The Planning Blueprint: Views of an Agile Backlog · The Planning Blueprint: Views of an Agile...

The Planning Blueprint:

Views of an Agile Backlog

9th October 2013

Mike Robinson

© 2012 IndigoBlue Consulting Limited

Models for Agile Project Management

• An experience report

• Some models I have used to describe Agile project status

• Four views addressing specific stakeholder concerns

• Integrated and verified in the fifth – the Product Backlog

• Accompanied by some viewpoints


Perspectives / Communities

Value View

Schedule View

Experience View

Design Plan View

Sponsors Benefits

Project Managers Release Timetable Availability

Designers, Developers Front, Back, Middle

Just in Time

End Users Visitors

UX

Stories



Value View

Schedule View

Experience View

Design Plan View

Sponsors Benefits



Just in Time

End Users Visitors

UX


Value View

Schedule View

Experience View

Design Plan View

Sponsors Benefits

Stories


We Choose to go to the Moon…


Real Life is Not That Glamorous

How Do We Choose?


Value Map


Value Map

• A mind map of objectives and solutions

• A solution is any action that will, or may, deliver or enable an objective

• All nodes are solution to a parent, and objective to a child

– Except the top one, obviously

• Read upwards = ‘why’

• Reading downwards = ‘who’, ‘how’, ‘when’, ‘what’

– Any sub-division is possible

• Create it bottom up, top down, middle out, edge in…

• Ultimately, connect all nodes to strategy


Value View

• Delivering value starts with having a strategy

– A diagnosis

– A policy

– An action plan – Good Strategy / Bad Strategy, Richard Rumelt, 2012


Value View


– A diagnosis

– A policy


• ViewPoint

– Lack of a properly formulated strategy is the No. 1 cause of project failure

– In a complex environment it is vital to have vision


Value View


– A diagnosis

– A policy


• Value is for the business first

– To reason why…

– Leads to “enterprise stories”

– “User stories” follow, to meet that ambition

• Earn or learn

– A solution is any action that will, or may, deliver or enable an objective


Value Map


Product Backlog Ready for Prioritisation by Value

As a… I want… So that…











Valuation is Hard…

• £ Value



• £ Value

• MoSCoW



• £ Value

• MoSCoW

• Value Points


Value - Considerations

Increasing Value

• Increased revenue, avoided cost, improved service

• Financial ROI

• Impact

• Competition

• Connection to strategy

• Non- software effort

• Alternatives to software

• Risk

• BAU


Value - Considerations

Increasing Value

• Increased revenue, avoided cost, improved service

• Financial ROI

• Impact

• Competition

• Connection to strategy

• Non- software effort

• Alternatives to software

• Risk

• BAU

• Instinct

• Conversation

• Debate

• Collaboration

• Agreement


Value – Relative Assessment

Increasing Value

Increasing Difficulty


Increasing Value


Challenge?

Mainstream?

Spike? Value – Relative Assessment

Quick Win?


Value View

Schedule View

Experience View

Design Plan View

End Users Visitors

UX

Stories


Experience View = User Maps

• User Maps are credited to Jeff Patton

• Who are the actors?

• What are their goals?

• What tasks are performed to achieve these goals?

• What features are required to perform the tasks?


Example User Map for A Goal

ACTIVITY

TEST

ACTIVITY

TEST

Sequence

ACTIVITY

End-to-end use

Then

or


Combined Map


Combined Map

Viewpoint: Failure to make this connection is the No. 1 cause of project failure


Value View

Schedule View

Experience View

Design Plan View


Just in Time

Stories


Design Plan View - Objectives

• Support flow of ‘play-ready’ stories into the sprint

• Support design at the right time

– Not too soon

– Last responsible moment





– Not too soon


• Viewpoint

– Failure to plan design in time for build is the No. 1 cause of project failure






– Not too soon

• Support emergent design


Design Plan View - Assertions

• Sprint is an imposed cycle time

– Design must flow at the same rate

– Otherwise sprint stops, or design accumulates

• Design is the creation of options, and selection of one

– Reducing options

• Measurement is the reduction of uncertainty based on observations - Claude Shannon, A Mathematical Theory of Communications

• Therefore…


Design Plan View - Assertions

• Sprint is an imposed cycle time

– Design must flow at the same rate

– Otherwise sprint stops, or design accumulates

• Design is the creation of options, and selection of one

– Reducing options

• Measurement is the reduction of uncertainty based on observations - Claude Shannon, A Mathematical Theory of Communications

• Size is a suitable proxy for design status


Value Framework – Negotiate Sequence

Increasing Value



Value Framework – Negotiate Sequence

1

2

3 4

17

9

6 8

7

12

11

15 16

10

14 13


Distribute Across Size

4 6 10 16 25 100

1

2 3

4

17

9

6

8 7

12

11

13 15

10

14 16 5


Does Size (Design Status) Match Sequence?

4 6 10 16 25 100

1

2 3

4

17

9

6

8 7

12

11

13 15

10

14 16 5

Future Today


“Glide Path” Model

1 2

3 4

13

9

6

8 7

12 11

15

10

14

16

5

Future Today

4 6 10 16 25 100


Value View

Schedule View

Experience View

Design Plan View


Stories


Planning Horizons

Strategy

Portfolio

Release

Iteration

Daily


Planning Horizons are Pulses

Strategy

Portfolio

Release

Iteration

Daily

Annual

Monthly?

Quarterly

Two weeks?

Daily

Develop on cadence, deliver on demand Don Reinertson


Portfolio – Simple (Product-Centric) Model

STAKEHOLDERS

BACKLOG

TEAM

PRODUCT

STAKEHOLDERS

BACKLOG

TEAM

PRODUCT


Portfolio Options Model – Capacity Management

STAKEHOLDERS

BACKLOG

TEAM BACKLOG

PRODUCT

STAKEHOLDERS

PRODUCT

STAKEHOLDERS

BACKLOG

TEAM BACKLOG

PRODUCT


Portfolio Options Model – Capacity Management

STAKEHOLDERS

BACKLOG

TEAM BACKLOG

PRODUCT

STAKEHOLDERS

PRODUCT

STAKEHOLDERS

BACKLOG

TEAM BACKLOG

PRODUCT

ViewPoint: Addiction to ‘Allocating Work” is the No. 1 cause of project failure


Capacity Forecast

Today S1 S2 S3 R1 R2 R3

4

4

6 6

6 6

10 16

16

16 1

6

16

25 2

5

25

25 10

0

Future

Velocity = 12 Release Capacity = 72


Capacity Forecast - Cautions

• Only use for release planning

– Never report stories per sprint – you mileage will vary

• Remember contingency

• Know your arrival rate

• It’s just a model, not a crystal ball

– But I have found it useful



Value View

Schedule View

Experience View

Design Plan View

Sponsors Benefit Map Value Framework

Project Managers Release Timetable Capacity Plan

Designers, Developers Design Plan

Glide Path

End Users Story Maps

Stories

Thank You [email protected]

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