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Agile terminology (6) Internal and external factors When considering whether to apply new agile practices, several internal and external factors should be considered. Internal factors include whether the project is developing new processes or products; whether the organization is collaborative and emphasizes trust, adaptability, collective ownership, and has minimal or informal project management processes; the […]

Agile terminology (5) Daily stand-up meeting A stand-up meeting (or simply « stand-up ») is a meeting with attendees typically standing. The discomfort of standing for long periods is intended to keep the meetings short. Some software development methodologies envisage daily team-meetings to provide status updates to team members. The « semi-real-time » status allows participants to know about […]

Agile project stages 3 different stages : 1. The Preliminary Project Stage includes conceptual formulation, evaluation and final selection of alternatives. Generally, once technical feasibility and the business case analysis are completed, the project is ready for consideration for funding approval by a company representative with budget authority. After approval, the project team participates in […]

Agile estimation and contract Time, budget, and cost estimation Time, budget, and cost estimation is an important knowledge and skill area of agile. According to Highsmith, the nature of the agile method, whereby it welcomes changing scope, means that it lends itself well to fixed budgets and a fixed schedule because changing scope makes it […]

Agile Stakeholder management Stakeholder management is a growing topic area within strategic management that brings awareness to the importance of managing stakeholders (i.e., facilitating active participation of stakeholders and fostering a strong collaborative environment) for a project’s success. Stakeholder management is typically defined in the context of guiding principles and values. R. E. Freeman’s ‘Managing […]

Agile prioritization The Agile prioritization is the relative ordering of user stories with respect to value and risk. An agile team must always face the prioritization of product features in its product backlog. From release planning to iteration planning, an agile team must prioritize the user stories/features of its product to ensure that high-quality and […]

Agile terminology (4) Incremental delivery A cornerstone of Agile development is ‘incremental delivery.’ Incremental delivery is the frequent delivery of working products, which are successively improved, to a customer for immediate feedback and acceptance. Typically, a product is delivered at the end of each sprint or iteration for demonstration and feedback. In this feedback technique, […]

Agile communication management Effective communication Effective communication is a cornerstone of agile. Communication is the act of transferring information among various parties. Communications management is a knowledge and skill area of agile that highlights this importance. PMI has several definitions regarding communications management and agile builds on top of these to add its own perspective: […]

Agile terminology (3) Value chain Collaboration, responding to change, working software and individuals and interactions are on the higher side of the customer value chain. Processes and tools, comprehensive documentation, contract negotiation and following a plan are on the lower side of the customer value chain. The highest priority is to satisfy the customer through […]

Agile project management Key characteristics of agile project management include: continuous improvement, cross-functional teams, short iterations, an incremental approach, and business priorities and customer value. [The Art of Agile Development. James Shore.] Agile triangle The agile triangle includes value, quality, and constraints as its parameters. [Agile Project Management: Creating Innovative Products – 2nd Edition. Jim Highsmith.] […]

Agile Knowledge and Skills (2) : Agile Manifesto values and principles The authors of Agile Manifesto are the founding members of Agile Alliance. Ken Schwaber founded Agile Alliance in 2001 after the Agile Manifesto was published. Agile Manifesto values include the following: Individuals and interaction over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer […]

Agile Knowledge and Skills : Level 1 Active listening One communication technique to reduce misunderstanding and miscommunication is active listening. A well run agile project necessitates both good listeners and communicators, active listening helps work towards both of these necessities. The basics of active listening include: 1) Being present and focusing your attention on the […]

Agile terminology (2) Project charter The project charter is an important governing document that requires all stakeholder participation. Although experts recommend it not be longer than a page in length, creating a project charter can be challenging, as all stakeholders must participate and come to a consensus. Three key elements should be included in a […]

Agile Teams In Agile environment, we are building high-performance teams. Building a high-performance team is critical to any project’s success. A high performance team has the right team members, is empowered, has built trust, works at a sustainable pace, has consistently high velocity/productivity, takes regular time for reflection to review work, has a team lead […]

Agile Terminology Caves and common The XP phrase ‘caves and common’ refers to the creation of two zones for team members. The common area is a public space where osmotic communication and collaboration are largely at play. The caves is a private space is reserved for private tasks that require an isolated and quiet environment. […]