Rachel Davies' slides from Northampton IIBA event in August

1. Common Challenges in
Adopting Agile
by Rachel Davies
About you ..
Are you:
• New to agile?
• Practicing?
• Expert?
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2. Traditional Waterfall
Phases of activity focused on a fixed-scope release.
• Divide the work up
• Resist change
• Communicate via documents
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Agile is not speeding this up
• Agile is not a case
of “do less, go faster”
• Mistake to focus on
replacing:-
– Process
– Role descriptions
– Tools
– Templates
– Training
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3. Agile Manifesto
Shared values and principles for better ways to
develop software (2001)
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Individuals and interactions
over processes and tools
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4. Working software
over comprehensive documentation
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Customer collaboration
over contract negotiation
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5. Responding to change
over following a plan
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Key Agile Principles
• Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through
early and continuous delivery of valuable software
• Welcome changing requirements, even late in
development.
• Business people and developers must work together daily
throughout the project
• The most efficient and effective method of conveying
information to and within a development team is face-to-
face conversation. Build projects around motivated
individuals. Give them the environment and support they
need, and trust them to get the job done.
www.agilemanifesto.org
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6. Agile is ..
Concurrent activity to create continuous flow of
releases.
• Develop iteratively
• Cross-functional teams
• Frequent releases
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Potential Benefits
• Deliver change more quickly (smaller
releases)
• More confidence in delivery dates (testing
done throughout)
• Improved employee retention (motivating
work)
• Better solutions (user feedback folded in)
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7. But ..
• Products may not be easy to break into
incremental releases.
• Pipeline to live may be constrained.
• Iterative development feels like rework.
• Reorganising into cross-functional teams is
challenging especially when key functions
are outsourced.
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Agile depends on Teamwork
Real-time interactions rather than process
orchestrated via artefacts.
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8. Teamwork relies on Motivation
• Make vision and
benefits clear
• Permission to try new
approach
• Empower team to
make choices about
how they work
• Build awareness and
responsibility
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New Skills Take Time
Becoming agile requires:
• Understanding principles
• Time to practice
• Coaching to avoid old habits
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9. Support across the organisation
Agile can have impact on many areas:
• Hiring policy
• Line management
• Incentives
• Operations
• Office Furniture
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Further Reading
Mike Cohn
– “Succeeding with Agile”
Rachel Davies Liz Sedley
– “Agile Coaching”
James Shore Shane Warden
– “The Art of Agile Development”
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10. Any Questions?
Get in touch
– Email: rachel@agilexp.com
– Twitter: @rachelcdavies
– Blog: http://agilecoach.typepad.com/
– Web: http://www.agilexp.com
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