Hacking a shopping centreCreating Australia's largest Agile workspace

@benross50

How do the world’s most creative people set up their workspace for optimum productivity and creativity?

What we saw working for others…

Space to collaborate

– to work

– to chill (and work)

and

Space to work on your own

“If a building doesn’t encourage collaboration, you’ll lose a lot of innovation and the magic that’s sparked by serendipity.

So we designed the building to make people get out of their offices and mingle in the central atrium with people they might not otherwise see.”

Steve Jobs (on Pixar’s office)

1. Space to collaborate - work

2. Space to collaborate – more relaxed

3. Space to work on your own

3. Space to work on your own

1. Space to collaborate - work

2. Spaces to work on your own

MYOB’s Opportunity

Developed hypotheses and experimented in our existing premises

• Agile walls – how big, how many… what type

• Standup desks – how many, how fit with other desks

• Technology – what works (lync, jira, rally, hangouts…)

• Meeting rooms – how many, how used, by whom

• Team area layouts – Optimum composition, self

contained vs shared areas..

Deep customer discoveryWe got feedback from our existing customers (our staff!) = Four themes for the new environment

1. Encourage Innovationa) “work from anywhere” technology b) Support innovation and change

2. Enable Connectiona) Between people : collaboration + communicationb) Across divisions - High activity spaces grouped around major circulation

paths to increase serendipitous meetings between staffc) To the environment: Access to natural light and views for all staff

3. Remind us of our Customersa) Communicate the values of our clients to MYOB, reminders of our

clients and their needs4. Amplify our Culture & Values

a) Friendly, dynamic, fun, green & sustainable…

Individuals and interactions (over process and tools)

In agile development, self-organization and motivation are important, as are interactions like co-location and pair programming

Where can 500+ people coalesce in a single space to enable collaboration and self organization?

Slide 25

What worked well

Local teams - big physical local walls

Distributed teams - technology for virtual walls

Standup VC camera is here

Distributed teams with technology for virtual walls

Visible charts & feedback devices

Collaboration & chill out spaces - Music

Collaboration & chill out spaces - Campsite

Collaboration & chill out spaces - Festival

Collaboration & chill out spaces - Sport

Allow teams to ‘own’ their space

Think carefully about technologyTablets enable staff to book rooms and see whether the room is booked

What we learned along the way…

Customer collaboration (over contract negotiation)

Requirements cannot be fully collected at the beginning of the software development cycle, therefore continuous customer or stakeholder involvement is very important.

As soon as we moved in, we made changes on the fly:• Noise dampening

• Extra showers

• More walls

• More standup desks

• Bike storage,…..

Social experiment (noise vs customer connection)

Phone-based support teams

Development team

Plan a break-out workspace here….

….. but teams gather here…

Enabled self organisation …..

If we could do it again….Self contained areas

Work

Collaborate

Standup

Think carefully about technologyStaff are unforgiving – it’s got to be plug & play

• Placement direction of camera & audio

• Integrated cabling & connectivity (USB, video camera, VGA/DVI/HDMI, power, phone…)

• A technology cocktail is often needed- voice, video and content across multiple locations including private home offices

So, when you try this at your work

1. Learn from the rockstars

2. Listen to your customers (staff)

3. Run experiments– Take a lean & agile approach to the project (test & learn)

– Don’t bolt anything down

4. Carefully consider how technology is embedded into your office environment