Management Information Systems

v1.0

Week 7: Composite Agile Method &

Strategy (CAMS)
(Part of Post Graduate Program in Management (PGPM)
The Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, India)
Designed & Presented by

Bhuvan Unhelkar, PhD, FACS

bhuvan@MethodScience.com
Mobile: 0413-821-454;
www.unhelkar.com
MethodScience 2001-2014

Lecture Agenda
What is Agile?
And why should we discuss it in a MIS course?

Core Philosophy of Agile

And Composite Agile Method and Strategy

Agile as a Software (Information Systems)

Development Method
Agile (CAMS) as a Organizational Culture
Discussion, application to case study
Course: Management Information Systems
Great Lakes Institute, Chennai, India; MethodScience

Sub-Module

What is Agile
More than Software Method

MethodScience; Material Designed and Presented by Dr. B. Unhelkar

Agile is:
Developing
a MIS

Software
/ Project
Method

A Mindset, a
Attitude;
Irrespective of
Projects.

CAMS

Organiza
tional
Culture

Undertaking
any initiative in
the organization

Busines
s
Method

Course: Management Information Systems

Great Lakes Institute, Chennai, India; MethodScience

Business (Enterprise) Agility

Business Agility is
the Ability of the
Business to Rapidly
Respond to external
and internal
Changes
~ from the Art of Agile
Practice

Rapidly Changing Business Ecosystem (External Impact)

Enterprise Agility
(Big Data, Cloud Computing;
Mobile, Lean Processes)

Enterprise Response
(Internal; Change Mgmt)

Course: Management Information Systems

Great Lakes Institute, Chennai, India; MethodScience

Planned versus Agile:

CAMS in Balance
Agile

Task

Value

Partition

Share

Plan

Uncertain

Objective

Subjective

Role

Team

Standardized

Situational

Management

Leadership

Course: Management Information Systems

Great Lakes Institute, Chennai, India; MethodScience

Trust Simplicity
Honesty - Courage

Time - Budget
Function - Quality

Planned

Fundamental of Composite Agile: BALANCE between

Planned Control and Versatility of Agile approach

Analysing

Codi
ng

Designing

Codi
Listeng
ning
Codi
Liste ng
ning

Testing

Desig
ning

Planned Method
(Waterfall One Iteration)
Business

Agile Method
Multiple Iterations

Versatility

Control

Testi
Designg

ning
Testi
Desig ng
ning

Liste
ning

Coding

Testi
ng

Short Exercise Circle the Best Option

Q 1: Select if the following
(e) Accepting and facilitating
characteristics of a software
change [P / A]
project belongs to the Planned (f) Focusing on managing tasks
/ Agile approaches:
assigned to team members [P
/ A]
(a) Partitioning of project
(g) Creating detailed
activities in to small, well
documentation that outlines
defined tasks [P / A]
schedules and costs [P / A]
(b) Organizing the Project through(h) Encouraging subjectivity and
a Work Breakdown Structure
leadership [P / A]
[P / A]
(i) Drive the project through
(c) Trusting the Team to deliver
time, budget and scope [P / A]
the project [P / A]
(j) Drive the project through
(d) Enabling sharing of
trust, simplicity and courage
Responsibilities across the
[P / A]
board [P / A]
MethodScience.com, 1998-2014

Sub-Module
Agile as a SW Development
Method
Based on the Agile Manifesto;
A Scrum Example

MethodScience; Material Designed and Presented by Dr. B. Unhelkar

Manifesto for Agile Software

Development: Agile Manifesto
http://agilemanifesto.org/
We are uncovering better ways of
developing software by doing it and
helping others do it. Through this work
we have come to value:
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive
documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan

A Mindmap of Agile from the Psychology of

Agile, Cutter, B. Unhelkar, 2014

Psycho
Analytical

Practical Application
requires Left-Brain
Characteristics

Behavioral
Psychology

The very basis

of Agile is
Right Brained

Cognitive
Psychology

Contextual Groups of Agile Principles

(B. Unhelkar, Art of Agile Practice, Taylor & Francis/CRC
Press, 2012)

Customer-Centric:

Developer-Centric:

