managing multi-site development teams

Managing Multi-Site Development TeamsWilliam McGeheeVP of Business DevelopmentGameSim Technologies

WildBilMcG

About me•GameSim Technologies

• VP of Business Development•EA Sports – Canada

• Director – Portfolio Management Office•Hansoft

• Senior Production Expert•EA Sports

• Senior Development Director

Factors•Culture•Type of work•Scope of work•Work experience•Communication•How you/they work

Intercultural Differences•Intercultural Study

• Cultural differences• Power Distance• Individualism• Uncertainty Avoidance

• http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/

Power Distance•This dimension relates to the degree of equality/inequality between people in a particular society.

• A country with a high Power Distance score both accepts and perpetuates inequalities between people. An example of such a society would be one that follows a caste system and in which upward mobility is very limited.

• A low Power Distance indicates that a society does not emphasis differences in people’s status, power or wealth. Equality is seen as the collective aim of society and upward mobility is common.

Power Distance Map

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Individualism•This dimension focuses on the degree to which a society reinforces individual or collective achievement and interpersonal relationships.

• If a country has a high Individualism score, this indicates that individuality and individual rights are dominant.

• A low Individualism score points to a society that is more collectivist in nature. In such countries the ties between individuals are very strong and the family is given much more weight.

Individualism Map

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Uncertainty Avoidance•This dimension concerns the level of acceptance for uncertainty and ambiguity within a society.

• A country with a high Uncertainty Avoidance score will have a low tolerance towards uncertainty and ambiguity.

• A low Uncertainty Avoidance score points to a society that is less concerned about ambiguity and uncertainty and has more tolerance towards variety and experimentation

Uncertainty Avoidance Map

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Distributed Development Vs. Outsourcing

•Distributed Development• Extension of the team• Working directly/continuously with the main

team•Outsourcing

• Fully implemented work• Specific Skillsets or • Generally lower cost center

Keep in House•Core Systems

• Engine Technology• Platform (Online)• DBs

•Features• Core Gameplay/Game Modes

Out of House•2nd - 3rd tier technology

• User Interface• Billing

•Features• General Gameplay• Game Modes• Web/mobile functionality

Work History•What typical products have they developed

• Small/large scale• Complexity• References• Ability to travel

** Try before you buy…

It is all about Communication…..•What is the communication plan•Who owns the overall vision•Who is responsible at each site for making decisions

• Avoid centralized decision making•Continuously share the vision

It is all about Communication…..•Provide multiple communication paths

• Daily Standups• Video Chat

• Continuous communication• Text Chat• Phone

**Ensure these systems work and are always available**

Get your teams face to face•Key points for person to person contact

• Pre-product• What is the concept/goal for the project• Talk about how things will work• Expectations on quality

• Production• Review final designs• How are we splitting the work

• Alpha• Process for managing defects• Process for shutting the product down

Dealing with time zones•What are the common working hours

• Can you shift development times closer?•Who stays late/who gets up early?

• Multiple time zone impact• Consider impact to efficiency when selecting

partners and development type

Know your team members•How do individuals work in each geo location?

• Self Starters• Ability to handoff work with little oversight• Can work from basic information

• Directed Developers• Require specific direction and oversight• Prefer well documented instructions

Project Methodologies•What methodologies will each location use

• Agile, Waterfall, Lean/Kanban•What is the level of experience with the selected methodologies

• Do the remote teams choices work with the main teams

•How are the key metrics tracked• Does everyone understand their role

Project Management Suite•Unified project management tool

• Accessible from each remote location• Allows remote location to manage “their”

work• Support the development methodologies

teams use• Agile, Waterfall, Lean/Kanban

• Encourage communication process• Allow project leadership to get a high level

view of project data• Ability to dig into the details

Summary •Culture•Type of work•Scope of work•Work experience•Communication•How you/they work