To follow up on the fourth law, I add as reinforcement the fifth law of development physics: If you cannot pay for variability reduction, you will pay in one or more of the following ways: Long iteration times and high story points in progress Wasted capacity or need for more resources Slower burn down rates …
Are you a Resultant?
I was reading through some old notes this evening and ran across this idea: Consultant: - Delivers Reports - Retains skill Resultant: - Delivers Results - Transfers Skills While I don't think I want to be called a "Resultant," I like how simply this places a focus on generating valued results and outputs. It also reminds …
Eliminate Variability
Variability is the root of all evil in development and must be eliminated.
Measure Outputs for Success
If you want to ensure success, forget input measures and focus on measuring outputs. Track deliverables completed. Measure quality. Track burn down. Ensure risks are being mitigated. Measure tangible impacts to ensure value is being delivered. Measure customer and stakeholder confidence and user satisfaction.
The First Law of Development
In my post, What’s so Wrong with Pushing, I showed by analogy how Time Blocked Iterations, Story Points and Burn Down Rate enabled a superior pull mechanism over traditional management for development teams. In this post, I’ll develop how to maximize results from that pull system. There are three, sometimes opposing objectives in maximizing the …
What’s so Wrong with Pushing
In agile development, much emphasis is rightfully placed on burn down rate, the number of story points completed within an iteration of development. I’ve never been fully satisfied with explanations for why this measure and control of it is so critical. To develop my perspective, let me step back and use analogy from manufacturing. I …
Cost of Software Defects
Is the cost of software defects driven more by time than the stage of its discovery?
Call for Panelists
I am moderating a panel discussion in June and am looking for panelists interested in participating. It is for a BusinessAnalystWorld Symposium Conference and is titled The Role of the BA in an Agile Environment on June 9, 2008 from 9:45-11:00am in Denver. I would like to get perspective from practitioners in organizations of different sizes …
Project Manager to Scrum Master
Many organizations looking to Agile methodologies to gain better results more quickly at lower costs are taking on the question of what is the role of a Project Manger (PM) on Agile Projects. It is common for a traditional PM to take scrum master training and then assume that role for agile development. But, how …
Horizon Line Group 