Lean & Agile Project Management: For Large Distributed Virtual Teams
1. Lean & Agile
Project Management
Dr. David F. Rico, PMP, CSM
Website: http://davidfrico.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfrico
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1540017424
2. Author Info
DoD contractor with 28+ years of IT experience
B.S. Comp. Sci., M.S. Soft. Eng., & D.M. Info. Sys.
Large gov’t projects in U.S., Far/Mid-East, & Europe
Published six books & numerous journal articles
Adjunct at George Washington, UMUC, & Argosy
Agile Program Management & Lean Development
Specializes in metrics, models, & cost engineering
Six Sigma, CMMI, ISO 9001, DoDAF, & DoD 5000
Cloud Computing, SOA, Web Services, FOSS, etc.
2
3. Table of Contents
Introduction
Types of Virtual Teams
Key Practices & Techniques
Key Tools & Technologies
Key Case Studies
Conclusions & Summary
3
4. What is Agility?
A-gil-i-ty (ə-'ji-lə-tē) Property consisting of quickness,
lightness, and ease of movement; To be very nimble
The ability to create and respond to change in order to
profit in a turbulent global business environment
The ability to quickly reprioritize use of resources when
requirements, technology, and knowledge shift
A very fast response to sudden market changes and
emerging threats by intensive customer interaction
Use of evolutionary, incremental, and iterative delivery
to converge on an optimal customer solution
Maximizing BUSINESS VALUE with right sized, just-
enough, and just-in-time processes and documentation
Highsmith, J. A. (2002). Agile software development ecosystems. Boston, MA: Addison-Wesley.
4
5. What is Agile Project Mgt.?
People-centric way to create innovative solutions
Market-centric model to maximize business value
Demand-centric model that supports lean principles
Agile Methods Agile Methods Traditional Methods
‘Values’ ‘Principles’ ‘Values’
Customer also Customer valued Contract
known as more than
Collaboration Interaction Negotiation
Individuals & also High Performance valued Processes
known as more than
Interactions Teams & Tools
Working also Iterative valued Comprehensive
known as more than
Systems Development Documentation
Responding also Adaptability valued Following
to Change known as more than a Plan
or Flexibility
Agile Manifesto. (2001). Manifesto for agile software development. Retrieved September 3, 2008, from http://www.agilemanifesto.org.
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6. How Do Lean & Agile Intersect?
Agile is naturally lean and based on small batches
Agile directly supports six principles of lean thinking
Agile may be converted to a continuous flow system
Agile Values Lean Pillars Lean Principles Lean & Agile Practices Flow Principles
Customer relationships, satisfaction, trust, and loyalty
Empowered Relationships Team authority, empowerment, and resources Decentralization
Teams Team identification, cohesion, and communication
Product vision, mission, needs, and capabilities
Respect
Customer Value Product scope, constraints, and business value Economic View
for People Product objectives, specifications, and performance
Customer
As is policies, processes, procedures, and instructions
Collaboration To be business processes, flowcharts, and swim lanes
WIP Constraints
Value Stream
Initial workflow analysis, metrication, and optimization & Kanban
Batch size, work in process, and artifact size constraints
Control Cadence
Iterative Continuous Flow Cadence, queue size, buffers, slack, and bottlenecks
Delivery Workflow, test, integration, and deployment automation & Small Batches
Roadmaps, releases, iterations, and product priorities
Continuous Epics, themes, feature sets, features, and user stories
Customer Pull Fast Feedback
Improvement Product demonstrations, feedback, and new backlogs
Responding
Refactor, test driven design, and continuous integration
to Change Standups, retrospectives, and process improvements
Manage Queues/
Perfection
Organization, project, and process adaptability/flexibility Exploit Variability
Highsmith, J. A. (2002). Agile software development ecosystems. Boston, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Larman, C., & Vodde, B. (2008). Scaling lean and agile development: Thinking and organizational tools for large-scale scrum. Boston, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. T. (1996). Lean thinking: Banish waste and create wealth in your corporation. New York, NY: Free Press.
Reinertsen, D. G. (2009). The principles of product development flow: Second generation lean product development. New York, NY: Celeritas. 6
7. Lean & Agile Proj. Mgt. Model
Created by Jim Highsmith at Cutter in 2003
Radical project mgt., Scrum, & XP hybrid model
Includes strategic, program, and project mgt. tools
Innovation Lifecycle
Envision Speculate Explore Launch Close
Product Vision Gather Requirements Iteration Planning Final Review Close Open Items
Product Architecture Product Backlog Technical Practices Final Acceptance Support Material
Project Objectives Release Planning Team Development Final QA Final Retrospective
Project Community Risk Planning Team Decisions Final Documentation Final Reports
Delivery Approach Cost Estimation Collaboration Final Deployment Project Celebration
Iterative Delivery
Technical Planning Development, Test, and Evaluation Operational Testing Adapt
Story Analysis Development Pairing Integration Testing Focus Groups
Task Development Unit Test Development System Testing Technical Reviews
Task Estimation Simple Designs Operational Testing Team Evaluations
Task Splitting Coding and Refactoring Usability Testing Project Reporting
Task Planning Unit and Component Testing Acceptance Testing Adaptive Action
Continuous
Story Deployment
Standups, Architecture, Design, Build, Integration, Documentation, Change, Migration, and Integration
Highsmith, J. A. (2010). Agile project management: Creating innovative products. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
