Agile software development and global service delivery work seamlessly together through careful coordination of Sprint scheduling, Scrums, stand-up meetings and other elements of the software delivery lifecycle.

1. Optimizing Agile with Global Software
Development and Delivery
A blueprint for integrating global delivery and Agile methodology,
allowing organizations to achieve faster returns on investment,
accelerate time-to-market and increase market opportunity.
Executive Summary
Agile software development and global service
delivery have achieved demonstrable benefits
for organizations worldwide. Although there are
challenges with both strategies, and questions
as to whether they can coexist, when managed
properly Agile and global service delivery provide
organizations with numerous benefits, including
accelerated and bug-free software delivery that
tightly aligns with business requirements. This
white paper provides a process framework that
was developed as part of our implementation of a
multimillion-dollar project for a global consumer
goods company delivered via a global, Agile
delivery model. This paper not only examines the
benefits that businesses can leverage by imple-
menting this model but outlines the best practices
that should be followed to handle challenges that
are sure to crop up along the way.
Evolution of Concept
The software services industry has undergone
numerous changes during the past decade.
Among the visible changes in software devel-
opment has been the increased use of Agile
software methodology, which has emerged as
a way to accelerate code creation and delivery
while remaining aligned with dynamic business
requirements.
Meanwhile, traditional global delivery has
provided a unique selling point due to cost
reductions and gains in productivity and resource
management.
However, the increased adoption of the Agile
software methodology has proven challenging
for companies trying to seamlessly partner with
software service providers. Software service
providers were at first reluctant to embrace
Agile since it was thought to offset the benefits
of the global delivery model. However, increased
adoption of Agile by organizations worldwide has
forced clients to realign their relationships with
service providers to incorporate the features
of Agile development, such as rapid develop-
ment and quick turnaround time, to fit the global
delivery model.
Business Environment
Organizations are exhibiting increased levels of
confidence in sourcing due to the success of the
global IT and business services industry. This has
led to an increase in the complexity of projects
that are outsourced. Complex projects increase
• Cognizant 20-20 Insights
cognizant 20-20 insights | june 2013

2. 2
the risk of failure; this has resulted in many
services firms using structured development
methods that call for greater customer involve-
ment. This creates overhead for the project and
reduces flexibility.
There is evidence that Agile methodology in
outsourced projects can deliver better results in
a dynamic environment. A survey conducted by
Executive Brief, indicates that more than 56%
of software industry business leaders preferred
Agile software methodology over other models
(see Figure 1).
Industry Challenges
Among the key obstacles to global services firms
that want to embrace Agile is that it requires a
single team working in one location; adapting this
process to multiple teams in different geographies
and time zones poses significant challenges. The
process-oriented global delivery model requires
the cumbersome and time-consuming creation of
several artifacts, such as functional specification
documents, technical specification documents,
test case documents, requirement specifications,
etc. The Agile model provides an alternative to
overcome this challenge by providing rapid devel-
opment with minimal documentation due to its
enhanced interactivity among developers and
clients.
Customer Expectations
Whether it’s software development or business
process outsourcing, when two disparate orga-
nizations work together success can be achieved
only iteratively, using as many feedback loops
as possible that can be designed into the effort.
Global Agile software development offers both
buyers and sellers of global business and IT
services the opportunity to achieve perfection.
In a global services engagement, customers
can partner with service providers to meet the
increased need for rapid builds and dynamic
business requirements, thereby providing:
• Increased visibility during the development
process.
• Flexibility to alter requirements and incorpo-
rate change requests.
• Quick turnaround.
Our framework helps organizations embrace
global Agile software development by leveraging
proven global services delivery methods.
Key Components
• Sprints: A module/feature of a product will
be developed using short development cycles
called Sprints.
• User stories: A user-centric description of
the goals that one or more people will achieve
by using the end software deliverable. This
includes delivery of a product with incremen-
tal features and improvements at the end of
each Sprint and parallel execution of all phases
of the software delivery lifecycle (SDLC) in a
Sprint.
• Stand-up meetings: Daily Scrum calls for
status updates and risk/issue resolution. Key
decision-makers participate in the meeting and
all issue clarifications/resolutions are provided
in the same meeting.
cognizant 20-20 insights
Source: Executive Brief, “2011 Software Development Trends Survey”
Figure 1
What is Your Preferred Software Development Methodology/Model?
Agile
Iterative
Watefall Process
RAD
RUP
XP: Extreme Programming
V-Model
Other
56.5%
15.6%
9.2%
9.2%
0.8%
1.9%
2.3%
4.6%

