Learning From Agile Software Development – Part One

B eing agile is a declaration of prioritizing for project maneuverability with respect to shifting requirements, shifting technology, and a shifting understanding of the situation. Other priorities that might override agility include predictability , cost, schedule, process-accreditation, or use of specific tools. Most managers run a portfolio of projects having a mix of those priorities. They need to prioritize agility, predictability , and cost sensitivity in varying amounts and therefore need to mix strategies. This article focuses on borrowing ideas from the agile suite to fit the needs of plan-driven and cost-sensitive programs. Our industry now has enough information to sensibly discuss such blending. illustrate the differences in world view, and some authors have discussed the question of their coexistence and principles underlying successful development strategies [3, 8, 13]. Many project strategies revolve around spending money for either information or flexibility [3, 14]. In a money-for-information (MFI) proposition , the team can choose to expend resources now to gain information earlier. If the information is not considered valuable enough, the resources are applied to other work. The question is how much the team is willing to expend in exchange for that information. In a money-for-flexibility (MFF) proposition , the team may opt to expend resources to preserve later flexibility. If the future is quite certain, the resources are better spent pursuing the most probable outcome, or on MFI issues. Different project strategies are made by deciding which issues are predictable, unpredictable but resolvable, or unresolv-able, deciding which of those are MFI or MFF propositions, and how best to allocate resources for each. Predictable issues can be investigated using breakdown techniques. Such an issue might be creating a schedule for work similar to that successfully performed in the past. Unpredictable but resolvable issues can be investigated through study techniques such as prototypes and simulators. Such issues include system performance limits. These are also MFI propositions. Agile and plan-driven teams are likely to use similar strategies for these issues as part of basic project risk management. Unresolvable issues tend to be sociological , such as which upcoming standard will gain market acceptance, or how long key employees will stay around. These issues cannot be resolved in advance, and so are not MFI propositions, but are MFF propositions. Agile and plan-driven teams are intrinsically likely to use different strategies for these issues. Agile teams will set up to absorb these changes, while plan-driven …