7
8. What are Virtual Teams?
Virtual teams are often non-collocated project teams
Often communicate using asynchronous technology
Geographically and sometimes nationally dispersed
Zigurs Curseu Schlenkrich Ahuja
Traditional vs Virtual
2003 2008 2009 2010
Collocated vs distributed
F2F vs electronic collaboration
Different vs similar goals
Similar vs different hours
Similar vs diverse culture
Same vs different organization
Specialized vs cross functional
Single vs multiple teams
Static vs shifting teams
Office bldg vs telecommuting
Zigurs, I. (2003). Leadership in virtual teams: Oxymoron or opportunity? Organizational Dynamics, 31(4), 339-351.
Curseu, P. L., Schalk, R., & Wessel, I. (2008). How to virtual teams process information? Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23(6), 628-652.
Schlenkrich, L., & Upfold, C. (2009). A guideline for virtual team managers. Electronic Journal of Information Systems Evaluation, 12(1), 109-118.
Ahuja, J. (2010). A study of virtuality impact on team performance. IUP Journal of Management Research, 9(5), 27-56. 8
9. Why Use Virtual Teams?
Oft cited benefit of virtual teams is reduced expenses
Access to global talent pool is probably best reason
Other advantages such as cycle time are oft cited
Bergiel Labrosse Shachaf Kuruppuara- Siebdrat
Advantage of Virtual Teams
2008 2008 2008 chchi 2009 2009
Reduced operating expenses
Utilize global talent pool
Staffing flexibility
Improved productivity
Workforce diversity
Reduced travel expenses
Faster cycle time
Better work life balance
Reduced environmental footprint
Improved business advantage
Bergiel, B. J., Bergiel, E. B., & Balsmeier, P. W. (2008). Nature of virtual teams: A summary of their advantages and disadvantages. Management Research News, 31(2), 99-110.
LaBrosse, M. (2008). Managing virtual teams. Employment Relations Today, 35(2), 81-86.
Shachaf, P. (2008). Cultural diversity and information and communication technology impacts on global virtual teams. Information & Management, 45(2), 131-142.
Kuruppuarachchi, P. R. (2009). Virtual team concepts in projects: A case study. Project Management Journal, 40(2), 19-33.
Siebdrat, F., Hoegl, M., & Ernst, H. (2009). How to manage virtual teams. MIT Sloan Management Review, 50(4), 63-68. 9
10. What are the Pitfalls?
Culture and language difference most oft cited pitfalls
Time zones and communications are frequently cited
Lack of visioning, context, and requirements are key
Disadvantage of Virtual Teams A B C D E F G H I J
Cultural differences
Language differences
Time zone
Coordination breakdown
Lack of visioning
Technology issues
Loss of communication richness
Loss of team cohesion
Lack of trust
Lack of F2F communications
Ambiguous requirements
Alves, C. H., et al. (2008). A qualitative risk model for offshoring IT applications. IEEE SIEDS Conference, Charlottsville, Virginia, USA, 317-322
Chatfield, A. T., & Wanninayaka, P. (2008). IT offshoring risks and governance capabilities. 41st HICSS Conference, Waikaloa, Hawaii, USA, 436-444.
Yalaho, A., & Nahar, N. (2008). Risk management in offshore outsourcing of software projects. PICMET Conference, Cape Town, South Africa, 1721-1748.
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11. What is the Paradox?
Collocation & F2F interaction are a means to success
Virtual teams communicate less undermining success
Low productivity, quality, customer satisfaction results
Customer
Satisfaction
Quality
Virtual Team “Performance”
Fast
Feedback
Fast
Cycle Time
Productivity
Synergy
Trust
Identity
Cohesion
Interaction
Compatible Collocated F2F Video Audio Instant Electronic Blog Wiki Document
Team Team Meeting Conference Conference Messaging Mail Interaction Interaction Review
“Loss” of Virtual Team “Communication Quality”
Rico, D. F. (2010). The paradox of agile project management and virtual teams. Gantthead.