3. Agile Scrum-specific software configurable items
(SCI) include:
• Product backlog: This is a prioritized list of
all features needed and wanted for the end
product.
• Sprint Backlog: A subset of the product
backlog that needs to be frozen before a Sprint
starts.
Any change suggested in a Sprint will be added to
the product backlog and will be part of the next
Sprint.
Prerequisites
Figure 2 illustrates the prerequisites needed to
begin global Agile development.
Roles and Responsibilities
One of the main criteria for a successful global
Agile delivery model is the commitment from the
organization and its end users to engage closely
with service provider and carry out the responsi-
bilities, as listed in Figure 3.
3cognizant 20-20 insights
Figure 2
Creating a Global Agile Development Plan
Vendor to identify
Scrum master.
Client to identify a
product owner.
• To define features/requirements of the product and prioritize.
• Sign off product backlog & Sprint: accept or reject.
• Ensure team is fully functional and productive.
• Maintains close cooperation among all roles and functions.
Vendor to set up
development team.
• Each module should have 4-8 member team.
• Mature and committed team which organizes itself and its work.
Sprint review meeting to be
decided by client and vendor.
• Client to provide clarifications and resolve outstanding issues.
• Team to demonstrate development status to product owner.
Product backlog to be decided
by client and vendor.
• At least 20% of the product features should be prioritized.
• Backlog every Sprint and reprioritize accordingly.
Advance Sprint plan
by product owner.
• Product owner should have plan for at least two Sprints in advance.
• Review product backlog list and identify scope of current Sprint.
Figure 3
Allocation of Responsibilities During a Sprint Development Project
Stage Details Vendor Client Deliverables
Sprint
scope and
duration.
Sprint duration should be no
more than three to four weeks.
Decide the schedule (three
or four weeks) depending
upon the requirement.
To confirm the scope at
least one week before
the start of the Sprint.
Sprint backlog.
Sprint
requirement
gathering.
For Sprint execution, it is
mandatory to have clear
requirements prior to the start
of the Sprint.
Confirm the requirement’s
clarity after requirement
analysis.
To decide the start of
Sprint and clarify all
requirements.
Product backlog
user stories.
Sprint
execution.
Product backlog will be updated
with new requirements.
Execute the Sprint. Perform user testing. UAT logs.
Sprint user
testing.
To be done in the last week of
the Sprint.
To plan bug fixing and
changes suggested.
Perform user testing. UAT logs.
Sprint daily
stand-up
meeting.
15 minute stand-up meeting. Present quick status and
plan for the day.
Clarification queries
and discuss what to
take up next if required.
Sprint
review.
Sprint review meeting to be
held daily to give status and
receive clarifications if any.
Share learnings and issues. Share learnings and
issues.
Steps needed
to modify the
process.
Sprint
sign-off.
Sprint sign-off as the exit
criteria.
Provide sign-off on
successful execution of
each Sprint.
Sign-off e-mail.

