Software Process And Measurement Cast

Listen to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 283. The SPaMCAST 283 features our essay on user stories.  A user story is a brief, simple requirement statement from the user perspective. User stories are narratives describing who is interacting with the application; how they are interacting with the application and the benefit they derive from that interaction. If you would like to read the original blog entries that formed the basis of this essay they can be found at: User StoriesCardsEpics, Themes and IssuesProblemsSame as Use Cases and Traditional Requirements? Get in touch with us anytime or leave a comment here on the blog. Help support the SPaMCAST by reviewing and rating it on iTunes. It helps people find the cast. Like us on Facebook while you’re at it. Next week we will feature our interview with Evan Leybourn author of Directing the Agile Organization. We discussed agile business management. Agile is not just for IT anymore! Upcoming Events QAIQuest 2014 I will be facilitating a ½ Day tutorial

Listen to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 282. In the SPaMCAST 282 we feature our interview with Ben Linders and Luis Gonçalves.  We discussed retrospectives and their great new book Getting Value out of Agile Retrospectives - A Toolbox of Retrospective Exercises. Retrospectives power the continuous improvement all projects and organizations need to deliver more value over time. Luis Gonçalves is an Agile Coach, Co-Author, Speaker and a Blogger. He has been working in the software industry since 2003, being an Agile practitioner since 2007. Luis is the co-author of “Getting Value Out of Agile Retrospectives” and a co-founder of a MeetUp group in Munich called High Performing Teams. He likes to write and share ideas with the world and this made him passionate blogger. You can follow his blog: http://lmsgoncalves.com. People can find Luis on twitter: @lgoncalves1979 Ben Linders is a Senior Consultant in Agile, Lean, Quality and Process Improvement, based in The Netherlands. Co-author of Getting Value

Listen to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 281. SPaMCAST 281 features our essay on value chain mapping. Value is generated through the transformation of raw materials into a new form, which is represented by a value chain. Driving effective change requires an understanding of your organization’s value chain. Value chain mapping is a representation of how an organization transforms raw materials into a product and then delivers that product to its customers.  Value chains are developed so that the organization can get a full understanding of the process to see how they can generate the greatest possible value for the organization and the customer.  Once you understand the flow, it is far easier to improve it. Value Chain Mapping is a lean technique. Like Kanban, which focuses on the flow of work and which steps add business value, Value Chain Mapping helps to target process improvements. Listen to the rest on SPaMCAST 281. The SPaMCAST 281 also features Kim Pries’s column. The listeners have spoken an

Listen to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 280. SPaMCAST 280 features our interview with Mark C. Bojeun, author of Program Management Leadership: Creating Successful Team Dynamics (Kindle version). Mark makes a very strong case that project and program managers can impact team culture and dynamics. The team’s culture is directly linked to productivity, quality and morale. Mark’s Bio Dr. Bojeun has more than 20 years experience in providing strategic management and leadership through portfolio, project and program management. His experience includes developing and managing multi-million dollar portfolios, programs and projects, facilitating the achievement of strategic objectives, and creating best practice processes for program and project management efforts. Dr. Bojeun has designed and implemented multiple Enterprise Program Management Offices (EPMOs) for domestic and multinational firms and has extensive experience in organizational change management through transformational leadership, strategic s

Check out Software Process and Measurement Cast 279. SPaMCAST 279 features our essay on Agile and risk management.  Many think of Agile and risk as an oxymoron.  However, we will show how Agile Risk Management can be used to improve the value projects deliver. Has the adoption of Agile techniques magically erased risk from software projects? Or have we just changed the mechanism and timing of how we recognize and manage risk? Or more frighteningly, by changing the project environment through adopting Agile techniques, might we trick ourselves into thinking that risk has been abolished when it really still exists?   The charts referred to in the podcast can be found below:Agile and Risk Management: Prioritization Techniques, Part 1Agile and Risk Management: Prioritization and Measurement Techniques, Part 2 Other risk related blog entriesRisk Class Structure (Sort Of)Classic to Agile Risk Management ComparisonA Framework for Evaluating Agile Risk ManagementAgile and Risk Get in touch with us anytime or leave a