Carmel, E. (1999). Global software teams: Collaborating across borders and time zones. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 11
12. Table of Contents
Introduction
Types of Virtual Teams
Key Practices & Techniques
Key Tools & Technologies
Key Case Studies
Conclusions & Summary
12
13. Basic Varieties of Teams
Lipnack created a model for virtual teams in 1997
Distribution & organization are its major dimensions
Distributed, cross organizational teams most complex
Distributed
Different
Distributed
Cross Organization
Spacetime
Collocated
Collocated
Same
Cross Organization
Same Different
Organization
Lipnack, J., & Stamps, J. (1997). Virtual teams: Reaching across space, time, and organizations with technology. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
13
14. Varieties of Virtuality
Lipnack extended her model for virtual teams in 2000
Included notion of external joint ventures & alliances
External, global alliances are most complex types
Global Global Global
Global
Sites Cross Organization Alliance
Spacetime
Distributed Local Local
Local
Sites Cross Organization Alliance
Same Place
Traditional Collocated Joint
Work Unit Cross Organization Venture
Same Organization Cross Internal Cross External
Organization
Lipnack, J., & Stamps, J. (2000). Virtual teams: People working across boundaries with technology. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
14
15. More Varieties of Virtuality
Fisher developed a three dimensional model in 2001
Includes the dimensions of time, place, and culture
Type 2 multi cultural projects are most ambitious
Time
Type 5 Type 6
Shift Workers Mono Cultural Global Project
Different Time
Different Time
Same Place Different Place
Same Culture
Same Culture
Type 1 Type 2
Multi Cultural Shift Workers Multi Cultural Global Project Type 7
Different Time Different Time Intra
Same Place Different Place Regional
Different Culture Different Culture Same Time
Different Place
Same
Culture
Place
Type 3 Type 4
Multi Cultural Team Same Longitude
Same Time Same Time
Same Place Different Place
Different Culture Different Culture
Culture
Fisher, K., & Fisher, M. D. (2001). The distance manager: A hands on guide to managing off site employees and virtual teams. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
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16. Outsourcing vs. Offshoring
Schaaf compared outsourcing vs. onshoring in 2004
His model disambiguates outsourcing vs. onshoring
Combining outsourcing & offshoring is the riskiest
International
Offshore Offshore
Subsidiaries Outsourcing
Offshoring
Internal Onshore
Domestic
Service Provision Outsourcing
Internal External
Outsourcing
Schaaf, J. (2004). Offshoring: Globalisation wave reaches services sector. Frankfurt, Germany: Deutsche Bank Research.
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17. Rightshoring vs. Offshoring
Hendel introduced the concept of rightshoring in 2004
There are alternatives to just onshoring vs. offshoring
A popular notion is to nearshore to similar timezones
Nearshore Offshore
International
Retain Project HQ Retain Project HQ
Same Timezone Differing Timezone
Offshoring
Onshore Onshore
Domestic
Retain Project HQ Retain Project HQ
Same Timezone Differing Timezone
Same Timezone Differing Timezone
Rightshoring
Hendel, A., Messner, W., & Thun, F. (2004). Rightshore: Successfully industrialize SAP projects offshore. Berlin, Germany: Springer.
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18. Team Dispersion
Siebdrat simplified types of virtual teams in 2009
Time, space, and cultural distance introduces risks
Increased virtuality increases risk if not managed well
High
Effectiveness
Performance
Efficiency
Low
Same Same Same Same Same Same Different
Floor Building Site City Country Continent Continent
Dispersion
Siebdrat, F., Hoegl, M., & Ernst, H. (2009). How to manage virtual teams. MIT Sloan Management Review, 50(4), 63-68.
18
19. Agile Distributed Teams
Woodard created basic model of agile teams in 2010
It compares asynchronous activities vs. distribution
Synchronous activities also needed for success
High
Levels of Distribution
Low
Collocated Distributed With Distributed Without
Collocated Part Time Overlapping Hours Overlapping Hours
Amount of Asynchronous Activity
Woodward, E., Surdek, S., & Ganis, M. (2010). A practical guide to distributed scrum. Indianapolis, IN: IBM Press.
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20. Table of Contents
Introduction
Types of Virtual Teams
Key Practices & Techniques
Key Tools & Technologies
Key Case Studies
Conclusions & Summary
20
21. Standard Practices
Standard practices is an oft cited aid to virtual teams
Agile methodologies are not known in every country
Training should be provided and standards created
VIDEO
Video used to record and playback
communications
CODING
Coding conventions are established
WIRE FRAMES
Wire frames are used for visual support
USER STORIES
Customer needs are captured in user stories
TEMPLATES
Templates are established for project communications
PROCESSES
Entire team follows the same agile process
TRAINING
Entire team is trained on agile methods
Young, C., & Terashima, H. (2008). How did we adapt agile processes to our distributed development? Agile Conference, Toronto, Canada, 304-309.
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22. Virtual Infrastructure
Infrastructure needs are most often overlooked
Many countries do not have adequate computers
Internet service is also a luxury in across the globe
SECURITY
Information security is established to
protect project information
SUPPORT
24x7 infrastructure support is available
INTERNET
Broadband Internet is leased and utilized
SOFTWARE
Synchronous and asynchronous tools are selected
SERVERS
Dedicated servers are established for project information
LAPTOPS
Entire team is provided with laptops for office and home use
MOBILE
Entire team is provided with cell phones, smart phones, tablets, etc.
Vax, M., & Michaud, S. (2008). Distributed agile: Growing a practice together. Agile Conference, Toronto, Canada, 310-314.
22
23. Virtual Tools
Many projects do not standardize development tools
Complete development tools are easy to assemble
Development environments should be integrated
MULTIMEDIA
Development tools with collaborative
capabilities are utilized
CONTENT
Wikis and other repositories are utilized
METRICS
Code metrics and defect tracking tools are used
TESTING
Unit, system, and acceptance testing tools are used
BUILD
Build tools are used for continuous integration and deployment
VERSIONING
Configuration management tools are used to manage source code
WORKFLOW
Release and iteration workflow tools are used
Cannizzo, F., Marcionetti, G., & Moser, P. (2008). Evolution of the tools and practices of a large distributed agile team. Agile Conference, Toronto, Canada, 513-518.