1. Customer Satisfaction
4. Collaboration (CustomerBusiness-Developer)
6. Face-to-face
Conversation

5. Self-Motivated
Individuals
7. Working Software
8. Sustainable Development

Agile
Principles
Architecture-Centric:

Management-Centric:

9. Technical Excellence
10. Simplicity in Design
12. Reflection

2. Acceptance of Changes
3. Frequent Delivery
11. Self-Organized Teams

Customer-Centric Agile Principles

in MIS
Focuses the attention of Solution developers
on satisfying Customers needs
Rather than developing something grand that
does not satisfy customer needs

Encourages Collaboration between

Customer-Business-Developers to ensure
VALUE is delivered
Face-to-face Conversation provides the basis
for clarifications, change of directions etc.

Course: Management Information Systems

Great Lakes Institute, Chennai, India; MethodScience

13

Developer-Centric Agile Principles

in MIS
Focuses on the motivation of the individual
solution developer
Ensures an on-going Working Solution all
the time
Structures the development approach in a
way that is Sustainable

Course: Management Information Systems

Great Lakes Institute, Chennai, India; MethodScience

14

Architecture-Centric Agile
Principles in MIS
Focuses on Technical Excellence that is
based on SIMPLICITY
Most complex systems are not so at the
outset
Even complex designs start with simplicity

Provides opportunity for Reflection

And amendment to the approach

Encourages throwing away of inferior

designs; architectural mistkaes
And learning from it
Course: Management Information Systems
Great Lakes Institute, Chennai, India; MethodScience

15

Management-Centric Agile
Principles in MIS
Management in Agile is based around SelfOrganized Teams
Builds on the individuals self-motivation
Its a Team effort

Change is welcome hence has a buy-in

from the Users
Rapid Iterations-Increments
That results in Frequent Delivery

Course: Management Information Systems

Great Lakes Institute, Chennai, India; MethodScience

16

Short Exercise Circle the Best Option

Q 1: The Agile principle of
focusing the attention of
solution developers on the
real needs of the users is:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Customer-centric
Developer-centric
Management-centric
Architecture-centric

Q 2: Focusing on the Technical

excellence of the solution
design and having the courage
to re-do it is Agiles following
principle:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Customer-centric
Developer-centric
Management-centric
Architecture-centric

MethodScience.com, 1998-2014

17

Sub-Module

Agile Lifecycle
User Stories, Iterations & Life cycle

MethodScience; Material Designed and Presented by Dr. B. Unhelkar

Agile: Scrum Lifecycle

(ack. VishalVerma.in)

Course: Management Information Systems

Great Lakes Institute, Chennai, India; MethodScience

19

User Stories (Unit of Functionality and a NonFunctional Features): Example of an Agile

Technique

Three Simple Parts of an

Agile Iteration
TO DO..

Story-1

Story-2
Story-3
Story-4

D O I N G

Story-8

Story-3

D O N E ..

Story-5
Story-2
Story-6

Story-2
Story-7
Story-7

MethodScience.com, 1998-2014; CAMS

21

Business Analysis Touch-points in Scrum

Functional;
NonFunctional;
Usability
Requirement
s; Tracking
and
Reporting;

Continuous
Testing;
Continuous
Integration;
Feedback.

User
Acceptance;
User Training;

Release

Product
Backlog
2-4 weeks

Scoping
Requiremen
ts; Creating
Sprints;

Plan

Sprint
Backlog

Product
Increment

Daily Scrum
Meetings

Prioritization;
Estimation;
Helping with
Iterations;

Conversations;
Translations;
Clarifications;

Integration
Tests;
Update
Backlogs;
Metrics

Psychological Disciplines, The Agile Manifesto and the

Balancing act between Agile and Planned values
The Agile Manifesto

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan

Trust
Honesty
Simplicity
Courage
Collaboration

Organization

Practices

Lifecycle

(Scrum, XP,
Lean-Kanban)

(Iterative,
Incremental,
Spiral)

Management
(PMBOK ,
Prince2)

Vital fo
Outsour
Projec
Plan
Document
Measure
Repeat
Optimize

Planned

Agile

Beyond Software Development

Governance
(Sarbanes-Oxley,
CoBIT, ITIL)

Short Exercise Circle the Best Option

Q 1: In an Agile method,
Backlog is a common term
for:

Q 2: One of the following is not

a correct statement of the Agile
manifesto:

(a) Log of errors and

enhancements
(b) List of Use cases to be
developed
(c) Prioritized list of features to
be developed
(d) List of back-end
developments

(a) Individuals and

interactions over processes
and tools
(b) Working software over
comprehensive
documentation
(c) Contract negotiation over
customer collaboration
(d) Responding to change over
following a plan

MethodScience.com, 1998-2014

24

Sub-Module
Agile as an Organizational
Culture
The Psychology of Agile;
Organizational Adoption.