Check out Software Process and Measurement Cast 278. SPaMCAST 278 features our interview with Diane Zajac-Woodie discussing the role of the business analyst (BA) in Agile.  Scrum is mute on the topic of the BA, does that that mean the BAs should pack their bags and look for re-training options?  Single word answer, no. The BA role is an important driver of facilitation and communication.  Diane clearly lays out not only what the BA should be doing in an Agile project but what is possible with a little facilitation. Diane Zajac-Woodie (also known as @agilesquirrel on Twitter – explained in the podcast) has spent the last six years redefining the business analyst role as more than a requirements dictator. Through open and honest conversations, Diane guides her business partners toward creative solutions that solve problems and eliminate waste. She shares this same approach with her technical teams, facilitating communication, cooperation, and continuous learning to ensure success. Diane craves knowledge almost

Check out Software Process and Measurement Cast 277.  SPaMCAST 277 features our essay on Scrumban. Scrumban is the combination of Kanban (lean) and Scrum (Agile) techniques. Each contributes different things to the hybrid framework. Kanban contributes a focus on flow, while Scrum contributes a focus on people and timeframe. Together, both focuses bring value to process improvement. The understanding of how these two sets of techniques and philosophies can be combined provides change agents with another powerful arrow in their quiver of available options. Also in SPaMCAST 277 Steve Tendon discusses the limitations of Scrum.  Many people believe Scrum is a silver bullet for every situation.  Steve will attempt to dissuade you of that opinion! Remember to register for the "Influential Agile Leader" events led by Johanna Rothman and Gil Broza.  Check out the full details at www.InfluentialAgileLeader.com   Get in touch with us anytime or leave a comment here on the blog.  Help support the SPaMCAST by reviewing

Check out Software Process and Measurement Cast 276.  The SPaMCAST 276 features my interview with Dr. Penny Pullan. We discussed her book, Business Analysis and Leadership: Influencing Change, the impact of business analysts on projects and how to make project more effective.  Dr. Pullan has led her consulting firm, Making Projects Work Ltd., since 2007. Penny works with people in multi-national organizations who are grappling with tricky projects (i.e. risky, ambiguous, with diverse stakeholders, with virtual teams). She hosts the global BA Summit in November each year. Recently she's also been in demand as a mentor for business analysts, especially with those keen to develop their leadership skills.  Penny's books include "Business Analysis and Leadership: Influencing change" (published by Kogan Page, 2013), "A Short Guide to Facilitating Risk Management" (Gower, 2011) and a chapter in "The Gower Handbook of People in Project Management" (Gower, 2013). You can find out more at www.makingprojectswork.co.uk a

Check out Software Process and Measurement Cast 275.  The SPaMCAST 275 features our essay on leadership. Leaders and leadership are important, perhaps more important with Agile and lean techniques that no longer use command and control management techniques. Even if you believe that leaders are born, the ability to lead can be honed and developed. Managers typically draw on their hierarchal position for their organizational power and use that power to control those they manage which has been shown in the long term to be less effective and efficient. Leadership is import because leaders generate more value enabling people through providing a path towards their vision. The delivery of value is why organizations exist and why projects are done therefore leadership is not a luxury but a necessity. Kim Pries provides a column this week focusing on paradoxes. Kim’s essay is extremely thought provoking and is a must listen for change agents. Remember to register for the "Influential Agile Leader" events led by Johan

Check out Software Process and Measurement Cast 274.  The SPaMCAST 274 features our interview with Jeremy Berriault.  We talked about testing, test professionalism and testing in academia.  Sometimes it is easy to forget that testing is one of the primary tools to manage quality in software development and that test professionals are a core part of any development department. Jeremy’s bio tells us that his main goals within the Quality Assurance discipline are to ensure that the value is achieved across the organization and that it is a valued profession to be in. He has had 20 year progressive career growth within the Quality Assurance discipline .Jeremy has a wealth of knowledge on QA processes, planning and continuous improvement. Working for large Canadian financial institutions he has a great appreciation of the risk mitigation a QA group can bring to an organization and their clients to ensure there are no financial or privacy impacts.  His long career has introduced him to many leaders and knowledge ex

