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Case Study: Agile won’t work here…

Really?

Mainframe and Agile – A Match Made in Heaven?

Candi Rai

Nationwide Insurance

8/5/2011 mainframe and agile 2

Agenda

• Why this topic

• Case Study• Nationwide Application Development Center

• Challenges and Solutions for the mainframe projects

• Lessons learned• Culture Transformation

• Continuous improvements


Mainframe Projects

• Technology– Applications created in different eras and still widely

embedded in production – Often involve cross‐platforms collaboration with other

technologies– Modernization is on the way

• Process– Governed by rigid processes

• People– Most are on the application for years– COBOL and mainframe are not a focus area in colleges


ESD Agile

Initiate + Solution Scoping ‐> Iteration 0: Backlogs Creating &

Release Planning

Design+Development+Implement ‐> Iteration Cadences


Challenge:

Difficult to produce features/epics and agree upon

how to approach development

Bottom Line:

– Reverse‐engineer to produce requirements

– Group the changes by business function or by technical relevance

– Do small incremental deliveries


Challenge:

Urgency for commitment to a release date

Bottom Line:

– T‐shirt size each feature – Allow lower velocity for first few iterations– Plan 90% capacity throughout– Deliver features with highest Business value first


Challenge:

Urgency to begin coding

Bottom Line:

– Identify and address blockers and gaps (skills, tools,

environments)

– Adequate environments ready to avoid wait state

– NFR (non‐functional requirements) approved


Challenge: Rigid testing processes and environments with pre‐

determined release schedule

Bottom Line:

– Master testing strategy discussed/understood

– Engage external dependencies early– Set expectations of the level of involvements for

integrated applications, infrastructure support and testing

support


Challenge:

Produce reasonable size of story card with clear

defined acceptance criteria

Bottom Line:

– Small story card is essential to the success of Agile

– Collaborate with extended team SMEs

– Manage requirement activities as Release card or Tech

card


Challenge: Skeptical about TDD/ATDD or pair programming

Bottom Line:– Test Driven Development, delivery quality when lack of

functional knowledge – Pairing to cross‐train functions – Pair developer with tester!


Challenge: Continuous integration is difficult and time‐

consuming

Bottom Line:

– Identify the “core”

of the changes and write unit tests to

cover the core area

– Plan for longer cycle– Automated iteration testing can be a “batch”


Challenge:

Interesting and meaningful show & tell. A challenge

to any project that has no user screen

Bottom Line:– Show & Tell always provides quick feedbacks, another

essential key for success.– Persistent. Show flows, green screen setup, etc. till actual

outputs


IT/ST/PT Testing

Smoke test, system integration, system test, user acceptance

test. Shortened test cycles with automated testing being

the norm

and manual testing the exception.


Challenge:

Many integrating points across applications,

environments and release

Bottom Line:

– Signoff Master Testing Strategy in early iterations to

develop a good test plan

– Spend time planning upfront and ensure all dependent

applications know the integrating points and expected

deliveries

– Manage testing and release activities via Release cards


Challenge:

End‐to‐end automated testing can be too

expensive or too difficult

Bottom Line:

– Start automation with areas that produces highest ROI.

Continue the efforts as project progresses.

– Manage the work (tech cards) through IPM


In Their Own Words ..


In Their Own Words ..

Product OwnerThe Application produced over one

million combined policies, roughly translates into a savings of $500,000 in print and postage costs. Survey showed increase in customer satisfaction. Overall, the results are a direct result of the product and quality Team is producing.


IT Delivery ExecutiveAt a recent ITLT, I gave you a preview of the

great success we were experiencing on the Combined Dec & Bill project. The project utilizes the Animal House line in the ADC which is made up of both ADC and BSA resources.

I wanted to follow back up with a summary of the results we have seen. I think you will be impressed by the team work, thought leadership and value created by this effort. It is truly embracing our IT strategy!


Asset Owner

Changes in the analysis, development and testing domains have provided significant improvements in team performance. These translate into tangible business benefits.


Application SME

Agile has made a good difference in delivery for me for the way it breaks down the big picture into small pieces. The big picture can be overwhelming and difficult to manage. Agile breaks it down into smaller pieces, making it feel more manageable and not so intimidating.


Lessons Learned

• Culture Transformation– Best SME(s) may not be the best match for Agile– Allow/Encourage the team to be self‐managing

• Continuous Improvements– Story card– TDD and Test Automation

– Team retrospective


Q&A

Candi Rai

[email protected]

mobile 614 580 5425

case study: agile won’t work here… really? · • case study • nationwide application...

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