Vasco DuarteAgile Coach, vasco.duarte@oikosofy.com

Vasco Duarte

@duarte_vasco

http://bit.ly/vasco_blog

http://bit.ly/vasco_slideshare

Next?isWhat

Business at warp speed…

How to Cope?

How to tackle these changes?ACT I – tackling the challenges

Understand what is slowing us down

Idea

Meetings to get idea approved

Trying to get the project started

Time is ticking

Slow Processes: a (BAD) example

Time

Ad

ded

Valu

e

6 months trying to get the project approved

One dayBrainstorming new product idea

6 months product development

Consequences of slow processes:

• Higher costs -> due to the amount of work that is pending while the costs are accruing

• Lower quality -> slow processes allow for “dirty” workarounds and hide quality problems (which in turn increase costs due to rework)

Corollary of fast processes

For any given process, ifyou can reduce the Time ittakes to execute it, you willconsequently reduce Costsand increase Quality

CASE I: How to reduce the time it takes to execute a particular process

Give me your business card orSend me an email: vasco.duarte@oikosofy.com

To get this case study

Faster? Sure! But why?

You

Customer

+

=

Best ProductManager

CASE II: Flexible Requirements Management

Different content abstractions for different stakeholders

User Stories

Features

EpicsPortfolio Items – Customer marketable

Longer term planning (more than 1 iteration)

Where the rubber meets the road – what we do in one iteration

Product Marketing and

Portfolio

Product Owner + Architect + UX

Team + Product Owner

Different ways to manage a

portfolio of Epics/FeaturesEpic

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Epic Epic

Feature

Feature

Feature

Epic

Feature

Feature

Feature

Epic Option 1:

• Many epics

• Shallow implementation

• New market / new business

innovation

• Typical goal: catch up (me too or

tick-in-box products for reviews)Epic

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Epic

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Option 2:

• Few epics

• Deep implementation

• Technological innovation

• Typical goal: Hero products,

unique experiences, Niche-

focused products

Feedback is essential to get it right

When I grow up I want to

learn…

Nu

mb

er

of

Bu

gs

Timeline

Bug evolution in a non-agile project

Open

Closed

Submit

Development phase Desperately testing and fixing phase

Waterfall

Your Team is the best design team!

CASE III: The learning process for the whole company

DiscontinuationGeneral AvailabilityProduct Realization

S3 R1S1 V3 V1V2

ReleaseDevelopment

D1S2 R2

Idea

Screening

Release

Planning

Feasibilty

Study

System

Test

Beta

Validation

RC

Validation

Launch

PreparationDevelopment IterationsMarket

Launch

Screening and Initiation Validation

D2

Product life-cycle and product realization cycle

DA Dn ...

Project

Initiation

Step 1: A classic waterfall-like process framework

• Learning comes too late• Requires the world to be perfect• Not flexible to changes (especially late changes)

Step 2: Agile process framework for the whole company

• Includes feedback/learning cycles for major company processes

• Regular reviews allow us to adapt to change

Now for the real challenge…ACT III – How to take this into practice?

Workout

Work OUT!OR…

Epic Epic Epic Epic Epic

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Feature

Depth

of th

e p

ort

folio

Is t

his

Epic

a “

kic

k-a

ss”

or

a “

me t

oo”

or

a “

check in b

ox”?

Breadth of the portfolioHow many experiences do we offer our customers?

Flexible Scope techniques

Design a learning process

Source: Eric Ries, Lean Startup

Stop starting, start finishing!

Here’s a tip you can take to the bank: Hire someone who has done it before.

Currently a Managing partner at Oikosofy, Vasco Duarte is an experienced Agile Coach, Product and Project Manager. Having worked in the software industry since 1997, Vasco has also been an Agile practitioner since 2004, he was one of the leaders and catalysts of Agile methods and Agile culture adoption at Avira and previously at Nokia and F-Secure.

Vasco's contributions to the development of the Software industry and professions can be read at his blog: http://SoftwareDevelopmentToday.com

Or you can follow Vasco on Twitter: @duarte_vasco

Tweet or send me an e-mail: vasco.duarte@oikosofy.com