MethodScience; Material Designed and Presented by Dr. B. Unhelkar

(c)
26
Myria

Agile Leads to a Quantum Jump in Project &

Organizational Culture of Let it Happen
Amorphous Reality
[Ambiguous, Complex,
Changing]

Be - Happen
(Future - CAMS)

Plan Do
(Formal)

Envision - Evolve
(Agile)

[Laughter]

27

Abraham Maslows Need Hierarchy, the Left &

Right Brain, & the place of Agile

Planned
(Doing)

Agile
(Happening)

Right Brain
Inclination
Intuitive
Visual
Imaginative

Individualistic

Actual
ization

Esteem

Left Brain
Inclination
Analytical
Verbal
Logical

Belonging

Safety

Physiology

Organizational

Key Layers of Self

Growth
Doing Evolving - Happening

Each Agile Practice made up of Skill-AptitudeExperience-Influence; Uses and Produces

Deliverables-Outcomes-Values
Agile Practice1
Agile Practice2
Agile Practice3
Manifesto
Values
Principles

Skill

Attitude

Experie
nce

Influenc
e

Use

Deliverable

Configure

Outcome

Produce

Value

Short Exercise Circle the Best Option

Q 1: The Right-brained
characteristic of Agile maps
to the following from
Abraham Maslows needs
hierarchy:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Physiology
Safety
Belonging
Esteem

Q 2: In adopting Agile at an
organizational level, the
following pair is a valid
combination to consider :
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Skills and Attitude

Skills and Deliverables
Experience and Outcome
Attitude and Deliverables

MethodScience.com, 1998-2014

30

Key Points (Summary)

(Your turn!)
1.
2.

3.

References
Discussed during the lecture

Course: Management Information Systems

Great Lakes Institute, Chennai, India; MethodScience

32

A. Discuss how a good, configurable MIS is

crucial for an organization to be Agile.
B. Argue why an Agile organization is far more
important than an Agile software
development method.
C. Why is CAMS more practical than pure Agile
or Planned approaches? And what are its
challenges? (hint: Be-Happen is easier said than
done in practical MIS development)
Course: Management Information Systems
Great Lakes Institute, Chennai, India; MethodScience

33

Project Work (Group-based Case Analysis,

Report & Presentation)
By now you will have
In this week you will be
a)

b)

c)

d)

Documented: Business
a) Considering AGILE in the
objectives, DATA needs,
context of your case
Project lifecycle (with
study: Customer-,
Iteration & Increment) for
Developer-, Architectureyour MIS, Business
and Management-centric
processes and the SMAC
b) Discuss and Document
mapping
how your MIS supports
Updated your PPT and
your AGILE organization
Word project report with
c) Document Organizational
the above
Adoption of Agile (using
Reminder: NO theory;
CAMS Method &
ALL work must be
Strategy)
practical, relating to your
case study
Ensure you Reference
your Sources Course: Management Information System (MIS)
Great Lakes Institute, Chennai, India; MethodScience

34

Sub-Module

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
Avoiding Method Friction

MethodScience; Material Designed and Presented by Dr. B. Unhelkar

Figure 4.7: Variation & Extend of Planned and

Agile Elements in a Composite Method
Configuration depending on Organizational and
Project Characteristics

(b) Extend

Rigidity

Planne
d
Metho
d

Composite Agile
(Starting Point)

Business
Planned
(Operational) Project
Governance Method

Agile
Metho
d

Agile Project
Method

Flexibility

(a) Variation

CAMS Configuration varies according to Organizational

& Project Characteristics

Figure 4.11: Embedding Agile Practices within Activities of

Planned Process-Maps
1
Deliverable

Process-Map

5
Activity-3

4
Agile
Practices

Role-1

2
3

Activity-1

Activity-2

2
Role-2

Agile
Practices
Agile
Practices

Agile
Practices
Agile
Practices

Agile
Practices

3
Agile
Practices
Agile
Practices

6
Activity-4

Agile
Practices

Role-3

Planned Process - Elements

Process Elements
from Planned
Methods: e.g.
Detailed Planning,
Modeling,
Documentation

37

Agile Process - Practices

Agile Practices include: Standup

meetings, Pair Programming,
Visible Charting.

