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Design for Hybrid Agile Adoption |
First published Oct 2010
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Upadistra
Venkatesh |
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Abstract
 Traditional software lifecycle models, such as waterfall, have declined
in popularity in recent years due to the increasing demands on projects
to accommodate changing business requirements, to control ever-larger
and more complex requirements, and to reliably deliver the expected
business results. The rapidly changing business climate is placing
new and even more stringent constraints on projects with respect
to time, cost and quality.
In order to deal with these recent changes new software lifecycle
models have emerged that promise to keep pace with the industry.
Agile is one such emerging methodology that is providing: better
project transparency, better requirement trade-offs, faster time
to market, and improved quality and reduced defects. While Agile
approaches have clearly seen judicious success in recent years, these
have primarily been associated with collocated teams. Unfortunately,
collocation is not an option for all Agile teams. In fact, collocation
is an approach which, in some cases, has moved the industry paradigm
decades back defeating the overall advantages and cost controls of
off-shoring and out-sourcing.
Overcoming these challenges, "Design for Hybrid Agile Adoption (DH2A)",
is a framework defined to successfully execute agile projects in
a distributed and out-sourced environment. A very systematic and
authoritative approach has been demonstrated by Upadrista Venkatesh
(Upadrista) via his new framework called "DH2A" (Design for Hybrid
Agile Adoption) on how to make agile successful in a distributed
environment. Not limited to a single project, an extension to the
DH2A framework called as e-Dh2A (enterprise DH2A Rollout) is part
of this reading material which defines a framework to roll-out DH2A
across an organization. It provides the enduring benefits of definite
cost savings and the most qualitative software for project development.
The framework is being introduced into the industry via the authors
new book called "Design for Hybrid Agile Adoption - An enterprise
agile framework for Distributed Teams" and will be into the
market by August 2011.
The book is divided into three sections where the author in the
first section specifically speaks about the evolution of DH2A and
the advantage distributed agile brings, as compared to the collocated
agile approaches. The author also speaks about how different methodologies
in the industry today fail to provide the enduring benefits of distributed
development combined with agile techniques which leads into developing
the framework called "Design for Hybrid Agile Adoption".
The second section of this book defined the life cycle of " Design
for Hybrid Agile Adoption (DH2A) " framework which evolved
from the author's vast experience of successfully executing agile
projects in a distributed and outsourced environment. This has
created a new paradigm in the software development industry regarding
the success of distributed agile.
The final section of this book defines a Framework to roll-out DH2A
across an enterprise called the e-DH2A framework. Introducing the
concepts of Program Management Office, e-DH2A marries both the worlds
of a PMO setup and DH2A to make DH2A roll-out consistent and successful
across the organization.
You can contact Upadrista on his email venkatesh@venkateshupadrista.com to
receive some complimentary chapters of the book.
Overview
Value is a driving factor in today's industry. What interests everyone
in a concept is the value it derives at the end and its predicted
stability in the long run. Extracting value from a concept is not
an engineering science but is the thought converted to reality that
come out of experience. It becomes the guiding principles towards
new disciplines which are the motivations to achieve the real changes.
As software development has evolved towards a globally distributed
setting, many organizations have shown interest in blending Agile
with distributed development but are largely skeptical about the
challenges in terms of communication, culture and team collaboration.
Distributed development is a fact of life for most organization and
in today's environment where everyone is targeted with stringent
cost controls, distributed development especially offshoring plays
a very crucial role to meet this criterion. Distributed agile as
the name indicates is a methodology to execute agile projects in
a distributed environment with a common goal of project success in
mind.
Through today's collocated agile models we have seen judicious success
in project execution. However these has moved the industry paradigm
to decades back where projects were being executed in collocated
approaches defeating the advantages of cost controls. With today's
perception by many individuals that distributed agile is not successful,
many industry skeptics are rejecting the model. The prime reason
is success in distributed agile not coming to light thought the local
communities. There seems little guidance to apply the principles
for a successful distributed agile implementation.
In my own experience, I have seen some of my customers being skeptics
regarding the success of distributed agile. This has occurred very
frequently and hence Distributed Agile development has been treated
as an unsuccessful buzz word in the industry. On the other hand there
were many matured organizations I came across where Distributed development
has been the core of their business fundamentals. Adapting to the
emerging industry practices and partnering with such organizations
have given me an edge to demonstrate the success of distributed agile.
