Managing Projects/Releases using Lean/Agile techniques

1ט"ז/אייר/תש"ע

Managing Projects/Releases

Using Lean/Agile TechniquesYuval Yeret

Lean/Kanban/Agile Coach @ AgileSparks


Brief Intro

AgileSparks is an elite firm focused entirely on helping companies improve their product development operations, by leveraging Lean/Agile/Scrum thinking and techniques. Find us at www.agilesparks.com

Yuval Yeret – Lean/Kanban/Agile Consultant/Coach, coming from R&D leadership background, specializing in Kanban and scaling agile through Lean.

http://www.agilesparks.com/


Agenda

• Agile Release Planning in the Real world• Managing Agile Releases• Agile End Game• Agile Program/Release Trains• Measuring Agile Release


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Must Scope

Agile has no Buffers

Worst case Velocity

AverageVelocity?

Prio

rity

Finish D

ate

Planned Capacity?


“In Agile the Team Commits”• “As a manager, I

cannot commit”

• “I cannot commit to Scope/Timeline, I’m Agile!”


Soft

Hard

Commitments


Buffers in Agile”“There are no

TASK


Fit Scope to Timeline

Worst

Average

Epic Number Epic Name Estimate

Total Estimation

6043Feature1 5 207150Feature2 13 507510Feature3 85648Feature45768Feature55861Feature66100Feature75809Feature85769Feature96051Feature10 2 106625Feature117390Feature12 54912Feature13 5 255810Feature147391Feature15 407392Feature167393Feature177394Feature184911Feature19 5 185369Feature20 405370Feature21 405400Feature227382Feature234917Feature24 20 374909Feature25 8 424916Feature26 3 205770Feature274914Feature28 40 2005645Feature297868Feature30 20 807619Feature31 13 507625Feature33 3 207822Feature34 2 106966Feature35 136967Feature36 137383Feature377398Feature387626Feature39 3 15


Total Estimation



Total Estimation



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Must Scope

Stretch Scope

Fit Timeline to Scope

Safe/ Committed

Velocity

Stretch Velocity

Prio

rity

Finish D

ate


The Chicken and Egg problem(aka Bootstrapping Velocity…)

http://www.truthandscience.net/chicken_or_egg.%202gif.jpg

http://www.truthandscience.net/chicken_or_egg.%202gif.jpg


History 101

• Compare current features/stories to previous releases (even if before Agile)

• Look at actual effort and time of previous releases

• Derive approximate Velocity


Flash Forward

• Plan the few upcoming Features/Stories in detail

• Guesstimate the ratio between estimate time and actual time on tasks (Ideal to Actual)

• Derive the velocity

13131ט"ז/אייר/תש"ע 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Team Commitments within Release CommitmentsPr

iorit

y

Committed Scope in risk!!!

Back on track

Teams commit to what they CANBUT stretch and able to close gap

Trend shows Exceeding release stretch goals!!!

Committed scopeDELIVERED

Finish D

ate


Managing the Release


Release Burnup

https://wiki.rallydev.com/display/rlyhlp/Release+Burnup+Chart

https://wiki.rallydev.com/display/rlyhlp/Release+Burnup+Chart


Release Cumulative Flow

https://wiki.rallydev.com/display/rlyhlp/Release+Cumulative+Flow+Chart

https://wiki.rallydev.com/display/rlyhlp/Release+Cumulative+Flow+Chart


Release Burndown

https://wiki.rallydev.com/display/rlyhlp/Release+Burn+Down+Chart

https://wiki.rallydev.com/display/rlyhlp/Release+Burn+Down+Chart


Risk Burndown

http://leadinganswers.typepad.com/leading_answers/2007/09/agile-risk-mana.html

http://leadinganswers.typepad.com/leading_answers/2007/09/agile-risk-mana.html


Tracking Dark Matter

David Anderson - http://agilemanagement.net/index.php/Blog/revealing_dark_matter/

http://agilemanagement.net/index.php/Blog/revealing_dark_matter/


AgileEVM

Courtesy Amdocs Process Eng group


The Endgame

22ט"ז/אייר/תש"ע Alistair Cockburn




How do we minimize Buffering for the next Project/Release?


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Must Scope

Better PredictabilityPr

iorit

y

Finish D

ate


Stable Velocity

8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 2815

20

25

30

35

40

VelocityMean (Worst 3)Mean (Last 8)


Which is Better?

Predictability?

Velocity?


Managing Agile Programs


Releases far in between

Can’t wait…

Point SolutionsMore and More to Maintain

Hard to deliver on Product Roadmap


בשנים ממוצעת יומית רכבות וצפי 2001-2010כמות2011לשנת



• Focus on a “Train service” rather than “Taxis”• “Project” requirements delivered on main product releases• Product Roadmap delivered on main product releases• Key? Delivering a frequent and reliable main product

release. • Build Quality In – Focus on making these releases

bulletproof– Improve Customer Satisfaction– Solution for “Give it to me

on the stable release”

How to escape this Vicious Cycle?


Faster Progress on Product Roadmap

More and More capabilities in

Product

Less need for Point Solutions

Higher chance for Customer needs to

make it into Release

Work more on Product, Less on

Projects

Product or Project

Release

Iteration

Story


Measures for effective Releases

36ט"ז/אייר/תש"ע1/1/2010 2/1/2010 3/1/2010 4/1/2010 5/1/2010 6/1/2010 7/1/2010 7/10/2010

14-Oct

3-Dec

22-Jan

13-Mar

2-May

21-Jun

10-Aug

29-Sep

18-Nov

Due Date Performance Tracking

V4.5 Betav4.5 GAV4.2 Code Freezev4.2 GAv5.0 GA

Date

Mile

ston

e Co

mm

itted

Due

Dat

e


Release Cost Breakdown Trend

V3.0 V3.5 V4.0 V4.50

20

40

60

80

100

120

Coordination CostsFailure Load CostsCleanup/Stabilization costsSetup CostsNew Features Cost

Release

% o

f Rel

ease

Bud

get/

Effor

t

Reduced overheads lead to more budget

for New Features


“Managing Agile Projects/Programs” Workshop – Coming Soon…

(Contact me to be notified about next public workshop)

[email protected]@yuvalyeret

www.linkedin.com/in/yuvalyeret

http://www.slideshare.net/yyeret/

Ask us how

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Technology

Managing Projects/Releases using Lean/Agile techniques