23
24. Virtual Meetings
Frequent communication is a key to project success
Communication is better than documentation alone
A critical key is to encourage frequent interactions
SPLINTER
Virtual splinter group meetings are
held, i.e., design, brainstorming, etc.
RETROSPECTIVE
Virtual iteration retrospectives are held
DEMONSTRATION
Entire team participates in virtual demonstrations
DEVELOPMENT
Virtual development meetings held, i.e., pair programming
STANDUP
Entire team participates in virtual daily standup meetings
ITERATION
Entire team participates in virtual iteration planning meetings
RELEASE
Entire team participates in virtual release planning sessions
Summers, S. (2008). Insights into an agile adventure with offshore partners. Agile Conference, Toronto, Canada, 513-518.
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25. Light Coordination
The work of two or more teams requires facilitation
Local/remote team leaders must communicate often
All team leaders can then pass on critical information
FEEDBACK
Customer feedback to developers is
provided very quickly
REPORTING
Manual and automated status reporting
FACILITATION
Proactive management of intercultural dissonance
TECHNICAL
Coordination between local and remote technical leaders
GOVERNANCE
Lightweight governance teams with local and remote members
LEADERSHIP
Regular communications between local and remote process leaders
CUSTOMER
Regular communications between customers and remote teams
Drummond, B. S., & Unson, J. F. (2008). Yahoo distributed agile: Notes from the world over. Agile Conference, Toronto, Canada, 315-321.
25
26. Periodic Rotations
Periodic F2F interaction is a CSF for virtual teams
Teams should meet at critical junctures, i.e., kickoff
Rotating customers and leaders helps establish trust
ENDPOINTS
Teams collocate at critical junctures,
i.e., kickoff, middle, closeout, etc.
DEVELOPMENT
Teams periodically collocate for iterations
PLANNING
Teams collocate for release and iteration planning
PERSONNEL
Individuals rotate to maintain healthy relationships
LEADERS
Project leaders keep local and remote teams in-synch
AMBASSADORS
Ambassadors are exchanged to minimize intercultural dissonance
CUSTOMERS
Customer apprises remote teams of product vision, mission, goals, objectives, etc.
Robarts, J. M. (2008). Practical considerations for distributed agile projects. Agile Conference, Toronto, Canada, 327-332.
26
27. Regional Localization
Minimizing interfaces between timezones is oft cited
Products should be structured to localize activities
It’s easier to communicate with nearshore teams
DEVELOPMENT
Subsystem interfaces are devised to
localize development activities
SOCIALIZATION
Remote teams engage in social activities
EMPOWERMENT
Empower remote teams to make technical decisions
MEETINGS
Hold synchronous meetings at the local level
LEADERS
Empower local personnel to serve as process facilitators
CUSTOMERS
Empower local personnel to serve as customer proxies
TIMEZONES
Minimize organizational interfaces and organize teams by timezones
Ramesh, B., Cao, L., Mohan, K., & Xu, P. (2006). Can distributed software development be agile? Communications of the ACM, 41(10), 41-46.
27
28. Table of Contents
Introduction
Types of Virtual Teams
Key Practices & Techniques
Key Tools & Technologies
Key Case Studies
Conclusions & Summary
28
29. VersionOne
One of the first APM tools created in 2003
Has about 36% of the marketshare for APM tools
Free for small teams, but increases sharply thereafter
Product Roadmapping Iteration Closeout Reviews
Roadmap Authoring Sprint Reviews
Customization Sprint Retrospectives
Collaboration Issue and Action Item Tracking
Publishing Backlog reconciliation
Product Planning Tracking
Backlog Planning and Management Sprint and Member Tracking
Epics, Goals, Themes, Feature Groups Storyboard Wall
Customer Requests and Idea Management Task Board and Test Board
Product Roadmapping Features My Work and My Dashboard
Release Planning Reporting and Analytics
Release Planning Program Dashboard
Release Forecasting Project Dashboard
Cross Project Planning and Scheduling Iteration Dashboard
Regression Test Planning Burnup/Burndown Reports
Sprint Planning Other Features
High Level Sprint Planning Agile Closeout Reviews
Detailed Sprint Planning Test Management
Capacity Planning Collaboration
Issue Management Features Open Source Integration
http://www.versionone.com
29
30. Rally
One of the first web-based APM tools created in 2004
Has about 20-30% of the marketshare for APM tools
Also free for small teams and gets more expensive
Agile Project Management Communication and Collaboration
High Level Roadmap Decomposition Customizable Role Dashboards
Epic, Theme, and Feature Tracking Rich Text, Email, and RSS Support
User Story Planning and Tracking Social Media Style Interfaces
User Story Breakdown Management Comments, Discussions, and IM
Multi-Team Management Development Management
Organization Chart Mirroring Requirements Management
Multi Level Project Hierarchies Test Management
Common Progress and Status Views Defect Management
Program, Feature, and Resource Rollup Build and Source Code Traceability
Release Planning Reporting
Step by Step Release Planning Flexible Queries and Filters
Team Velocity Determination Customer Tabular Graphical Reports
Release and Iteration Schedules Burnup/Burndown Reporting, etc.
