7/28/2016

Beyond Scrum: How to Apply Agile Techniques to Distributed Teams and Large Projects | Perforce
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Home(https://www.perforce.com/)AboutUs(https://www.perforce.com/company)BeyondScrum:HowtoApplyAgileTechniquestoDistributedTeamsandLargeProjects

BeyondScrum:HowtoApplyAgileTechniquesto
DistributedTeamsandLargeProjects
JohnWalker,DirectorofTechnicalMarketing
ThisisthefirstinafourpartseriesonScrum.

AScalableAgileprocessframework(Source:Assembla,Inc.)
ScrumisthemostpopularAgiletechnique,butitdoesntscalewell.AndwhileScrumimprovestheeffectivenessofindividualteams,productivity
gainsfalloffsharplyonlargeprojectswithmanyteams.
YetAgilemethodshavebeenusedinverylargecommercialandopensourceprojectstoincreaseproductivity,qualityandreleasefrequency.Here
areacoupleofexamples:
Facebookincorporatescodefrom600developerswhiledeliveringtworeleasesperday.
TheGoogleAndroidprojectutilizesthousandsofcontributorsspreadacrosstheworld.
Flickrreachedalevelof10deploymentsperday.
Canwelearnfromthesecompaniesandprojects?Whattypesoftechniquesandtoolsdidtheyusetoachievethoseresults?
ThisisthefirstofafourpartseriesonScrum.WellcovertheproblemswithScrum,changesinapproachtohelpscalabilityandmethodsfor
supportingdistributedteamsandcontinuousdelivery.

ProblemsWithScrum
Scrumtechniqueshavebeenverysuccessfulinimprovingtheeffectivenessofindividualdevelopmentteams,employingconceptslikeselfdirected
colocatedteams,timeboxedsprints,andregularcustomerfeedbackfromworkingsoftware.Yetmanyorganizationshaverunintoobstacleswhen
tryingtoapplyScrumtechniquestolargeprojects.Forexample,noeffectivetechniqueshaveevolvedtocoordinatetheworkofmultipleScrum
teamsandmanagedependenciesamongthem.TheScrumofScrumsapproachofholdingmeetingswithrepresentativesofeveryteambecomes
increasinglytimeconsumingandunwieldyasthenumberofteamsmultiply.
Inpart,thisisbecausesomeoftheassumptionsunderlyingScrumaretoorestrictiveforlargeorganizations,orclashwithbusinessrequirements.
Manygroupsrefusetobelimitedtocolocatedteamsbecausetheyarealreadydistributed,theywanttotakeadvantageoftheglobalmarketfor
developmenttalent,orsimplybecausemanyoftheiremployeesworkfromhomeseveraldaysaweek.
Manygroupsneedtosharekeypersonnelsuchasarchitects,UIdesigners,anddatabasespecialistsacrossmanyprojects,andcannotassignthemto
asingleteam.Othercompaniesneedtofixbugsandreleasenewfunctionalitymorefrequentlythanthe28weekcyclestypicalofScrumteams.This
isparticularlytrueofthoseprovidingwebandcloudbasedapplications,wherecustomersexpectaconstantflowofenhancements.
ThisisnottosaythatScrumpracticeshavenoplaceinalargedevelopmentenvironment.Butitisnowclearthatmanyorganizationsneedtogo
BeyondScrumandfindnewpracticestomanagedistributedcontributorsandlarge,complexprojects.

ChangesinApproachThatHelpScalability
ThelargecommercialandopensourceprojectsthathavesuccessfullyscaledAgiletypicallydepartfromconventionalScrumpracticesinseveral
areas.

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7/28/2016

Beyond Scrum: How to Apply Agile Techniques to Distributed Teams and Large Projects | Perforce
NoScrummeetings:Sprintplanningmeetings,retrospectivesandScrumofScrummeetingsaretimeconsuming,usuallyrequirethateveryonebe
inoneroom,andusuallydontdoaverygoodjobofcoordinatingacrossteams.Thatswhylargescaleprojectsfindwaystouseonlinecollaboration
andplanningtoolstocoordinateworkwithinandacrossteams,withfewermeetingsandconferencecalls.
Pull,continuousflow,andpublishwhatsready:AlthoughScrumpracticesarefarmoreagilethanthewaterfallmethodstheyreplaced,
theystillimposeadegreeofinflexibility.Onceasprintplaniscomplete,thefeaturestobedeliveredarefixed,andsoisthetimeframetodeliver
them(usually28weeks).
Scalableprojectstypicallyusepullandcontinuousflowtechniques(especiallyKanban),sodevelopersarealwaysworkingonthehighestpriority
tasks,andnewfunctionalitycanbereleasedassoonasitisready.
Codereviewworkflows(longusedbyopensourceprojects)canbeusedtoselectcontributionsfromhundredsofcontributorsandpublishwhats
ready.Byhelpingorganizationsscaletomorecontributorsandreleasemorefrequently,codereviewworkflowscanbecomeakeybuildingblockof
ScalableAgile.
Diversecontributors:ClassicScrumpracticesaredesignedforcolocatedteamsof810members.But,inreality,largeprojectsneedto
incorporateworkfromindividualcontributors,sharedresources(e.g.,architectsandDBAs),outsourcingcompanies,andbusinesspartnersaswellas
teams.Collaborationtoolsandcodereviewworkflowsarecentraltomeshingtheworkofthesediversecontributors.

