Multiple Level of Planning

Vision
Roadm
ap
Releas
Ieteratio
n
Daily

Planning
Onion

5 Levels of Agile Planning

PLANNING
LEVEL

FREQUENCY

ACTORS

OUTPUT

Product
Vision

1-2 Times/Yrs.

Product Owner

Vision

Roadmap

2-4 Times/Yrs.

Product Owner

Roadmap &
Initial Product
Backlog

Release
Planning

3-4 Times/Yrs.

Product Owner,
Team and
Stakeholders

Release Plan

Sprint
Planning

Every Sprint

Product Owner &

Team

Sprint Backlog

Every Day

Team

Updated Sprint

Product Vision
For (target customer)
Who (statement of the need or
opportunity)

The (product name) is a (product

category)

That (key benefit, compelling reason to

buy)

Unlike (primary competitive alternative)

Product Vision - Example

1.

For a mid-sized company's marketing and sales departments who need basic
CRM functionality, the CRM-Innovator is a Web-based service that provides
sales tracking, lead generation, and sales representative support features
that improve customer relationships at critical touch points. Unlike other
services or package software products, our product provides very capable
services at a moderate cost.

2.

We intend to provide our customers with the best online shopping experience
from beginning to end, with a smart, searchable website, easy-to-follow
instructions, clear and secure payment methods, and fast, quality delivery.

3.

For the airline provider who would like to offer the customer a more
enjoyable flight experience with the ability to generate more revenue. The
Aerobox 3000 is a robust, yet user-friendly system that offers a centralized,
network enabled, movie, gaming and in-flight service interface. Unlike others

Agile Chartering

Chartering in Agile is no different

than a normal project
Expert suggests Agile project
charter that is no more than one
page long
Purpose is solely to provide a clear
and concise definition of what
success looks like for that project
Agile charter has three primary
components
Vision
Mission
Success criteria

Product Roadmap

A product roadmap is a high-level plan that describes how

the product is likely to grow.

It allows organizations to express where they want to take

their product and use it as a communication tool that
provides stakeholders with a quick view of the primary
release points and intended functionalities

The creation of the roadmap is largely driven by the

product owner.

Product Roadmap (Continued)

Releases

PRODUCT ROADMAP
Release
Release 1.0
Release 2
1.1
I1
I2
I3
I4

Iterations
Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Story Map
A story map is a popular way of depicting a roadmap
in Agile projects
A way to effectively plan releases that deliver value
to users and the business (When)
Useful model to help understand system functionality
through the Users of the system (Who, What, How)
Visual way to identify holes and omissions in the
backlog
Allows you to see the big picture (Why)

Story Map
Provide visibility to the workflow or value
chain
Show the relationships of larger stories to
their child stories
Help the team confirm the completeness of
your backlog
Provide a useful context for prioritization
Plan releases in complete and valuable slices

Story Map (Continued)

The
Backbone
The
Walking
Skeleton
Optional
Backlog
items

First Release
tim
e

Second Release

Release Planning

The purpose of release planning is to commit to a plan

for delivering an increment of product value
Release plans enable delivery in small, end-to-end slices
Helps the Product Owner and whole Team to determine
how much MUST be developed, and how long that will
take before they have a releasable product
Serves as a guidepost towards which the project team can
progress
Release planning is continuously posing a product vision
while focusing on those features of greater priority (value)
to the business.

Release Planning

um Master facilitates the meeting

duct Owner - represents a general view of the prod
og
ivery Team/Agile Team - provide insights into techn
bility and dependencies
keholders - act as trusted advisors as decisions are
d the release plan

Release Planning (Continued)

Product Backlog

Release Backlog

Iteration Planning
The purpose of the iteration planning meeting is
for the team to commit to the completion of a set
of the highest ranked product backlog items.
This commitment defines the iteration backlog
and is based on the teams velocity or capacity
and the length of the iteration time-box.
Product backlog items too large to be completed
in an iteration need to be split into smaller pieces.

Iteration Planning (Continued)

Release Backlog

Iteration Backlog

Iteration Planning (Continued)

The product owner describes the highest
ranked product backlog item
The team determines the tasks necessary to
complete that product backlog item
Team members volunteer to own the tasks
Task owners estimate the ideal hours they
need to finish their task
Planning continues while the team can
commit to delivery without exceeding

Overview of Planning

Product Backlog
Release Backlog
Iteration Backlog

Minimally Marketable Feature (MMF)

MMF refers to the package of
functionality that is complete enough to
be useful to the users or market, yet small
enough that it does not represent the
entire project.
The smallest set of functionality that must
be realized in order for the customer to
perceive value.

Key Lessons
Planning is a continuous process in Agile
projects; details will emerge as the project
progresses
Agile avoids detailed estimates upfront due to
waste and error.
Adapt & adjust based on feedback; frequent reprioritization is normal
Agile support multiple levels of planning
(Release, Iteration, Daily).
Tailor processes to the project characteristics.