The Dark Side of Metrics
This short presentation explains why software metrics are not the panacea that we thought they might be 20 years ago. This is why moving from a predictive model to a reactive approach is the only rational course.
November 2011
Using Large Number in Planning Poker
Mike Cohn wrote an interesting post where he discusses he allows or even encourages to estimate with story points as large as 20, 40, and 100. He explains that they are useful when you need first and not necessarily precise estimate of the general size of a new project being considered.
Using Agile Tools
Even if the the Agile Manifesto declares that you should value “individuals and interactions over processes and tools”, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use any tool. The authors of this article shares their experience using agile tools and explains why they prefer non-software tools and why you should be carefully pick the tools that will support your practice and your company if you pick any at all.
Managing Risk in Scrum
The topic of Managing Risk in Scrum projects is addressed by Valerie Morris in these two blog posts. The first part discusses the five risk areas found on most software projects: intrinsic schedule flaw, specification breakdown, scope creep, personnel loss and productivity variance. The second part compares risk management practices between traditional project management and Scrum.
Can Distributed Teams Be Effective
Have you worked on a distributed team where management apparently thought it should hobble local members to make everybody equally frustrated and ineffective? The Agile Manifesto principles say that: 1) Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project. 2) The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
Dealing With Defects on an Agile Team
Software defects are annoyances for everyone. If your organization is like most, you have a large queue of defects waiting to be fixed. It’s probably not realistic to think you will get around to fixing all of these bugs; so, you need to consider other approaches. Janet Gregory, author of the book Agile Testing with Lisa Crispin, facilitated a workshop to help you develop a strategy for how your team can address defects in an agile manner.
The Danger of Velocity
Velocity is killing agility is the observation discussed by Jim Highsmith in this blog post. He explains that this metric is increasingly used for the wrong reasons: measuring productivity and focusing on volume delivery instead than on quality. He concludes saying that the importance given to velocity should be balanced with other metrics like feature value, feature delivery cycle time or quality.