AScalableAgileProcessFramework
Thequestion,then,ishowcanweapplythenewapproachesasacoherentwhole?
InsteadofeachScrumteamhavingitsownbacklog,productmanagement(orproductowners)maintainasingleprojectwidebacklog,withtasks
sortedinpriorityorder.
Atanytime,contributorscanpulltasksfromthetopofthebacklogintotheirownCurrentWorklist.Ideallytheywillpullthehighestprioritytask,
butiftheydonothavethenecessaryskillsorresourcestheycanmovedownthestacktofindanotherhighpriorityassignment.
Thisprocessensuresthatthehighestprioritytasksareaddressedfirst.Ifanurgentbugfixorakeycustomerfeaturerequestisplacedatthetopof
thebacklogitwillreceiveimmediateattention,insteadofwaitingforthenextsprint.
Contributorscanbeindividuals,teams,departments,orevenentireorganizationslikeanoutsourcingfirmorabusinesspartner.Thereisno
expectationorrequirementthatthetasksbedonebyScrumteamsof810members.Thisallowsorganizationstocallonthetalentsofallkindsof
individualsandcompanies,andinfactconformstotherealityofmostlargeprojectstoday.
TasksarethenmanagedusingKanbanorleanprinciples.Typicallythismeansthateachpersonisworkingononetaskatatime(i.e.,theteamhasa
workinprocesslimitofonetaskforeachpersonontheteam).
Kanbanprinciplesensurethatoncetasksarestartedtheyarecompletedasquicklyaspossible,whichmeansthattheycanbereleasedsooner,and
alsothatothertaskswhichdependonthefirsttaskcanbestartedsooner.
Whentasksarecompleted,thecontributorpullsinondemandresourcestobuildandtestareleasewiththenewcode.Thisprovidesimmediate
feedbacktothecontributors,andallowsthemtocatchandfixbugsrightaway.Italsomakesfeaturesavailablefaster,becausethereisnowaitfor
centralizedbuildandtestsystems.
Finally,oncenewcodesubmissionshavebeentestedsuccessfully,theycanbepulledthroughamergeprocessintoastagingareaorintoafinal
build.Thismeansthatanewversionofthesoftwarecanbeassembledandreleasedatanytime,withwhateverbugfixesandenhancementsare
availableatthatmoment.

WhatDoesThisAccomplish?
HowexactlydoesthisScalableAgileprocessframeworkaddresstheshortcomingsofScrumandprovidemorescalable,responsivedevelopment
efforts?Hereareafewoftheadvantages:
Therecanbemanytypesofcontributors,including(butnotlimitedto)conventionalScrumteams.
Thereisnoneedtospendtimeestimatingtasksprecisely,doingdetailedsprintplanning,orhavinglongmeetingstocoordinateassignments
acrossteams.Aslongasthebacklogismaintainedinpriorityorderthehighestprioritytaskswillbeaddressedfirst.
Oncetasksarestartedtheyarecompletedintheleastpossibletime,meaningtheycanbereleasedfasteranddependenttaskscanbestarted
sooner.
Softwarequalityisbetter,becausetestfeedbackisavailableassoonasataskiscomplete.Bugscanbefixedwhenitisclearwhatchanges
causedtheproblem,andwhenthecodeisfreshinthemindofthedeveloper.Also,qualityassurancedoesnotbecomeabottleneck,asituation
whichoftenleadsorganizationstocutcornersontesting(leadingtoyetmorequalityproblems).
Newversionsoftheapplicationcanbeassembledandreleasedatanytimeaccordingtobusinessdemand.Withsufficientautomationthiscan
bedailyorevenseveraltimesaday.

UpNext
InnextmonthsPerforceHeadRevision,welllookatconcretetoolsandstepstosupportdistributedteams.
FormoreonAgilemethods,readotherinstallmentsinthisseries.
BeyondScrumPart2:MethodsforSupportingDistributedTeams(https://www.perforce.com/newsletters/2013/february/beyondscrum
methodssupportingdistributedteams)
BeyondScrumPart3:AchievingScalableAgilewithContinuousDelivery(https://www.perforce.com/newsletters/2013/march/beyondscrum
scalableagileachievingcontinuousdelivery)
BeyondScrumPart4:ContinuousIntegrationwithBuildandTestAutomation(https://www.perforce.com/newsletters/2013/beyondscrum
continuousintegrationbuildandtestautomation)
FormoreinformationonhowPerforcecanenhanceyourAgileprocesses,pleasevisit:www.perforce.com/perforce/agile
(https://www.perforce.com/perforce/agile).

JohnWalkeristheDirectorofTechnicalMarketingatPerforce.

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7/28/2016

Beyond Scrum: How to Apply Agile Techniques to Distributed Teams and Large Projects | Perforce

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