4. cognizant 20-20 insights 4
Methodology
Project delivery is divided into small functional
releases or increments to manage risk and
to obtain early feedback from customers and
end users (see Figure 4). These small releases
are delivered on a schedule using iterations
that typically last between one and four weeks
each. Iterations are all fixed at the same length
to maximize feedback and regularly force the
trade-offs necessary to deliver. Moreover, their
fixed scope helps retain stability. Plans, require-
ments, design, code and tests are created initially
and updated incrementally as needed to adapt to
project changes.
Sprint Schedule
The various stages of a representative Sprint are
depicted in Figure 5.
• Sprint 0: This Sprint is the initial step to begin
the Agile process. It consists of gathering
requirements necessary to begin the first
Sprint. A product backlog list is created to
identify all the potential user stories. Sprint 1
will begin only after the scope is confirmed and
all requirements are clarified.
• Sprint 1: In the example shown in Figure
5, each Sprint consists of three weeks of
development followed by two weeks of user
acceptance testing (UAT) and change requests
(CR). Change requests raised by the client are
classified into major and minor CRs. Minor
CRs are incorporated into the current Sprint
during the UAT week and major CRs are added
to the product backlog. The product backlog is
reviewed during the iteration planning process,
and the scope for the upcoming Sprint is
Figure 4
Ready, Set, Sprint
Deployment
DetailedRequirementGathering
Code & Test
Daily Scrum
Meetings
15/20
Working
Days Iterations
Regular Builds
Sprint Review
MeetingSprint
Increment
Regression/
Integration Testing
Sprint
Planning
Meeting
Sprint
Planning
Meeting
Sprint
Backlog
Sprint
Goals
Release
Planning
Meeting
Product
Backlog
Sprint
Backlog
Figure 5
Representative Sprint Timeline
Development
Development
Development
Development
Requirement
Gathering &
Analysis
Requirement
Gathering &
Analysis
User Acceptance
Testing/ Change
Requests
Iteration
Planning
Requirement
Gathering &
Analysis
Iteration
Planning
User Acceptance
Testing/ Change
Requests
Requirement
Gathering &
Analysis
Iteration
Planning
User Acceptance
Testing/Change
Requests
W0 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 W12 W13 W..n
Sprint 0
Sprint 1
Sprint 2
Sprint 3
Sprint 4
Sprint..N

5. cognizant 20-20 insights 5
finalized based on the priority of the items in
the product backlog.
• Sprint 2: Requirement gathering for Sprint
2 will begin during the development stage of
Sprint 1. Development of Sprint 2 will begin in
the second week of UAT of Sprint 1.
The same process will be repeated for subsequent
Sprints.
The roles associated with each stage in the
iterative process are illustrated in Figure 6.
Testing
Maximizing the benefit of global Agile software
development requires that testing and coding
begin concurrently. Requirements are translated
into user stories and then software features,
against which test cases are built. Acceptance
testing occurs in tandem with development; no
development Sprint is considered complete until
the software features pass QA.
Test-driven development (TDD) is a rapid cycle
of testing, coding and refactoring. When adding
a feature, the developer and tester may perform
dozens of these cycles, implementing and refining
the software in baby steps until there is nothing
left to add or take away. A Microsoft research2
study shows that TDD substantially reduces
the incidence of defects. When used properly,
it also helps improve design, documents public
interfaces and guards against future mistakes.
Business Benefits
The benefits that were realized as part of our
implementation of a multimillion-dollar project
for a global consumer goods company delivered
via a global Agile delivery model are as follows:
Financial
• Market opportunity: Building functional
products with limited features and then
continuing to add features results in acceler-
ated time-to-market.
• Faster return-on-investment:: By using a
global Agile development model, products/
applications can be built and released earlier
than by using traditional Agile or waterfall
models, resulting in faster ROI.
• Higher productivity and reduced risk: Clients
are able to obtain higher productivity than
with traditional Agile and waterfall models
due to elimination of irrelevant paperwork,
and they require fewer artifacts by leveraging
the Agile global delivery model. The iterative
process ensures that risks are minimized due
to constant feedback on deliverables provided
by the client organization.
A Typical Agile Sequence
Business AnalystVendor
Client
Scrum Master
Developer
Tester
Business User
User Stories &
Functionality
High Priority
User Stories
Iteration
Scope
Release
Management
Integration
Testing
Deployment
User
Acceptance
Testing
Development
Iteration
Planning
Product
Backlog
Requirement
Gathering
and Analysis
Change
Requests
Figure 6