User Story Allocation to Iterations User Generated Mashup Support
Iteration Planning Product Management
Iteration Goal and Theme Support Customer Feedback Management
Team Capacity Determination Product Field Support
Backlog Item Prioritization Demand Management
Task Creation, Estimation, and Tracking CRM Integration and Support
http://www.rallydev.com
30
31. ScrumWorks
Scrum project management tool created circa 2004
Similar size of user base to VersionOne and Rally
Leadership in agile metrics and business value
Product Management Real Time Custom Dashboards
Project Milestone Management Velocity Charts
Epics for Project Scope Goals Milestone Charts
Categorization using Themes Cycle Time Charts
Business Weighting and ROI Cross Product Status Reporting
Program Management Data Accessibility
Coordination of Multiple Projects Full Excel Import/Export
Manage and Track Overlapping Goals Print to User Story Cards
Shared Component/System Modeling Web Services API
High Level Feature Management Backups and Notifications
Iteration Management User Management
Drag and Drop Iteration Planning Full Access Control
Team Task Board Role Based Access Permissions
Sprint Task Tracking Cross Site Role Templates
Impediment Tracking Security Management
Reporting and Analytics Integration
Release Date Forecasting Commercial Environment Integration
Basic Burnup/Burndown Reporting Open Source Environment Integration
Canned and Custom Report Generation Issue and Defect Tracking Integration
Analysis of Planned vs. Actuals Support for Tool Plugins
http://www.danube.com
31
32. Extreme Planner
XP project management tool created around 2004
Noted commercial tool for managing XP projects
No free version, although it is moderately priced
Multiple Project Support Test Management
Multiple Project Definition Test Criteria Generation
Multiple Project Status Tracking Test Case Generation and Capture
Multiple Project Report Generation Test Case Initiation
Multiple Project Task Tracking Test Status Reporting
User Story Generation Integrated Issue Tracking
Cross Project Story Themes Track Customer Support Requests
Create a Story from an Issue Track Bug Reports
Theme and Story Template Reuse Track Ad Hoc Suggestions
Inter Project Story Management Transition Issues to User Stories
Release Planning Report Generation
Capture User Stories Generated Velocity and Task Tracking
Estimate and Prioritize User Stories Iteration Burnup/Burndown Charts
View Schedule Stories for Releases Cumulative Workflow Diagrams
View Estimated Effort for Releases User Defined Reports
Drag and Drop Iteration Planning Notification and Alerts
Iteration Generation and Management Email Notifications
Drag and Drop User Story Management Notification Capture and Management
Iteration Effort Estimation Notification Viewing and Filtering
Iteration Status Reporting User Selectable Notifications
http://www.extremeplanner.com
32
33. Mingle
APM tool created by ThoughtWorks in late 2007
Extensible templates for multiple agile methods
Growing user base that is free for small teams
Program Management Test Management
Support for Multiple Projects Visual Defect Workflows
Multi Project Status Tracking User Story and Defect Traceability
Multi Project Report Generation RSS and Email Test Alerting
Resource Allocation and Management Wiki Support for Screenshots and Reports
Project Management Project Collaboration
Multi Agile Method Support Virtual Drag and Drop Card Walls
Customizable Dashboards Integrated Wiki
Workflow Generators RSS Feeds and Email Alerts
User Management and Access Control Murmurs, Queues , and Comments
Release and Iteration Planning Enterprise Support
Hierarchical Card Trees Application Life Cycle Management
Prioritized Card Ranking Integration with IDEs
User Story Searching and Recall Integration with Versioning Tools
Global User Story Updating Integration with Build/Deployment Tools
Tracking and Reporting External Interfaces
Customizable Templates I/O from Common Data Formats
Customizable Tabs, Favorites, and Views Integration with External Databases
Advanced Filtering, Properties, and Tags Integration with Workflow Tools
Burndown, Velocity, and Ad Hoc Reports Integration with External Software
http://www.thoughtworks-studios.com
33
34. Target Process
APM tool originally created for XP circa 2004
Now includes support Scrum, Lean, Kanban, etc.
Also free for small teams and then price rises sharply
Agile Planning and Tracking Quality Assurance
Backlog Management and Prioritization Test Plan and Test Case Generation
Release and Iteration Planning Automated Test Initiation
Task Boards and Personal To Do Lists User Story/Test Case Traceability
Impediments and Blockage Management Defect Tracking and Management
Lean Development Reports and Dashboards
Value Stream Mapping Customizable Dashboards
Kanban Boards Release and Iteration Forecasting
Cumulative Workflow Diagrams Release and Iteration Burndown Charts
Work in Process Limits Task, User Story, and Iteration Progress
Customization Collaboration
Customizable Development Process Customizable Email Notifications
Customizable User Roles and Terminology Content Sharing and Management
Customizable Navigation and Lists Support for Multiple Content Types
Customizable Fields and Other Attributes Integration with Synchronous Tools
Integration Product Support
Web Services API Customer Help Desk Portal
Visual Studio and Eclipse IDE Integration Ideas and Issues Tracking
Subversion, Bugzilla, JUnit, and Selenium Bug Reports Traceable to User Stories
Single Sign On Support Full Customer Email Integration
http://www.targetprocess.com
34
35. Other APM Tools
There are literally dozens, if not 100s of APM tools
There are dozens of free open source software tools
Annual tool & price surveys are frequently conducted
VersionOne. (2010). 5th annual state of agile survey. Atlanta, GA: Author.
