BUSINESS AGILITY – HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AN AGILE R&D

Vasco Duarte

Agile Eastern Europe 2010

Vasco Duarte

@duarte_vascohttp://bit.ly/vasco_bloghttp://bit.ly/vasco_slideshare

Vasco

Evidence mounts: Agile works and is being widely adopted

2007 data, VersionOne

90%Said Agile either improved or significantly improved their ability to manage changing priorities

2009 data, VersionOne

83%Of respondents showed either improvement or significant improvement in project visibility

2009 data, VersionOne

81.5%

18.5%Yes:

No:

Agile Projects are 37% Faster to

Market than Industry Average

Question: how do I make it work for me and for my business?

http://www.agilecollab.com/interview-with-ken-schwaber

Ken Schwaber: 75% of organizations fail to benefit

from Agile/Scrum as expected

Two Challenges:

1How do I adopt Agile?

How do I make it benefit my business?2

Would be nice: Have a model to adopt Agile and benefit my business

Agile adoption is hard, long term. But there are some lessons we’ve learned

by having done this for many years.

Step 1: Pilot projects1. Introduce the method in a way that does not

risk your business, a safe experiment2. Provide a learning opportunity for your

people. Making sure that they learn the method in a lower risk environment

3. Increase your knowledge of what are the likely consequences of Agile adoption in your environment. Understand your context deeply

Step 1a: Use output from Pilot Projects to prepare wider adoption

Lesson Learnt 1: Pilot Projects succeed because they are isolated and different!

Taking Agile to the rest of R&D is different than running Pilot Projects…

Cheat sheet

• 1: Pilot Projects• 1a: Use output from Pilot

projects to prepare wider adoption

•Lesson 1: Pilot Projects succeed because they are isolated!

Step 2: Consider the impact on the whole R&D!

Lesson Learnt 2: Different clock cycles in the organization lead to conflict

Lesson Learnt 3: Align goals across projects and teams that must cooperate

Lesson Learnt 4: Agile requires Timeboxes.

Drop waterfall now!

Step 2a: Synchronize projects across the whole R&D!

Lesson Learnt 5: Product Owners/Product Managers must serve

R&D needs!

Lesson Learnt 6: As you need to support Agile adoption you need to

consider the R&D boundaries

Do you have a cross-company goal for Agile adoption?

Lesson Learnt 7: As you bump

into obstacles from other

organizations you need to align goals.

Step 2b: Include Product management in R&D. We develop products, not software!

Lesson Learnt 8: R&D can only improve speed of execution. Other parts of the company need to take advantage of it!

all your products

are belong to us!

Lesson Learnt 10: R&D alone cannot improve your business!

The 1,000,000 Euro question: How do I make Agile work for my Business?

Cheat sheet• Lesson 2: Different clock cycles in the

organization lead to conflict• Lesson 3: Align goals across teams and

projects that must cooperate• Lesson 4: Agile Requires Timeboxes, drop

waterfall now!• Lesson 5: Product Owners must serve R&D

needs• Lesson 6: Reconsider your R&D boundaries• Lesson 7: Align goals for Agile adoption

across the whole organization• Lesson 8: R&D can only increase speed,

others still need to take advantage of it• Lesson 9: Portfolio decisions are too slow

and not stable enough• Lesson 10: R&D alone cannot improve your

business

1: Pilot Projects• 1a: Use output from Pilot

projects to prepare wider adoption

2: Consider the impact on the whole R&D!• 2a: Synchronize projects

across the whole R&D!• 2b: Include Product

management in R&D. We develop products, not software!

Step 3: Deliver value by considering the whole system. Optimize the system!

Lesson Learnt 11: Sales and portfolio management work with “long term, non-negotiable” roadmaps. R&D cannot work

with those

Lesson Learnt 12: Agile R&D teams can iterate fast towards the wrong product

Step 3a: Have a Vision in place for every project that is shared across the whole

organization!

Lesson Learnt 13: Projects where the goal is clear are more innovative and engage

the whole team

Step 3b: Link your project Visions to your company’s strategy

Lesson Learnt 14: Agile adoption in R&D uncovers problems elsewhere

Step 3c: Align all business units with the goals for Agile adoption

Lesson Learnt 15: Competitors are improving

also. Make the improvement your agenda

– long term!

Cheat sheet• 1: Pilot Projects• 1a: Use output from Pilot projects to

prepare wider adoption

• 2: Consider the impact on the whole R&D!• 2a: Synchronize projects across the whole

R&D!• 2b: Include Product management in R&D.

We develop products, not software!

• 3: Deliver value by considering the whole system. Optimize the system!• 3a: Have a Vision in place for every project

that is shared across the whole organization!

• 3b: Link your project Visions to strategy• 3c: Align all business units with the goals

for Agile adoption

• Lesson 11: Sales and portfolio management work with “long term, non-negotiable” roadmaps. R&D cannot work with those

• Lesson 12: Agile R&D teams can iterate fast towards the wrong product

• Lesson 13: Projects where the goal is clear are more innovative and engage the whole team

• Lesson 14: Agile adoption in R&D uncovers problems elsewhere

• Lesson 15: Competitors are improving also. Make the improvement your agenda – long term!

The key issue: We need a model based on experience that helps achieve a business improvement

HOLISTIKWe need a business-oriented approach to Agile adoption

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

Step 1: Pilot ProjectsStep 2: Consider the impact in the whole R&D

Step 3: Deliver value by considering the whole system. Optimize the system!

Lesson 15: Competitors are improving also. Make the improvement your agenda – long term!

Lesson 11: Sales and portfolio management work with “long term, non-negotiable” roadmaps. R&D cannot work with those

Lesson 12: Agile R&D teams can iterate fast towards the wrong product

Lesson 13: Projects where the goal is clear are more innovative and engage the whole team

Lesson 14: Agile adoption in R&D uncovers problems elsewhere

Lesson 10: R&D alone cannot improve your business

Lesson 2: Different clock cycles in the organization lead to conflict

Lesson 3: Align goals across teams and projects that must cooperate

Lesson 4: Agile Requires Timeboxes, drop waterfall now!

Lesson 5: Product Owners must serve R&D needs

Lesson 6: Reconsider your R&D boundaries

Lesson 7: Align goals for Agile adoption across the whole organization

Lesson 8: R&D can only increase speed, others still need to take advantage of it

Lesson 9: Portfolio decisions are too slow and not stable enough

Lesson 1: Pilot Projects succeed because they are isolated!

Currently an Agile Coach in Nokia, Vasco Duarte is an experienced product and project manager, having worked in the software industry since 1997. Vasco has also been an Agile practitioner since 2004, he is one of the leaders and a catalyst in the adoption of Agile methods and an Agile culture at Nokia and previously at F-Secure.

Vasco's contributions to the improvement of the software development profession can be read in his blog: http://softwaredevelopmenttoday.blogspot.com.

You can follow Vasco on twitter: @duarte_vasco

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/markkilner/2069380415http://www.flickr.com/photos/clintjcl/2722008496http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikelo/534441248http://www.flickr.com/photos/muehlinghaus/3505426440