making distributed agile work

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Making Distributed Agile Work

Mike Schimmel

ALM Solution Architect

MicrosoftDate: October 20th, 2008


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Agenda Introduction

Presenter

Goals of Workshop

Background Characteristics of Distributed Development

Problems identified in distributed development projects

Problems identified in transition from Legacy Waterfall toAgile/Iterative

Characteristics of well running agile teams

Characteristics of not-so-well running agile teams Solutions To Distributed Agility Problems

Summary


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Agenda

Introduction Presenter

Goals of Workshop





Characteristics of not-so-well running agile teams Solutions To Distributed Agility Problems

Summary


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Introduction

Mike Schimmel

ALM Solution Architect Microsoft Corportation

20+ Years Software Development / ManagementSpecial Interests

Workshop Goals

Identify Possible Solutions to Distributed Agility

Problems

Your Goals


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Agenda


Goals of Workshop





Characteristics of not-so-well running agile teams

Solutions To Distributed Agility Problems

Summary


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Background

In the beginning

Single developers worked on dumb terminals with a large central processor

Project data was central Workers were co-located

Communication was easy


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Background

Distributed Within an Office

Single developers worked on their own work stations

Problems with data coordination

solved by:

Version Control

Increased Communication

Careful Merge Management

Centralized Data

Benefits: More Autonomous

More Individual Productivity


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What is Happening?

Companies Want to Go Agile

CIOs have heard great things

Want / Need to Deliver Faster with Higher Quality

Companies Want to Go Global

CIOs have heard great things

Want / Need to Lower Costs of IT or App. Dev.


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Background

Distributed Globally

Developers all over the world to save money due to low billing rates


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Global Distribution Characteristics

Global Distribution

Benefits:Save Costs

Continuous Work (24 Hours)

Problems:

CommunicationLanguage

Requirements

Silos Poor Hand-Offs

CultureProject Data Synchronization

Poor Application Quality


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Challenges Going from Waterfall to Agile

Challenge What Happens?

Old Dog, New Tricks Long time

developers dont like change

PMP / Executive Need for

Milestone

How do we start?

Find one flaw, give up.

Sponsorship at risk.

Misinterpret Methods

Dont just try agile, but trydistribution at same time

Mass, Globally Distributed

Confusion

Results:

Lots of money lost, large decrease in productivity, lowered morale, and

exodus from company


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Agenda


Goals of Workshop

Background

Characteristics of Distributed Development






Summary


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So, we use Agile Methods Scrum

Rapidly Gaining Acceptance

Very productive

Minimizes Unnecessary Work

Focus on the source of value thoseDOING the work

Why Scrum?

Provides Good Governance, Controls,and Organization for Mitigating Risk

Well-Documented, Popular, andSimple

Industry Guidance All Over thePlace

Simple Easy to Learn


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Characteristics of a Well Running Team

Outstanding Developers Cross Functional Rock

Stars!

Solid Architect Strong Personalities Overcome Customer

Customer is part of team

Test Driven Development A Religion

Automated Build Mgt., Release Mgt., and Testing

Paired Programming Informal Code Review


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Focus on Evolving Small, Manageable Stories; Not

Complex Use Cases

Didnt Kill the Tracker Automated the Task Cards

Guerilla Testing

Co-Located Team!

Characteristics of a Well Running Team


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Agenda


Goals of Workshop

Background

Characteristics of Distributed Development






Summary


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A NOTSo Well Running Team

Not Co-Located Distributed across the globe

Developers are NOT Rock Stars! One Trick Ponys

Low Skill and Desire (i.e. Wont do TDD)

Project Functions are NOT Co-Located Developers in one location, testers another, business

stakeholders yet another Dependencies on other projects that do not

practice the same methods

Part Time Commitment from Critical Resources (i.e.Architect)

Lack of test and build automation


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So, Whats the Reality

Teams dont know how to start

Distribution is going to happen

Not all team members can be Rock Stars

Some customers are not 100% Available

Functions will be isolated Dependencies on other projects will exist


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Agenda


Goals of Workshop







Summary


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Solutions: Starting to Go Agile

Start with 30-Day Scrum

Get Good Agile Experience

Hire a Scrum Master / Agile Coach 50% Team Should Have Agile Experience Good

Master/Journey Relationship

Incrementally Adopt the Practice small team first,followed by more and more

Automation Build Mgt., Release Mgt., Unit Testing,

Build Verification Testing Use Work Flow and Work Item automation for Story

Cards and Tasks

Start with 30-Day Scrum

Get Good Agile Experience

Hire a Scrum Master / Agile

Coach

50% Team Should Have Agile

Experience Good

Master/Journey Relationship

Incrementally Adopt the Practice

small team first, followed by

more and more

Automation Build Mgt.,

Release Mgt., Unit Testing, Build

Verification Testing Use Work Flow and Work Item

automation for Story Cards and

Tasks

Is this you?

Or this?


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Starting to Go Agile: Brainstorm

Audience Participation


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Solutions: Distribution

Complete functional teamisolated by application domain

Scrum Master

Team Member Skills: Business

Domain SME, Developer, TestManager/Engineer, DBA,

Network Specialty, Application

Architecture, Etc.

Communications andTechnology

Phone access to

each site

E-Mail

Instant Messaging

Video Conferencing

Strictly Enforced Daily Stand-up

More Documentation

(yea, I know, but graphics

improve language barriers)

Models of Scenarios /

Component Interactions

Enterprise Architecture

Automation

Common Repository (WIKI)

Source Code Management with

robust branching, merging, and

workspace isolation

Work Flow / Work Items

Management

Rotate Resources


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Distribution: Brainstorm



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At Best, Were Aging

Rock Stars

Solutions: Were Not Rock Stars

Hire Experience to the Team Scrum Coach

Application Architect

Test Automation Lead

Automated Work Flow and

Work Items

Enforce Accountability

Small Expectations Commit to small amounts of work

Start with low compexities

Show Early Success

Start In Single Location, thenExpand Globally

Pair Programming Approach toAll Tasks

Analysis

Functional / System Test

Everything is Shared

Informal Training Sessions

Brown Bag Seminars

After Hours Workshops

Make Process Guidance

Available

WIKI

Project Portal


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Not Rock Stars: Brainstorm



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Solutions: Customer Accessibility

Frequent, I Mean FREQUENT Communication Daily planned conference calls

Unplanned access They NEED to answer the phone

Meet me half way Go to them

Get them to come to you once in a while

Get Creative (see picture)


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Customer Accessibility: Brainstorm



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Solutions: Dependencies on Projects

Concede Some Deliverables due to waterfalldependencies

Align with releases

Align with interim milestones


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Project Dependencies: Brainstorm



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Agenda


Goals of Workshop







Summary


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Summary

Distributed Agile Can Work

Requirements:

Willing to Learn

Willing to be Creative

Automation Tests, Builds, Releases

Automation Work Flow, Work Items Frequent, Open, Communication Supported by

Technology

Experience and Coaching


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Thank You!

Distributed Agile:Make it Real

Mike [email protected]

making distributed agile work

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