Allen, W. (2008). Agile PM tools (hosted). Retrieved May 11, 2011 from http://weblogs.asp.net/wallen. 35
36. Table of Contents
Introduction
Types of Virtual Teams
Key Practices & Techniques
Key Tools & Technologies
Key Case Studies
Conclusions & Summary
36
37. British Telecom
Middleware products for phone call processing
Goal was to obtain fast feedback with virtual teams
Satisfied using intensive automation for fast feedback
Maximum Status Visibility Immediate Feedback
Virtual Release Planning Virtual Static Analysis Reporting
Virtual Iteration Tracking Virtual Build and Test Reporting
Virtual Build and Test Status Virtual Iteration Status Reporting
Feedback
Telecommunications
XP and Scrum
Five Sites
UK, US, India
50 People
Intensive Automation
Ruthless Automation Effective Communication
Virtual Static Analysis Virtual Video Conferences
Virtual Operational Builds Virtual Content Wikis
Virtual Software Testing Periodic F2F and Collocation
Cannizzo, F., Marcionetti, G., & Moser, P. (2008). Evolution of the tools and practices of a large distributed agile team. Agile Conference, Toronto, Canada, 513-518.
37
38. Yahoo!
Development of commercial Internet services
Goal was to adapt agile methods for virtual teams
Satisfied by minimizing use of synchronous meetings
Localized Meetings Localized Proxies
Localized Scrum Meetings Localized Product Owners
Periodic Leadership Meetings Localized Scrum Masters
Reporting Good and Bad News Periodic Meetings to Synchronize
Adaptation
Internet Services
Scrum
Periodic F2F Meetings Six Sites Near Realtime Info Sharing
US, India, Norway, UK
Quarterly F2F Release Planning 90 People Localized Information Radiators
Periodic F2F Sprint Planning Virtual Wiki Content Repositories
Periodic F2F Sprint Collocation Reduce Dependencies Shared Electronic Image Content
Virtual Sprint Planning Task Localization
Virtual Sprint Planning Initiation Reduce Cross Site Dependency
Localized Sprint Planning Closure Localized Team Independence
Virtual Sprint Planning Followups Periodic Virtual Scrum of Scrums
Drummond, B. S., & Unson, J. F. (2008). Yahoo distributed agile: Notes from the world over. Agile Conference, Toronto, Canada, 315-321.
38
39. ThoughtWorks
Development of web applications for global clients
Goal was to maintain high levels of communications
Satisfied with F2F visits and detailed status reporting
Visits & Rotations Common Understanding
Face to Face Kickoff Meetings Agree on Development Practices
Customer and Leadership Visits Setup Wiki Process Repositories
Developer and Tester Rotations Share Templates and Artifacts
Communication
Web Applications
Scrum
Sharing Progress Three Sites Regional Accommodations
US, India, HK, and China
Virtual Timezone Standups 115 People Plan for Local Non Work Days
Localized Standup Meetings Exchange Data Before Absences
Virtual Daily Leadership Meetings Status Reporting Use Overlapping Work Schedules
Communications Product Visioning Infrastructure Needs
Periodic Reporting Between Sites Periodic Visioning Meetings Supply Laptops to All Personnel
Following Up Meetings with Notes Localized Prototypes and Models Supply Mobile Computing Devices
Up To Date Wiki Content Sharing Recorded Expert Videos Supply Internet Services
Robarts, J. M. (2008). Practical considerations for distributed agile projects. Agile Conference, Toronto, Canada, 327-332.
39
40. Wipro Technologies
Development of software engineering products
Goal was to be productive across different cultures
Satisfied by use of intensive coaching and mentoring
Project Setup Local & Remote Mentoring
Setup Release Planning Tools Use Mentors as Customers
Setup Modeling Tools Assign Automation Advisors
Setup Code and Defect Tools Use Release Planning Tools
Setup Automated Test Tools Daily Standups with Mentoring
Setup Wiki Content Repository Ramping Up Post Daily Standups Data in Wiki
Software tools
XP
Two Sites
India, China
24 People
Coaching & Mentoring
Project Kickoff
Face to Face Kickoff Meeting
Communicate Using Diagrams
Use Wikis for Content Sharing
Localize Work if Needed
Periodically Merge Code
Shrinivasavadhani, J., & Panicker, V. (2008). Remote mentoring a distributed agile team. Agile Conference, Toronto, Canada, 322-326.
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41. CampusSoft
Development of software systems for academia
Goal was to improve quality results of global teams
Achieved by using agile methods and onsite visioning
Product Visioning Working Practices
Onsite Product Visioning Standardized Development Tools
Virtual Product Owner Meetings Virtual Shared Content Wikis
Open Communications Virtual Defect Tracking Tools
Utilize Stories for Discussion Virtual Source Code Repositories
Start With Easy User Stories Quality Virtual Build and Integration Tools
Educational Software
Scrum
Three Sites
UK, Romania, India
44 People
Agile & Visioning
Sprint Planning Ongoing Meetings Testing and Integration
Virtual Release Planning Periodic Face to Face Sprints Joint Early Test Planning
Local Release Planning Experts Virtual Brainstorming Meetings Automated Testing
Virtual Planning Poker Sessions Virtual Daily Standup Meetings Localized Testing and Debugging
Virtual Sharing During Planning Virtual Sprint Review Meetings Automated Deployments
Wikis for Release Planning Data Virtual Retrospective Meetings Virtual Daily Operational Builds
Summers, S. (2008). Insights into an agile adventure with offshore partners. Agile Conference, Toronto, Canada, 513-518.
