1DSV SU

Becoming Agile in a Non-Disruptive Ways

Is it possible?

Ilia Bider & Oscar Söderberg

05/02/2023

18TH International Conference on Enterprise Information SystemsICEIS 2016

05/02/2023 DSV SU 2

Objectives• Questions?

1. Is it possible to create an “agile team” while staying in the frame of the traditional phase base development

2. If yes than how?• We will be answering the first question by

giving an answer to the second one (how) – Design Science approach

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Objectives• Problems to solve/questions to answer

1. What are the essential characteristics of an agile team/agile mindset? In what way they are different from those of a non-agile team?

2. How to measure the level of team agility achieved to see the distance to the end-goal

3. How to plan actions to shorten the distance

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Plan1. What are the essential characteristics of an agile

team/agile mindset? In what way they are different from the characteristics of a non-agile team?

2. How to measure the level of team agility achieved to see the distance to the end-goal and how to plan actions to shorten the distance

3. Test so far

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Background: Knowledge transformationSECI model of knowledge transformation of Nonaka:

Nonaka, I., 1994. A dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation. Organization science, 5(1), pp.14-37..

Two types of knowledge:– Explicit– Tacit+ One added - embedded

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Knowledge transformation in TSDECEA - a model of Traditional Software Development

Additional activities, e.g.:• Writing manuals: embedded ->

explicit) • Reading manuals (explicit ->tacitBecoming obsolete

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Knowledge transformation in ASDSEA - a model of Agile Software Development:

Avoiding explication of knowledge

Difference:1. Requirements:

engineering -> discovery2. Design + Coding =

Embedment3. One big cycle -> many

small

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Difference between ASD and TSDSocial perspective# ASD TSD

1 One team consisting of “universal” members

Several specialized teams

2 Stakeholders involvement during the duration of the project

Stakeholders involvement during the Externalization and Adoption phases

3 Non-contractual agreement based on trust

Contractual agreement is possible

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Difference between ASD and TSDTechnical perspective

# ASD TSD4 Possibility to identify and agree

on a core system that can be expanded in consequent iterations

Not mandatory, but can be employed.

5 Architecture aimed at expansion

Architecture aimed at fulfilling the identified requirements

6 Employing high-level tools, e.g. domain-specific languages, development platforms, libraries

Not mandatory – low level, and universal tools can be employed

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SummaryAn agile team/agile mindset – a team (a) of generalists (b) capable of creating an application/software from tacit knowledge (c) acquired via socialization with the stakeholders (d) using high-level tools and (e) bypassing traditional phases of requirements engineering and system design

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Plan1. What are the essential characteristics of an agile

team/agile mindset? In what way they are different from the non-agile team?

2. How to measure the level of team agility achieved to see the distance to the end-goal and how to plan actions to shorten the distance

3. Test so far

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Modeling team structureTeam-relationship model: Input-output relation

Matrix form

  BM RE AD Impl Test

BM          

RE Model       Bugs

AD   Reqs      

Impl     Design   Bugs

Test       Software  

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Modeling team structureTeam-relationship model

Communication intensity• High – once a day• Average – 3 times a week• Low – once a week

  BM RE AD Impl Test

BM   High Average   Low

RE High   Average High Low

AD High High   High  

Impl Low   Average   High

Test Low Low Average High  

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Planning the next stepTeam-relationship model

Communication intensity• High – once a day• Average – 3 times a week• Low – once a week

  BM RE AD Impl Test

BM   High Average   Low

RE High   High High Low

AD High High   High  

Impl Low   High   High

Test Low Low Average High  

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Modeling team structureTeam-relationship model

Cross competencePercentage of the members of the column team having working knowledge of the row phase

  BM RE AD Impl. Test

BM   50% 75%    

RE 75%   75%   50%

AD 75%        

Impl. 50% 50% 75%   50%

Test 50%        

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Planning the next stepTeam-relationship model

Cross competencePercentage of the members of the column team having working knowledge of the row phase

  BM RE AD Impl. Test

BM   50% 75%    

RE 75%   75%   50%

AD 75% 50%      

Impl. 50% 50% 75%   50%

Test 50%     50%  

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Modeling team structureTimeline intensity

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Planning exclusion of RE & DesignNew timeline intensity

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Moving towards agility1. Intensify communication between the teams2. Increase the level of cross-competency by mixing people from

different teams3. Run phases in parallel4. Adopt high-level tools – as soon as possible (will make it easy to

deal with 1,2,3 above)5. Plan for minimum viable system when starting new development6. Do not plan to much in each iteration7. Increase stakeholders involvement by inviting them to review the

system under development

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Plan1. What are the essential characteristics of an agile

team/agile mindset? In what way they are different from the non-agile team?

2. How to measure the level of team agility achieved to see the distance to the end-goal and how to plan actions to shorten the distance

3. Test so far

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Business case• The development of the method of moving to agile has

been done in parallel with a case study of an IT department in a Swedish insurance company

• The models demonstrated in the previous slides approximately correspond to the ones built for the business case

• The method , the models, and suggestions for the next step were presented to the management of the IT department

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Goals with presentationsTo test whether:

1. The method could be understood by people not very familiar with the agile practices

2. They can accept concrete suggestions based on this method, provided that they are approved by the higher management.

The last check (approximately) corresponds to “reediness to use” in Technology Acceptance Model

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Questions asked after1. Have you understood what kind of organizational changes

the transition to agile will require?2. Have you understood the action plan for movement

towards a more agile development process?3. Are you prepared to submit the action plan to the

upper/higher management for approval?4. Are you prepared to set the suggested plan in action if

approved by the higher management?Positive answers on 1,2,4. Some debates on 3 regarding how to influence the decision maker

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Summary of the test

• The results are encouraging, but far from sufficient• More testing is required

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Q & A

Thank you for your patience

Questions and comments

Please

Contact: ilia@dsv.su.se