the business analyst’s critical role in agile projects
DESCRIPTION
Are you a business analyst, wondering how you fit into agile projects? Are you a ScrumMaster who wants to work with business analysts for a stronger project team? Are you a product owner who needs to supercharge your product backlog? Mark Layton introduces you to the critical role of the business analyst on agile projects. Get the essential information business analysts need to know to be successful members of an agile project team. Learn how business analysts can use their product knowledge and requirements translation skills to support product owners and stakeholders. Discover the role of product owner agent and why business analysts do well in that role. Learn how business analysts approach documentation—especially requirements—on agile projects. Dive into the details of the product backlog and user stories. Bring your questions and be ready to learn all about the who and the how of the business analyst in agile projects.TRANSCRIPT
AT10 Session 6/6/2013 3:45 PM
"The Business Analyst’s Critical Role in Agile Projects"
Presented by:
Mark Layton Platinum Edge, Inc.
Brought to you by:
340 Corporate Way, Suite 300, Orange Park, FL 32073 888‐268‐8770 ∙ 904‐278‐0524 ∙ [email protected] ∙ www.sqe.com
Mark Layton Platinum Edge, Inc.
Known globally as Mr. Agile®, Mark Layton is an organizational strategist and PMI certification instructor with more than twenty years in the project management field. Mark is the Los Angeles chair for the Agile Leadership Network and the founder of Platinum Edge, Inc., an organizational improvement company supporting businesses in waterfall-to-agile transition. The author of Agile Project Management for Dummies, Mark is a frequent speaker on lean, XP, Scrum, and other agile solutions. He is a distinguished graduate of the Air Force’s Leadership School, certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Trainer (CST), and recipient of Stanford University’s advanced project management certification (SCPM).
Business Analysis’ Critical R l i A il P j t
Business Analysis’ Critical R l i A il P j tRole in Agile ProjectsRole in Agile Projects
What is agile project management?
What is agile project management?g
a very quick overviewg
a very quick overview
Agile in Practice: the Tip of the IcebergAgile in Practice: the Tip of the Iceberg
• Teams work in iterations, or sprints, generally 1-4 weeks long
- Each sprint includes design, development,Each sprint includes design, development, testing and documentation
• Deliver small groups of usable functionality on a regular basis
• Self-organizing, cross-functional teamsCl ll b i i h h b i
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• Close collaboration with the business• Inspect & adapt
Agile Methodology?Agile Methodology?
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Common Agile SetCommon Agile Set
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“We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
The Agile ManifestoThe Agile Manifesto
› Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
› Working software over comprehensive documentation
› Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
› Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items
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on the left more.”
Kent Beck Mike Beedle Arie van Bennekum Alistair CockburnWard Cunningham Martin Fowler James Grenning Jim Highsmith Andrew Hunt
Ron Jeffries Jon Kern Brian Marick Robert C. MartinSteve Mellor Ken Schwaber Jeff Sutherland Dave Thomas
© 2001, the above authors this declaration may be freely copied in any form, but only in its entirety through this notice.
The 12 Principles of AgileThe 12 Principles of Agile
1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
2. Welcome changing requirements, even late
7. Working software is the primary measure of success.
8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers,
in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.
3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
5. Build projects around motivated
and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
10. Simplicity – the art of maximizing the amount of work not done – is essential.
11. The best architectures, requirements, and design emerge from self-organizing teams.5. Build projects around motivated
individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is a face-to-face conversation.
des g e e ge o se o ga g tea s.12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on
how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
Comparing Waterfall to Agile Approaches
Comparing Waterfall to Agile ApproachesApproachesApproaches
What’s Different?What’s Different?
• Requirements timing • Focus on priorities• Approach to change• Approach to change• User stories
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Fundamental Paradigm ShiftFundamental Paradigm Shift
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Waterfall Project Life CycleWaterfall Project Life Cycle
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Agile SprintsAgile Sprints
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Simplified Scrum OverviewSimplified Scrum Overview
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13
Time = KnowledgeTime = Knowledge
100%
You always know the least at the project start!
0%
25%
50%
75%
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Project Start
3 Mos. 6 Mos. 12 Mos. 18 Mos.
Product & Project Knowledge
Product Backlog DarwinismProduct Backlog Darwinism
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Business Analyst Roles on an Agile Project
Business Analyst Roles on an Agile ProjectAgile ProjectAgile Project
Agile Roles (Scrum Framework)Agile Roles (Scrum Framework)
• Scrum Master• Product Owner• Development Team• Development Team
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• Provides strategy and direction for the project› Vision, Product Roadmap, Release Goal, Sprint Goal› Organizes and prioritizes Product Backlog
− Initiates requirements
Roles: Product OwnerRoles: Product Owner
− Scope control mechanism› Business interface on requirements & status› Decides on release date for completed functionality
• Responsible for the profitability of the product (ROI)› Makes investment and financial trade-off decisions
• Involved daily in the Sprint to provide clarifications
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› Full time member. The project is NOT an ‘additional duty’› If a tactical Product Owner agent is used (common with offshore),
the PO has ultimate responsibility
• Accepts or rejects work results throughout Sprint› Presents Scrum Team accomplishments at Sprint Review
18
User StoriesUser Stories
•CardC i•Conversation
•Confirmation
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INVEST Approach*INVEST Approach*
• Independent (to the degree possible)– Does not need other stories to implement
• Negotiable• Valuable• Valuable
– Features, not tasks– Written in the user’s language
• Estimable• Small
– Half a Sprint or less for one Dev Team member
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• Testable– Not too subjective
*User Stories Applied by Mike Cohn
For BAs, This Means… For BAs, This Means…
• Participation throughout the project
• Requirements and products that• Requirements and products that reflect customer needs
• Ability to change for product enhancement
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enhancement
For More Information…For More Information…
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