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42. Elastic Path/Luxoft
Development of electronic commerce websites
Goal was to maintain context with distributed team
Satisfied with coordination in overlapping time zones
Nearshore Resources Coordination
Use Nearby Coordinators Virtual Scrum of Scrums
Use Resources Within Timezone Scrummasters as Product Owners
Use Face to Face Interactions Unrestricted Communications
Interaction within Two Timezones Create Architecture Liaison
Context
E-Commerce
Scrum
Five Sites
Canada, Russia
14 People
Partial Nearshoring
Processes and Tools Communication Plans Shared Workspaces
Standard Agile Practices Provide Mobile Computing Tools Establish Infrastructure Servers
Virtual Release Planning Tools Periodic Virtual Standup Meetings Virtual Content Workspaces
Virtual Source Code Repository Use Asynchronous Retrospectives Establish Security Measures
Virtual Build and Testing Tools Use Multi Media Communications 24x7 Infrastructure Support
Vax, M., & Michaud, S. (2008). Distributed agile: Growing a practice together. Agile Conference, Toronto, Canada, 310-314.
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43. Scandinavia
Development of internal & external web applications
Goal was to determine if agile practices are scalable
Satisfied with routine face-to-face & virtual meetings
Scrum Meetings Communication
Virtual Audio Standup Meetings Periodic Leadership Rotations
Weekly Video Standup Meetings Periodic Personnel Rotations
Multimedia Splinter Meetings Periodic Face to Face Sprints
Virtual Weekly Scrum of Scrums Multimedia Communication
Scalability
Backoffice Systems
Scrum
Sprints Six Sites Development Environment
Fin, Latvia, DE, NO, Malay.
Synchronized Sprints 67 People Virtual Sprint Planning/Tracking
One to Many Sprints Virtual Backlog Management
Clear Sprint Deadlines and Goals F2F & Virtual Meetings Virtual Wiki Content Servers
Periodic Release Sprints Shared Development Tools
Sprint Planning Reviews & Retrospectives
Virtual Sprint Planning Virtual Sprint Review Meetings
Virtual Sprint Application Sharing Virtual Sprint Review Sharing
Periodic F2F Sprint Planning Periodic F2F Sprint Reviews
Virtual Audio Planning Followups Virtual Sprint Retrospectives
Paasivaara, M., Durasiewicz, S., & Lassenius, C. (2009). Using scrum in distributed agile development. Global Software Engineering Conference, Limerick, Ireland, 195-204.
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44. Table of Contents
Introduction
Types of Virtual Teams
Key Practices & Techniques
Key Tools & Technologies
Key Case Studies
Conclusions & Summary
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45. Leadership Considerations
Agile management is delegated to the lowest level
There remain key leadership roles & responsibilities
Communication, coaching, & facilitation are key ones
Customer Communication
Facilitate selection of methods for obtaining and maintaining executive commitment, project
resources, corporate communications, and customer interaction
Product Visioning
Facilitate selection of methods for communicating product purpose, goals, objectives, mission,
vision, business value, scope, performance, budget, assumptions, constraints, etc.
Distribution Strategy Facilitate selection of virtual team distribution strategy to satisfy project goals and objectives
Team Development
Facilitate selection of methods for training, coaching, mentoring, and other team building
approaches
Standards & Practices
Facilitate selection of project management and technical practices, conventions, roles,
responsibilities, and performance measures
Telecom Infrastructure Facilitate selection of high bandwidth telecommunication products and services
Development Tools Facilitate selection of agile project management tools and interactive development environment
High Context Meetings Facilitate selection of high context agile project management and development meetings
Coordination Meetings
Facilitate selection of meetings and forums for regular communications between site
coordinators
F2F Communications
Facilitate selection of methods for maximizing periodic face to face interactions and
collaboration
Performance Management
Facilities selection of methods for process improvement, problem resolution, conflict
management, team recognition, product performance, and customer satisfaction
Maholtra, A., Majchrzak, A., & Rosen, B. (2007). Leading virtual teams. Academy of Management Perspectives, 21(1), 60-70.
Hunsaker, P. L., & Hunsaker, P. L. (2008). Virtual teams: A leadership guide. Team Performance Management, 14(1/2), 86-101.
