Agile blog post

Author: David Hillier

.DS_Store

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 title: Single Page Apps for Admin Backends - Who needs them ?
 author: Martin Schinz
 categories: spa
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 ## No app is TodoMVC

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+---
+layout: post
+title: Is Agile For You?
+author: Dave Hillier
+categories: [agile, waterfall]
+---
+
+# Is Agile right for you?
+If you have engaged a development consultant in recent years, you have probably heard them wax lyrical about "Waterfall
+is dead, we're Agile" - but what does this actually mean for your product delivery? What is the business case for
+engaging with Agile?
+
+Neither Agile or Waterfall are actually software development methods. Waterfall is the collective name for more
+traditional project management methods that have sequential separate stages from planning, design, implementation,
+testing to maintenance. Agile methods are incremental and adaptive methods for delivering software. The values and
+principles can be found in the [Agile Manifesto](http://www.agilemanifesto.org/).
+
+Across the software industry there is no common definition of success of a project. Is it on time, on budget, to
+specification or fit for purpose? From each of these points, both traditional methods and Agile can be used to
+successfully deliver software products, however, research has found that Agile methods are a more effective way to
+deliver software.
+
+Agile methods have many benefits but are not a panacea for software delivery. There are no guarantees, however, we
+believe these methods allow us to deliver the best quality and offer value for money for our customers.
+
+Here at pebble {code} we use Agile methods in the development of all our projects. We have distilled the best/core
+practices from methodologies like Scrum and XP to created a lightweight Agile Framework that gives us the flexibility to
+apply them to the kind of projects we run with the minimum of ceremony.
+
+## Will the spec change over the life of the project?
+
+One of the pathologies of traditional project management is scope creep. In traditional methods everyone agrees to the
+contract up front and spec changes are managed through some change control process. Each change will cost you; it is
+going to mean creating a change request, budget approval and back and forth with a purchase order and so on.
+
+Traditional methods work hard to keep things on schedule by controlling scope. Unfortunately, this means, at the end of
+the project and a large investment, you risk getting a product not fit for purpose and losing your competitive
+advantage.
+
+##How certain are you about your assumptions?
+
+Assumptions add risk to your project because they can turn out to be false. In fixed cost  pricing, you have plan up
+front and no doubt those costs are passed on to you. Worse is when a false assumption is simply missed and it derails
+your project.
+
+Traditional project management methods invest a huge amount of effort in documenting, tracking and managing assumptions
+and risks (if they do anything at all).
+
+## Are there any other uncertainties?
+
+> ...there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we
+> know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.
+>  - Donald Rumsfeld, 2002
+
+There are many unpredictable things that could cause delays to your project. Developers get sick, get poached by rivals
+or go AWOL. Technologies have security flaws discovered. Suppliers go bust.
+
+We can never identify all risks that might go wrong - there are almost infinite possibilities. You have to mitigate this
+risk by building in a significant contingency. These risks might never happen; forcing someone into a fixed price
+contract will inevitably lead to them adding this risk to the cost or failing to deliver on commitments when something
+goes wrong.
+
+## Mitigating Risks and Increasing Agility
+
+Agile methods embrace change; changes are easily incorporated into the process of prioritization and planning that
+takes place at the start of each sprint. It is a much more efficient use of your budget. Change is managed, not
+prevented; you become adaptable.
+
+Typically teams take work from a Product Backlog, which is ordered by priority. The Product Backlog contains things
+like User Stories and bugs. Product Backlog items are deliberately left as open as they can be. Detail is deferred
+which allows the specifics to be filled in as the product is developed and more information is gathered.
+
+Software development is a process of continuous discovery. Agile’s iterative approach allows assumptions to be tested
+each sprint, for example, by getting the software in front of real users or, perhaps, doing performance testing on a
+piece of technology for its feasibility. If you find your assumptions are incorrect, you adapt during your
+prioritisation session and waste little or nothing.
+
+Agile technical practices, like collective code ownership, work to reduce the risk that any one developers absence will
+cause delays or stop work. This practice helps the architecture of the software evolve by sensible practices rather
+than mirroring the social structure of the team.
+
+Commitment to decisions are deferred as long as possible. This is sometimes called the Last Responsible Moment. Making
+decisions at the Last Responsible Moment is a risk avoidance strategy; decisions made too early in a project are hugely
+risky. The earlier you make a decision, the less information you have. In the absence of information, work might have
+to be re-done or thrown away. Another way to think of the last responsible moment is before your options expire.
+
+When building software products, it is near impossible to get everything right first time. Agile methods allow you to
+evolve quickly, respond, and adapt. Through frequent testing and stakeholder (customer) engagement we can be sure we
+get it right as quickly as possible.
+
+Agile methods can respond quickly and effectively to the complexity and uncertainty that characterize today’s business
+needs.
+
+
+