Figure 4.13: Groups of Agile Practices that can be

Embedded in CAMS
Quality Assurance &

Requirements
Practices (ARP)

Close liason with User

Describe
Requirements (User
Stories)
Incorporate feedback
instantaneously
Negotiate & Prioritize
requirements
Spread Requirements
into Product backlogs
Estimate effort
together with
Developers

Development Practices
(ADP)

Pair or extreme
programming
Frequent delivery of
working software
Continuous &
automated testing
and system
integration
Prioritize most
business-valued
features first
Frequent customer
feedback,
customer onsite

Architecture & Design

Practices (AAP)

Continuous Review of
Enterprise
Architecture
Simplicity of design
Refactoring of design
& code
Prototype Database &
User interfaces
Support Rapid
iterations

Change Practices
(ACP)

Business Practices
(ABP)

Leadership
Practices (ALP)

Identify
Stakeholders
Discuss areas of
Change
Incorporate
Feedback in Pilot
Undertake Holistic
Change

Identify slack in
Business Processes
Apply process
Optimization
Apply Quality
Factors
Maintain Customer
Contact

Maintain Value
focus
Have Courage to
Change
Be Transparent at
Project/Org level
Facilitate & Lead

Management Practices
(AMP)

Self-organize Team
members
Empower / Make
Team members
responsible
Facilitate and
coordinate
Enable Ownership of
- sponsor
- product owner
- joint team
Stand up meetings
(often daily - Scrum)
Workshops
Learning cycles

Governance
Practices (AGP)
Maintain Open
Control &
Reporting structure
Anticipate
Technology
Changes
Remain
Transparent
Comply with
Legislations

Testing Practices
(AQP)

Separate Unit,
Integration, System,
Non-functional tests
Continuous Testing
Test cases before
Development
User Tests (nonfunctional) from the
start

Operational
Practices (AOP)
Maintain business
as usual processes
Enable continuous
Learning
Ongoing Measures
and Reporting for
Improvement

Figure 4.14: CAMS Configuration &

Execution in Practice
Planned
ProcessMaps

Agile
Practices

Diagnose Project Requirements

(Project Type, Size, Industry Sector)
Select from Repository of Process
Elements/ Agile Practices
Configuration (Process
Tools helpful)

Provide Conditions / Rules to put the

Process Elements together
Create & Validate the CAMS Iteration
Execute CAMS and Monitor/Update
MethodScience.com, 1998-2010;
Composite Agile Method & Strategy

Figure 4.15: Using the CAMS Repository in Practice

Plan & Organize

Service Strategy
Measurement
Requirements
Formal Design
Iterative Coding
Testing Tools
Quality Processes
Change Management
Value Generation
Ongoing Monitoring

Requirement prioritization
Full time on-site customer
User Interface Refactoring
Joint team ownership
Operational Dependencies
Implement business features
Continuous testing
Database Refactoring
Standup meetings
Customer feedback
Continuous system integration
MethodScience.com, 1998-2010;

Collaborative requirements
Pair Programming
Simple Design
Responsible team members
Walkthroughs and inspections
Negotiable requirements
Working software
Code Refactoring
Empowered team members
Workshops

Composite Agile Method & Strategy

Interrelationships between typical

Processes & Frameworks - A RoleBusiness
Business based Organizational View
Analyst
Leader

Business
Manager

Project
Manager

Six Sigma

IIBA

Prince2

ITIL

Unified
Process
CMM

Scrum
TOGAF

ISTQB
Developer;
Designer

Process Advisor
(Methodologist)

Tester

Bhuvan Unhelkar, PhD

41

Enterprise
Architect