Download - Scaled Agile Principles and Practices

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Page 1: Scaled Agile Principles and Practices

Scaled Agile Practices

A look at common concepts used in the 3 major Scaled Agile frameworks – LeSS, Nexus, SAFe

Page 2: Scaled Agile Principles and Practices

Why We’re Here?• Easy to get bogged down in the details & differences

of Scaled Agile frameworks

• Hypothesis - it’s more valuable to look at the concepts all the frameworks support and work towards those as opposed to focusing on differences in the frameworks

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Terminology & Comments• Unless otherwise stated, all 3 frameworks agree on

concepts shown

• Cross-team or Scaled-teams means the set of scaled Agile teams

• Using standard Scrum terminology• SAFe uses something closer to XP language (iterations,

iteration planning, standups, demos)

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The FrameworksLeSS, Nexus, SAFe 4.0

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less.works Larman & Bodde

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Certifications Abound

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Summary of Common Practices

Core Concepts the Frameworks Agree On

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• Pre-requisites• Teams all execute team-level Scrum well (i.e., not just following mechanics)• Solid technical practices are required to be successful delivering (i.e., automation, high code quality)• Feature teams strongly preferred

1. The teams all regularly plan together• Scaled teams planning session to clarify what is being built and minimize dependencies• Use of one shared Product Backlog; each team has their own Sprint Backlog

2. The teams coordinate throughout the Sprint to ensure delivery of an integrated “done” increment• Focus is on the integrated “done” increment ; shared Definition of Done• Coordination to monitor progress and remove obstacles

3. The teams have an integrated review every Sprint to demonstrate the integrated “done” increment• A shared review to show stakeholders progress and receive feedback to improve the Product Backlog

4. The teams regularly retrospect together to find ways to improve• Improve the whole system at scale

Understand & follow

these practices!

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The Details

Pre-requisitesGeneral ConceptsOrganizational StructureAdoptionScaled EventsScaled ArtifactsScaled RolesTechnical Practices

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Pre-requisites• Good Scrum teams doing Scrum well at the team-level• Stable, cross-functional, preferably co-located teams• Teams able to deliver a potentially releasable “done”

increment every Sprint • Consistent/Predictable output

• Scaling “crappy” code or ”crappy” teams, results in Scaled crap

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General Concepts• First level scaling - 3 to 12 teams

• F/w diffs: LeSS 3-8, Nexus SPS 3-9, SAFe 5-12• Larger than that requires more changes that the frameworks support:

LeSS Huge, Nexus+, SAFe multiple Release Trains, possibly separate Value Streams

• Avoid the need to Scale if possible• Scaling is non-linear. Can you downsize or improve team structure in

another way?

• Apply Systems thinking - remove local optimizations, don’t focus on utilization• F/w diffs: Nexus silent?

• Prefer Product teams and Feature focus• As opposed to component-teams and project-based

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Organizational Structure• The vast majority of Agile teams should be Feature teams

• Minimize and remove inter-team dependencies as much as possible

• A single PO who owns the integrated increment• F/w diffs:

• Nexus & LeSS – only 1 PO for all 3-8/9 teams• SAFe has a RTE PO but also retains POs at team-level

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Scaled Adoption Approach• Educate everyone first

• Start adoption with one set of the smallest Scaled group (i.e. , 3-12 teams)

• Flip-a-switch approach

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Scaled ScrumEvents, Artifacts, and Roles

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The Sprint• All teams align on same Sprint cadence

• F/w diffs: • LeSS & SAFe – same boundary• Nexus – teams must at least align for combined Sprint

Review

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Scaled Backlog Refinement• Replaces or in addition

• F/w diffs: • LeSS & Nexus every Sprint with team representatives• SAFe pre-PI planning weeks with Program level

representatives

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Scaled Sprint Planning• Purpose:

• All teams understand the work to be done• Minimize & remove dependencies• Input – single Product Backlog• Output – each team leaves with the work they plan to

work on the next Sprint (and take to their team Sprint Backlog)

• Framework differences:• LeSS & Nexus - every Sprint, team representatives• SAFe – one for every Product Increment (PI = 4-6 Sprints),

everyone attends

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Scaled Daily Meetings• Daily coordination across the teams (in addition to team

Daily Scrum)

• F/w diffs:• Nexus – Nexus Daily Scrum, integration focus• LeSS – SoS, other teams join, and “just talk”• SAFe - Scrum of Scrums, PO Sync

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Scaled Sprint Review• Purpose:

• Receive and incorporate product feedback from stakeholders every Sprint

• Demonstrate an integrated “Done” increment each Sprint

• F/w diffs: • SAFe also has team level reviews• LeSS and Nexus – only integrated Sprint Reviews

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Scaled Retrospective• Purpose: improve the cross team work & process

• F/w diffs: • LeSS & Nexus – held each Sprint & send team

representatives• SAFe - everyone attends but only held at end of each PI

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Scaled Artifacts• Backlogs

• Shared cross-team Product Backlog• Individual team Sprint Backlogs

• Integrated Product Increment• Integrated “Done” Increment delivered every Sprint

• Shared “Definition of Done”• Teams can add to it

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Scaled Roles• Scaled PO role

• F/w diffs:• LeSS and Nexus – a single PO for the product (i.e., all scaled teams)• SAFe - names this role Product Mgmt, does not require a single person, and also retains PO’s at team

level

• Scrum Master (Uber SM)• F/w diffs:

• LeSS - does not have Uber SM• Nexus - NIT SM focused on integration and Nexus education/adoption; can be team SM too• SAFe – RTE works as Uber SM among other things

• Development teams• Stable, cross functional, preferably co-located• Vast majority should be feature teams

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Technical Practices• Continuous Integration

• Highly automated testing

• Other Extreme Programming Engineering Practices• Refactoring, Test Driven Development, etc• F/w diffs:

• LeSS and SAFe suggest they are required to be successfuly• Nexus guide is silent but Nexus training is supportive

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Other Practices & Non-Practices• Information radiators

• No recommendation for a “Sprint Zero”

• Avoid hardening/stabilization Sprints

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A Few Other Key Differences• Portfolio Management

• LeSS & Nexus – all work determined by single PO• SAFe – 15+ roles to support Portfolio Management

• Roles• Scrum Master role

• SAFe changes role of SM (primary attendee at SoS, reports status to management)• Integration Role

• Nexus has a new role focused entirely on the integrated increment

• Team frameworks• Scrum - LeSS & Nexus• Scrum or “Kanban” – SAFe

• Kanban teams deliver on 2 week cadence with PO & SM

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Summary• The Scaled Agile frameworks agree upon some

common practices

• Understand and follow those practices