6. cognizant 20-20 insights 6
Process
• Continuous improvement: Agile development
accelerates the delivery of initial business
value, and through a process of continuous
planning and feedback is able to ensure that
value is continually maximized throughout the
development process.
• Visibility: By measuring and evaluating status,
based on testing software, much more accurate
visibility into the actual progress of projects is
available for end user and development teams.
• Collaboration: Through daily communication,
global Agile teams can best understand and
discuss customer requirements. Team collabo-
ration reinforces best practices and makes it
easier to introduce new tools and development
techniques.
Application
• Lower defect density: Customers are assured
of getting defect-free applications due to the
iterative nature of releases. Critical bugs are
caught early in the project.
• Adaptability: As a result of iterative planning
and feedback loops, global teams are able
to continuously align the delivered software
with desired business needs, easily adapting
to changing requirements throughout the
process.
• Flexibility: An Agile global delivery model is
far more accommodating to change requests
at any time of the project when compared to
traditional Agile and waterfall models. Frequent
communication eliminates gaps in requirement
gathering.
The Best of Both Worlds
To succeed, global Agile software development
model projects require the following:
• An ideal project resource split: 20% customer
resources, 30% IT onsite resources and 50% IT
global resources.
• The teams should have overlapping work
hours and the entire team should start together.
• An offshore representative should be part of
the daily Scrum.
• Retention of business knowledge by the client
organization is key.
• A variety of communication methods should
be used (rather than just one): videoconferenc-
ing, IM, LiveMeeting, Web collaboration tools,
project portal repository, Wiki forums and face-
to-face sessions.
• Preplanning for the next Sprint (three-week
Scrums) should occur in parallel with the
running Sprint.
Guidelines to consider include:
• Well-defined acceptance criteria with pro-
duction-like boundaries: While unplanned
work sometimes occurs, it lowers efficiency of
completing planned work. Try, if at all possible,
to defer the unplanned work to the next Sprint
(a three-week delay).
• Centralize documentation so it is accessible
for all and changeable by all.
• Maintain daily stand-up meetings.
• Maintain metrics of planned tasks vs.
unplanned tasks completed per Sprint.
• Ensure the requisite communication band-
width. This is often a challenge for global
teams. Remember to schedule overlapping
work hours.
• Provide full visibility into project status.
• Work with mature clients only; clients need to
understand how Agile works.
• Provide Agile mindset and method training.
Examples of training approaches include:
>> One-day workshops.
>> Computer-based training (CBT) of best
practices.
>> Mentoring.
Footnotes
1
http://c.softserveinc.com/newsletter/Software-Development-Trends-Survey-Results-2011.pdf
2
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/groups/ese/nagappan_tdd.pdf

7. About Cognizant
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process out-
sourcing services, dedicated to helping the world’s leading companies build stronger businesses. Headquartered in
Teaneck, New Jersey (U.S.), Cognizant combines a passion for client satisfaction, technology innovation, deep industry
and business process expertise, and a global, collaborative workforce that embodies the future of work. With over 50
delivery centers worldwide and approximately 162,700 employees as of March 31, 2013, Cognizant is a member of the
NASDAQ-100, the S&P 500, the Forbes Global 2000, and the Fortune 500 and is ranked among the top performing
and fastest growing companies in the world. Visit us online at www.cognizant.com or follow us on Twitter: Cognizant.
World Headquarters
500 Frank W. Burr Blvd.
Teaneck, NJ 07666 USA
Phone: +1 201 801 0233
Fax: +1 201 801 0243
Toll Free: +1 888 937 3277
Email: inquiry@cognizant.com
European Headquarters
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London W2 6BD
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7297 7600
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Email: infouk@cognizant.com
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Chennai, 600 096 India
Phone: +91 (0) 44 4209 6000
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Email: inquiryindia@cognizant.com
­­© Copyright 2013, Cognizant. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission from Cognizant. The information contained herein is
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About the Author
Jithin Josey PMP®, CSCP is a Senior Consultant in Cognizant Business Consulting’s Engineering and
Manufacturing Services Practice. He has seven-plus years of experience in project management, Agile
software development methodology, business requirement gathering, business analysis and intelli-
gence and business consulting around IT strategy, supply chain management and manufacturing and
logistics across multiple geographies in the U.S., Canada, Singapore, UAE, Philippines, Malaysia and
India for leading Fortune 500 clients. Jithin holds an M.B.A. from SP Jain Center of Management-Dubai/
Singapore and a bachelor’s of engineering degree from Bangalore University-India. He can be reached at
Jithin.Josey@cognizant.com.