Module 2 Introducing Agile Flashcards
What is a methodology?
A set of processes and practices performed i a certain way so a project can succeed. Typically have checklists and workflows.
What are some examples of predictive methodologies?
PMI’s PMBOK is originally from 1969.
Prince2. From Axelos. “Projects in controlled environments.” British methodology.
Deming’s PDCA (plan, do, check, act)
SDLC (Software development lifecycle)’s Waterfall
What are some examples of Agile methodologies?
Scrum
XP
Lean
Kanban
Feature driven development
PMI ACP
What are common features of Agile projects?
Teams conducting experiments; not one person dictating a plan.
Teams are not siloed or hierarchical.
There is a focus on delivering value.
They welcome change.
There is more customer involvement.
They are both incremental and iterative.
They deliver results in small, frequent releases.
Functionality is built during each sprint.
There is rapid experimentation, known as spikes.
There is a retrospective after each sprint.
Four typical criteria: plan just enough, deliver quickly, evaluate results, reflect and improve.
What is the Waterfall methodology?
Understand requirements for the whole project. Not just what needs to be done, but when. Build a business cases to explain why you are doing the project. Activities cascade from requirements to design to implementation to testing to deployment to maintenance. Close out with documentation and lessons learned.
This is the focus of the PMBOK.
Describe hybrid methodologies.
Might use Agile for parts of the project that require quick and fast responses, versus Predictive for well known processes.
Does not have to be a 50/50 split.
What are the four Agile values?
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
Working software over comprehensive documentation.
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
Responding to change over following a plan.
Discuss Agile value 1.
Projects are accomplished through people Processes and tools aren’t bad but can get in the way. If you add too many steps, or get too bureaucratic, you can interfere with getting things done. Constantly evaluate what you need, and get rid of anything that does not bring value. Emphasize the team. The team owns the code, not the individual.
Discuss Agile value 2.
Most developers don’t like writing documentation. Work going software supports the goal of providing value. nothing speaks louder than working code. Keep documentation is what is actually needed.
Discuss Agile value 3.
The customer or product owner is the best person to understand what is valuable. So the customer and project team need to be on the same time. Trial and error doesn’t work work with project negotiation.
Discuss Agile value 4.
Agile methodologies came out of the software industry. Change happens quickly. Traditional, predictive methodologies don’t work well with that.
What are the 12 principles of Agile?
1) The highest priority is to satisfy customer through early delivery of valuable software.
2) Welcome changing requirements, even late in development.
3) Deliver working software frequently, with a preference for a shorter time scale. Weeks is preferred.
4) Businesspeople and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
5) Build projects around motivated people and give them the appropriate environment to succeed.
6) Face-to-face conversation is the most effective way to convey information.
7) Working software is the primary measure of progress.
8) Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace continuously.
9) There should be continuous attention to technical excellence and good design.
10) Simplicity—the art of maximizing work not done—is essential.
11) The best requirements and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
12) The team should reflect on how to be more efficient at regular intervals.
What is the ideal size of an Agile team?
5-12 people. 8 is the magic number.
What are the roles within an Agile project team?
The product owner is the customer. He/she explains requirements, gets the money from the project sponsor, writes user stories, and manages the backlog.
Team members should be cross-trained. The T model: one thing you are really good at, and other things you can do.
Agile coach, aka the Scrum Master. Should be a servant leader.
Stakeholders are anyone with a vested interest in the project.
What is the cone of uncertainty?
It is used both in Agile and Waterfall but not in the same way. It is used at the beginning of any project. The cone is very broad at the beginning of the project. In Agile, you will try to quickly narrow it with spikes. You try things in order to narrow it down. Estimates get sharper over time.
This can help determine whether to use an Agile or Waterfall approach. If you have a lot of uncertainty, Agile makes more sense. The more you know what needs to be done, the more Predictive makes sense.
What is the Agile product vision statement?
Describes why a product is made, who it’s for, and what makes it different. An Agile product statement provides clarity on why a product exists. It’s the overarching reason for teams to develop the product and ties all their efforts together.