Check out Software Process and Measurement Cast 273.  The SPaMCAST 273 features our essay on gamification and a new installment of Steve Tedon's column: Tame The Flow.  Gamification is a tool to support process improvement.  It is a technique that leverages a player's innate competitive drive to channel their behavior using game mechanisms. The goal is to have individuals, teams, and organizations adopt process changes and then process improvement. In the second edition of Tame the Flow, Steve and I talk about constraints, bottlenecks and retrospectives. Contact Steve on Twitter @tendon or visit his website at www.tendon.net For the next few weeks the Software Process and Measurement Cast will include a promo for the "Influential Agile Leader" events led by Johanna Rothman and Gil Broza.  Check out the full details at www.InfluentialAgileLeader.com Get in touch with us anytime or leave a comment here on the blog.  Help support the SPaMCAST by reviewing and rating it on iTunes. It helps people find the cas

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 272.  The SPaMCAST 272 features my interview with Jeff Anderson.  We talked about The Lean Change Method and the book of the same title! Jeff's Bio: My mission in life is to help technology knowledge workers be awesome at what they do. Having been in the market since 1994, I have harnessed my initial passion for agile software engineering to provide advisory services to clients that want to thrive in a world of market uncertainty and continuous learning.  Over the last several years I have been running Deloitte LEAN, an Agile/Lean transformation service to help clients embrace the knowledge economy.  Our service offering has evolved from coaching teams with agile, to end to end transformation of IT using Lean/Kanban, to now coaching businesses to embrace Lean Startup thinking. I admit to am unbridled enthusiasm for any method that bring creativity and joy to the value creation process. A big part of my job is the synthesis of leading edge thinking into cont

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 271.  The SPaMCAST 271 features our essay titled Revisiting the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  As this is the first new podcast of 2014 we felt that it a good time to reflect and retool with a bit of Stephen Covey!.  The essay begins:  Approximately 23 years ago I was in the middle of the second of three process improvement program reboots brought on by another bank merger. During the stress of the scenario, I picked up a copy of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.  I was not alone - the copy which I still have as in it 13th printing (Fireside Imprint), nor am I alone now - The 7 Habits sitting at #62 on Amazon’s Best Sellers as of September 15 2013.  The popularity is not only a reflection of timelessness and usefulness of the advice, but also its approachability.  I can pick the book up, and with a bit of reflection, derive value in excess of the effort. One final thought, if you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one (I wo

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 270.  The SPaMCAST 270 features my interview with Allan Shalloway. We talked lean, Kanban and SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework).  A great interview to end the old year and bring in the new year! Al Shalloway is the founder and CEO of Net Objectives. With over 40 years of experience, Al is an industry thought leader in Lean, SAFe, Kanban, product portfolio management, Scrum and agile design. He helps companies transition to Lean and Agile methods enterprise-wide as well teaches courses in these areas. Al is a SAFe Program Consultant as well as a co-founder of the Lean Systems Society. Al has developed training and coaching methods for Lean-Agile that have helped Net Objectives' clients achieve long-term, sustainable productivity gains. He is a popular speaker at prestigious conferences worldwide. He is the primary author of Design Patterns Explained: A New Perspective on Object-Oriented Design, Lean-Agile Pocket Guide for Scrum Teams, Lean-Agile Software Develop

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 269.  The SPaMCAST 269 features our essay on Kanban.  It really is all about the flow. Also in the Software Process Measurement Cast 269 we begin a new column called Tame the Flow featuring the ideas and advice of Steve Tendon.   The essay begins: Kanban, which means signal card in Japanese, has been a staple of lean auto manufacturing for years through its application in the Toyota Production System (and in lean manufacturing environments). and ends: Focusing on one item at a time and minimizing wait states requires rethinking how we think and talk about work.  Ultimately and after we adjust to the changes, Kanban improves efficiency and delivery of business value. Listen to the podcast to catch all the stuff in between. For the next few weeks the Software Process and Measurement Cast will include a promo for the "Influential Agile Leader" events led by Johanna Rothman and Gil Broza.  Check out the full details at www.InfluentialAgileLeader.com The Softwar

