
Get involved
During design review meetings, include the documentation design for the feature
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Tips for a technical writer in an Agile projectTips for a technical writer in an Agile project
For every story or defect, ask if there is a documentation impact
Start writing in the same sprint with product development and testing
TW tasks need to be completed for story to be marked as “done” and to claim points
Use whatever design info is available, test cases, discussions, wikis, to get started
Put placeholders for gaps that can be filled up later
Tell team when blocked, need help or input, or have a dependency on their tasks
Re-define “done” criteria for user stories to include only authoring and tech review
Initiate discussions, clarifications, reviews (reminders)
Take the initiative
Have exclusive documentation meetings for user story
Keep your lists of questions and points to be clarified ready
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All who are assigned to a user story and the team leads can be mandatory reviewers; rest of the team can be included as optional reviewers
Later technical review should be formal using a tool to track review comments and mark approvals
Tips for a technical writer in an Agile projectTips for a technical writer in an Agile project
Have the initial review in the form of a demo or review meeting
Create a short checklist for technical review points
Establish a formal review process
Send out reminders for review if not done on time
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Tips for a technical writer in an Agile projectTips for a technical writer in an Agile project
Install, configure, and use latest builds when documenting
Increase product knowledge
Drive the terminology – standardize terms for consistency
Participate and provide inputs during UI design and reviews
Add value
Offer to work on material other than documentation (demos, articles, papers, etc.)
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Tips for a technical writer in an Agile projectTips for a technical writer in an Agile project
Accessibility testing, globalization, testing of deployed information, etc.
Schedule a “big picture” technical review of all information added / updated in release
Keep a buffer for making minor last minute changes before the release
Plan ahead for tasks to be done during hardening sprint
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Tips for a technical writer in an Agile projectTips for a technical writer in an Agile project
Feedback received in each iteration and milestone
Consumability improvement surveys
Enhance documentation to reduce support queries
Welcome and implement customer feedback
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Tips for a technical writer in an Agile projectTips for a technical writer in an Agile project
Information development process: task-oriented topic writing, minimalism, how reviews and will be done, tools used to track reviews
Methodologies: DITA and structured authoring – creating modular re-usable information units, single-sourcing and conditional processing of information
TW skills: organizational, interviewing and listening, ability to convey complex thoughts in a simple and clear manner, editing and language skills
Give the development team a behind-the-scenes tour of TW
Tools: Editing tool, Checking tools (for example, Acrocheck), Build tools, CMS, Accessibility testing tools (for example, JAWs)
Guidelines and standards: style guides, terminology standards, and other guidelines specific to our product division
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Leveraging the expertise of technical writersLeveraging the expertise of technical writers
in meetings, training sessions, and demosin meetings, training sessions, and demos
when searching for specific documentation
when searching for specific documentation
Ask TWs
to organize, write, review or edit
information other than product docs
to organize, write, review or edit
information other than product docs for usability related
suggestionsfor usability related
suggestions
Consult TWs
by using docs when testing or trying out functions
by using docs when testing or trying out functions
Give feedback
all information that will be publicly exposed
all information that will be publicly exposed
Get TWs to review
Use TWs’ skills
Involve TWs
to set aside time for focused technical reviews
to set aside time for focused technical reviews
Planby copying them on all
relevant mailsby copying them on all
relevant mails
Keep TWs in the loop
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ConclusionConclusion
Highest priority is to satisfy the customer
Highest priority is to satisfy the customer
User task-orientationIts not about what the software does
Its about what the user does
User task-orientationIts not about what the software does
Its about what the user does
Simplicity – the art of maximizing the amount of work not done – is essentialSimplicity – the art of maximizing the
amount of work not done – is essentialMinimalism – Think more, write lessProvide the right content, to the right
person, at the right time
Minimalism – Think more, write lessProvide the right content, to the right
person, at the right time
Quality (useful) technical
informationAgileAgile DocumentationDocumentation
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Questions?Questions?
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ReferencesReferences
Agile:Agile:
http://agilemanifesto.org/http://agilemanifesto.org/
http://www.scrumalliance.org/articles/369-a-writers-guide-to-surviving-http://www.scrumalliance.org/articles/369-a-writers-guide-to-surviving-
agile-software-developmentagile-software-development
http://www.writersua.com/articles/AGILE/index.htmlhttp://www.writersua.com/articles/AGILE/index.html
http://www.agilemodeling.com/essays/agileDocumentation.htmhttp://www.agilemodeling.com/essays/agileDocumentation.htm
Developing Quality Technical InformationDeveloping Quality Technical Information
http://www.ibmpressbooks.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=0131477498http://www.ibmpressbooks.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=0131477498
IBM Rational Team Concert (Agile project management software)IBM Rational Team Concert (Agile project management software)
https://jazz.net/products/rational-team-concert/https://jazz.net/products/rational-team-concert/