Kallokain

In the first part of this article series, I wrote about how using Cost and Capacity to control an agile software project can trap an organization in a hire and fire cycle that increases project duration and cost. This time, we will take a closer look at an agile control lever that works very well, except when it doesn’t: Business Value . When used right, the Business Value lever can be the most powerful tool you have to steer an agile project or program towards success. When used wrong, and it often is, the Business Value lever can be completely disabled, leaving management to pull a lever that no longer works, and no longer has the ability to steer the project. How to Deliver Business Value the Agile Way Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale. — Principles behind the Agile Manifesto, https://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html Let’s start by looking at how the Business Value lever is supposed ...

Which levers should you use? When should you use them? Which levers should you avoid using? There is a subtle hint in the illustration. Agile methods brought us new ways of developing software, and new ways of managing software projects, programs, and product development. Unfortunately, I have seen very few, if any, organizations that make good use of the powerful new management tools they have at their disposal. Instead, they continue to use the same tools they used before agile, often with predictably bad results. In this series of articles I’ll provide a walk through of high level controls, their pros, cons, and how they relate to each other. The Levers of Death: Capacity and Cost Let’s start with the Levers of Death, Capacity and Cost . These levers are the ones I see used most often. They are not necessarily bad in and of themselves (well, firing people is bad), but they are easy to misuse, and often poorly understood. In most organizations I have worked in, it is assu...