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 268 The Software Process and Measurment Cast features my interview with Gene Hughson.  We discussed agile, solution architecture, people, processes and his blog, Form Follows Function. An early holiday present!  Gene Hughson is an Applications Manager for Fidelity National Financial in Richmond, Virginia.  Gene has over 17 years of experience in software development, combining application and solution architecture, management and process improvement, even managing to do some hands-on coding from time to time.  Gene has been a member of the Richmond Chapter of the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP), serving as President for 2013 and continuing in that capacity for 2014.  Gene has written guest posts for CitizenTekk (http://citizentekk.com/author/genehughson/) and maintains his own blog, Form Follows Function (http://genehughson.wordpress.com/), where he opines on architecture, management, and software development processes. Other ways

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 267 features our essay on story mapping.  Story mapping is a very powerful and under used tool for getting a handle on the big picture. SPaMCAST 267 also features Kim Pries with more logical problems. The essay on story mapping begins: Product backlogs are lists of “work to be done” at different levels of granularity and priority.  They can be large and unwieldy. It is hard to see the big picture of the work, regardless of whether they are in analog form (e.g. sticky notes or 3x5 index cards) or are housed in a tool (e.g. Version One or LeanKit Kanban).  Story Mapping is a technique that teams can use to help visualize a product backlog. Importantly, it lets the stakeholders understand the big picture, prioritize work and plan releases.  The Software Process and Measurement Cast has a sponsor . . . ITMPI provides a great service to the IT profession. ITMPI's mission is to pull together the expertise and educational efforts of the world's leading IT thought

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 266 features my interview with Raja Bavani. We discussed distributed agile! We also discussed the new Global Distributed Agile Consortium (GDAC) to nurture an open community of practice and promote knowledge sharing. Visit http://blog.distributedagile.org Raja Bavani is Chief Architect of Mindtree and plays the role of Agile Evangelist. Raja has more than 20 years’ experience in the IT industry and has presented papers at international conferences on topics related to code quality, distributed Agile development, customer value management, and software estimation. His areas of interest include global delivery models, Agile software development, requirements engineering, software architecture, software reuse, and customer value management. Raja is a member of the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society and regularly interfaces with educational institutions, offers guest lectures, and writes for technical conferences. He has written article for magazines such as Cu

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 265 The Software Process and Measurement Cast 265 features our essay on retrospectives.  Retrospectives are part of most methodologies, even though there are many different terms. For instance, most waterfall frameworks call them post implementation reviews or postmortems. And each methodology focuses on different nuances. Agile, as a macro set of frameworks, has more aggressively embraced retrospectives than waterfall or iterative frameworks.  Retrospectives in Agile reflect the adoption of the principle of kaizen (Japanese for improvement, often interpreted as continuous improvement). They should be focused on discovering what will make the team or organization deliver more value. While many retrospective techniques posit the questions “what worked well” and “what did not work,” the real reason to do any retrospective is to identify, agree on and plan for what can be done better. The exact process any team uses is a reflection of the technique the team wa

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast 264 The Software Process and Measurement Cast 264 features my interview with Alexei Zheglov.  We discussed lean, work-in-process limits and flow. A summary of Alexei's bio from LinkedIn . . . How does value flow through your knowledge-work organization? The reality for many knowledge-work organizations today is, not very well. Therefore, we need to design, evolve, discover and help better systems of work emerge. Alexei's present drive and ability to help guide people to those better ways go back to his programming since the 80s (professionally since the 90s), mastering many practices and discovering manyproblems and solutions. It was more than 10 years ago that I created my first test doubles and human-readable acceptance tests. He was in the engineering trenches of a lean startup long before there was such a term. Alexei doesn't "roll out" "methodologies." He draws from a large number of approaches - such as Kanban (and, by extension, many innovations