My personally experience has seen the success of distributed agile
and was the inspiration for the "Design for Hybrid Agile Adoption" model.
It is a challenge to cope with the trends and methodologies those
have been under constant scrutiny to emerge with better models. All
recent methodologies are striving to be more effective and efficient
for successful delivery of the projects with high client satisfaction
and better productivity factors within specified and tolerable limits
and distributed agile is one such leaning today.
The DH2A Framework:
DH2A has defined its life cycle based on several successful experiences
of executing agile projects in an distributed environment. Several
mature models existing today address the non agile approaches combining
the distributed strategies. Others combine agile in collocated strategies.
DH2A is the only model which marries the worlds of distributed development,
outsourcing and agile together and addresses many challenges existing
today in distributed agile. It provides the utmost advantage by combining
agile in a distributed and outsourced environment.
The DH2A framework defines a four phase approach as illustrated
in Figure 1.1 and draws its success from the different patterns,
best practices, processes and procedures designed to help distributed
teams succeed with agile.
Figure 1.1: DH2A Framework
This paper does not speak in detail about the complete working of
the Dh2A Methodology. Some of the key fundamentals are discussed
in summary so that the superior benefit of the methodology can be
appreciated.
DH2A Framework Key Practices in Summary:
1. - Determinate Value and Assess Project Fitment with
DH2A:
The Appraisal Segment is one of the segments in the DH2A methodology
that provides a tool based approach to validate the benefits an organization
would reap adopting the Dh2A methodology. Organizations have to decide
the DH2A way by analysing the enduring benefits they can reap from
the methodology.
This phase also assesses the people and project capabilities to
adopt Dh2A. Dh2A requires that an organization can adopt Dh2A only
if it can meet the DH2A demands. Until now none of the agile methodologies
have assessed characteristics of projects and people to decide if
following a methodology is viable. This is one of the unique differentiator
of the Dh2A methodology.
2. - Fixed Price Contracts with DH2A
The Estimation Segment of the Dh2A framework mandates any project
must define the cost of the project in conjunction with scope and
time. Many organizations live with the limitations defined by the
current Agile methodologies which demand you execute a project with
an open ended scope or time and cost.
The DH2A focus on the estimation techniques is one of the differentiator
from other methodologies. DH2A defines any project for DH2A implementation
will have a fixed cost, time and scope and those are the only projects
that qualify for adopting DH2A Methodology.
The Estimation Segment defines a methodology called "Dh2A Spry
Estimation" which demonstrates an approach to estimation
an agile project as a fixed price model. This is another unique
feature of the DH2A methodology.
3. - Minimize Cultural Differences using DH2A:
DH2A demands a dedicated Video conference set-up at both onsite
and offshore developer locations which should be used solely by the
project teams. This is the core approach to minimizing the geographical
and cultural difference using the DH2A methodology.
 A
DH2A rule, as shown in the Figure 1.2, it will boost the team's productivity
and minimize the cultural difference if the video setup is located
in the development location and that it's connected at all times
between the onsite and offshore locations. In this way the face-to-face
contact is maintained even though the teams are distributed in different
countries. The remote teams should be able to see each other just
as they can see their collocated teams.
4. - Improve Team Coordination with DH2A Remote Counseling:
Remote counseling is another of the concept in which a DH2A resource
accepts the responsibility to be the councilor to the DH2A team
to train and handhold the complete team regarding the demands of
Dh2A. The remote counseling program takes a 360% view as every member
of the team takes a turn at being the remote councilor as the project
progresses and as DH2A maturity evolves within individuals. Remote
Counseling is is defined to improve team coordination and collaboration
Figure 1.3 Remote counseling set-up for Distributed
Teams
Some of the salient responsibilities of the DH2A Remote Counselor
include the following:
- Mentor and handhold the teams
- Realign the team and project characteristics to the DH2A demands,
where required
- Mentor and chair the daily stand-ups
Remote Counseling has gained a lot of momentum within the DH2A
projects as experiments and experiences have demonstrated that the
effects of "Cultural Differences" can be greatly reduced with the
practice. Remote Counseling has been credited with being a significant
building block for bringing people together.
