Release planning in scaled agile environments

Ola Morin2014-05-06 @ LTG-20

www.softhouse.se

Scaled agile framework (SAFe)

Agile Release Train (ART)

Long-lived virtual organization of teams

Common mission via a single product

backlog

Frequently delivers valuable and

evaluable system- level solutions

Operates under architectural and UX

guidance

Common cadence and normalized

estimating

Potentially Shippable Increment (PSI) / Release

Develop on cadence

PS

I

PS

I

PS

I

PS

I

Customerpreview

Majorrelease

Newfeature

Customerupgrade

Minorrelease

Deliver on demand

Input

PSI / Release planning

Output

P r o g r a m P S I O b j e c t i v e s…………

Te a m AP S I O b j e c t i v e s…

………

Te a m B P S I O b j e c t i v e s…

………

Te a m C P S I O b j e c t i v e s…

………

Te a m D P S I O b j e c t i v e s…

………

Te a m E P S I O b j e c t i v e s…

………

…………………………

F e a t u r e

1F e a t u r e

2F e a t u r e

3F e a t u r e

4F e a t u r e

5F e a t u r e

6F e a t u r e

7F e a t u r e

8F e a t u r e

9F e a t u r e

1 0

PSI / Release planning event - 2 days

Context

• Business state• Upcoming objectives

Vision

• Vision and release dates• Top 10 features

Guidelines

• Architecture and frameworks• UI design rules

Team breakout 1

• Develop plans• Identifying risks and impediments

Team plan review

• Presentation of team breakout 1

Program plan review

• Adjustments based on team breakouts

Planning adjustments

• Presenting any adjustments based on Program plan review

Team breakout 2

• Develop final plans• Refine risks and impediments

Final plan review

• Presentation of team breakout 2

Program risks

• Remaining program risks are handled

Confidence vote

• Fist of five

(Plan re-work)

• If no confidence was achieved

Summary

• Retrospective• Going forward

Hierarchic release planning

WGoals Commitment

Alignment

PSI n PSI n+1t

Program

Scrum masterst

eams

A program board

Areas for discussion Reasons for not gather everybody in a 2 day event? What is more important than a common program vision?

Is normalized estimation points beneficial? How does this effect the different teams?

Is team sprint lengths important as long as they have a common PSI cadence?

Thank You!ola.morin@softhouse.se