Fisher, K., & Fisher, M. D. (2001). The distance manager: A hands on guide to managing off site employees and virtual teams. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
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46. Lean & Agile Proj. Mgt. Metrics
Agile metrics include trust/communication principles
Lean metrics align lean principles & agile practices
Flow metrics embody advanced lean principles
Agile Values Agile Metrics Lean Pillars Lean Metrics Flow Metrics
Empowered Teams Relationships
Team competence Customer relationships, satisfaction, trust, and loyalty Decentralization
Individuals & Team motivation Team authority, empowerment, and resources
Team cooperation Team identification, cohesion, and communication
Interactions Team trust
Team cohesion Customer Value
Team communication Respect Product vision, mission, needs, and capabilities
Economic view
Customer Interaction For People Product scope, constraints, and business value
Interaction frequency Product objectives, specifications, and performance
Customer Communication quality
Relationship strength
Value Stream
Collaboration As is policies, processes, procedures, and instructions WIP constraints
Customer trust
Customer loyalty To be business processes, flowcharts, and swim lanes Kanban
Customer satisfaction Initial workflow analysis, metrication, and optimization
Iterative Delivery Continuous Flow
Iteration size Batch size, work in process, and artifact size constraints Control cadence
Working Iteration number Cadence, queue size, buffers, slack, and bottlenecks Small batches
Iteration frequency Workflow, test, integration, and deployment automation
Software Continuous iterations
Operational iterations Customer Pull
Validated iterations Continuous Roadmaps, releases, iterations, and product priorities Fast feedback
Adaptability & Flexibility Improvement Epics, themes, feature sets, features, and user stories
Organization flexibility Product demonstrations, feedback, and new backlogs
Responding Management flexibility
Individual flexibility Perfection
to Change Refactor, test driven design, and continuous integration Manage queues
Process flexibility
Design flexibility Standups, retrospectives, and process improvements Exploit variability
Technology flexibility Organization, project, and process adaptability/flexibility
Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. T. (1996). Lean thinking: Banish waste and create wealth in your corporation. New York, NY: Free Press.
Reinertsen, D. G. (2009). The principles of product development flow: Second generation lean product development. New York, NY: Celeritas. 46
47. Offshore Outsourcing Metrics
Vashistha has complete guide to offshore outsourcing
Strategic framework for evaluating offshore locations
Offers metrics and data to support decision making
Factors Subfactors India Phil China Canada Lat Am Ireland Czech Poland Hungary Russia
Exogenous Geopolitical Environment
Factors that define Government Support
the characteristics
of the country Educational System
beyond influence of
organization
Infrastructure
Cost Advantage
Catalyst
Language
Factors that drive
offshore service
Culture
delivery in a country
Timezone
Labor Pool
Business
Factors related to Competency
direct advantages,
supplier skills, and Quality
business issues
Attrition
Vashistha, A., & Vashistha, A (2006). Offshore nation: Strategies for success in global outsourcing and offshoring. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
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48. Costs and Benefits
Unfacilitated virtual teams are less effective than F2F
Offshoring saves about 25% due to lower labor costs
Offshore savings vary based on leadership methods
Variable F2F Virtual Variable % Cost Low Med High
Team score 82% 78% Wage rate 46% $17.5m $2.2m $4.8m $8.7m
Interactions 24.9 17.6 Comm system 20% $7.6m $1.0m $2.1m $3.8m
Task effort 5.8 hrs 7.1 hrs Infrastructure 7% $2.7m $0.3m $0.7m $1.3m
Trust 84% 72% Transition and governance 4% $1.5m $0.2m $0.4m $0.8m
Cohesion 79% 66% Resource redeployment 1% $0.4m $0.0m $0.1m $0.2m
Outcome sat 86% 78% Training and productivity 9% $3.4m $0.4m $0.9m $1.7m
Process sat 86% 76% Business continuity 3% $1.1m $0.1m $0.3m $0.6m
Emergent leader 60% 75% Advisory services 4% $1.5m $0.2m $0.4m $0.8m
Free riders 2% 9% Travel costs 3% $1.1m $0.1m $0.3m $0.6m
Deserters 0% 2% Currency fluctuation 3% $1.1m $0.1m $0.3m $0.6m
83% 74% $38.0m $4.8m $10.5m $19.0m
Vashistha, A., & Vashistha, A (2006). Offshore nation: Strategies for success in global outsourcing and offshoring. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
De Pillis, E., & Furumo, K. (2007). Counting the cost of virtual teams: Studying the performance, satisfaction, and group dynamics of virtual and
face to face teams. Communications of the ACM, 50(12), 93-95.
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49. Current Trends & Directions
Virtual teamwork is 21st century business model
Opens the door to offshore/nearshore outsourcing
Farshoring is normal but nearshoring is also popular
Gidwana, J. (2005). Research summary: Mapping offshore markets update. San Ramon, CA: NeoIT.
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50. Key Points & Takeaways
Virtual teams communicate less undermining success
A key is not to eliminate them in favor of F2F teams
A better answer is to support them with leadership
Customer Process
Satisfaction Improvement
Quality Rotation
Virtual Team “Performance”
Virtual Team “Leadership”
Fast
Coordination
Feedback
Fast
Coaching
Cycle Time
Productivity Training
Development
Synergy
Tools
Trust Infrastructure
Standards &
Identity
Practices
Cohesion Visioning
Interaction Rightshoring
Compatible Collocated F2F Video Audio Instant Electronic Blog Wiki Document
Team Team Meeting Conference Conference Messaging Mail Interaction Interaction Review
“Loss” of Virtual Team “Communication Quality”
Rico, D. F. (2010). The paradox of agile project management and virtual teams. Gantthead.
Garton, C., & Wegryn, K. (2006). Managing without walls: Maximize success with virtual, global, and cross cultural teams. Lewisville, TX: MC Press. 50