5. - Measure your Project Success with DH2A:
One of the toughest things in today's rapid changing and dynamic
environment of software development is the effectiveness in which
performance of the project can be assessed.
A simple example: When you are traveling on a road, how do you
estimate the time taken to reach the destination which is considered,
in this case, the success measurement?
The combination of the number of miles you have to travel by taking
the shortest route determines your time estimation to reach your
destination. Without someone inventing the theory of time and distance
measurement it would not be possible to measure the success.
The same is the case of software development projects. Success is
determined with the theory of estimation which has evolved from the
experiences of many organizations and individuals. Today, that has
today become the baseline numbers for estimating your success results.
DH2A draws the concepts of assessing success in a similar manner.
The core activities are compared and success is measured with the
baseline data which is also captured as metrics. DH2A approach for
metrics management is always a comparison of the past data with the
actual results.
We have often seen that organizations have established measurement
programs. Few have succeed with them and many of those organizations
who have established metrics programs have done so in order to conform
to criteria established in the Capability Maturity Model. These are
the challenges that have been in existence for decades.
With the newer methodologies evolving in the industry today - especially
some Agile methodologies - there has been less emphasis on metric
management. The accepted thinking is that "Agile methods do not mandate
heavyweight process adherence". However none of the methodologies
have dictated what are those lightweight, or minimal set of processes,
that every Agile project should adhere to so that a project is measured
for success.
Overcoming these traditional challenges, DH2A defines a lightweight
metric management program which creates a platform to measure the
success of any DH2A process. As most of the organizations today determine
compliance to the Maturity models, the DH2A metric management, in
addition to measure the success of a DH2A project, adheres to the
basic Maturity models guidelines and keep organizations focused on
the existing norms.
6. - Define the right roles with DH2A:
The modern definition of project management emphasizes the delegation
of personal accountability to each and every member of the team right
from the project trainees up to the individual and group managers.
Traditionally projects of different sizes have different ways and
requirements on how the people are assigned and aligned on the roles
and responsibilities. A key factor in a projects success is assigning
the right role to the right individuals. Therefore to reap success,
DH2A emphases the selection of the right kind of motivated teams
who are experiences in DH2A.
Everyone needs to understand their roles in a DH2A project. The
roles are based on the maturity of individuals in the DH2A Methodology
and each is expected to perform their duties in accordance. Unlike
other methodologies where Roles are defined and assigned based on
discretion of individuals, , every DH2A role is based on the experience
level of individuals in the DH2A Methodology.
7. The Enterprise DH2A Framework (e-Dh2A Framework):
 The
success of a project is often dependent on the people, processes
and capabilities that cut across multiple disciplines. To make this
success consistent across other projects of a similar nature, similar
processes and capabilities are implemented across the board. However
the leap from a small success, to organization wide success has never
been an easy step. Several experiences in different lines of business
have shown that the big-bang implementation have many times led to
failures. Though some exceptions exists, the reasons for these failures
are due to the lack of proper and consistent integration among defined
disciplines, processes and the capabilities which results in sub-optimization,
confusion, and potentially unnecessary expenditure.
The Enterprise DH2A Framework, also referred as e-DH2A, defines
a framework to adopt DH2A Methodology across an organization. The
success of the e-DH2A Framework has two critical aspects:
• Defining an organization level PMO which monitors and
manages the DH2A projects referred as the e-DH2A Office and
• Defining a staged approach to roll-out DH2A from one
project to multiple projects
e-DH2A marries into its framework the alignment of DH2A to an organization
Program Management Office such that an enterprise can work within
a single framework and ensure that all projects proceed on the basis
of their strategic alignment to the objectives of DH2A.
The Author
Upadrista is a passionate devotee and a seasoned practioner of Agile
well known in the US and Europe market for his specialization in
Distributed Agile. He speaks at many conferences especially on the
success of Distributed Agile and has guided several customers towards
successful Agile implementation in a distributed environment. Upadrista
is author of several publications including his popular book " Managing
Offshore Development Projects - An Agile Way ".
Currently he is researching his ambitious project on patterns
of " Sales and Account Management Strategies for
Mega accounts " to build his new book for 2015
Upadrista can be reached on his email @ venkatesh@venkateshupadrista.com
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