Agile at scale

Agile at scale Agile is a time-boxed, iterative way of working that solves critical problems in development:
  • Improve Time to market at early and with frequent deliveries.
  • Better quality driven by focus on sprint testing and automation
  • planning with visualisation of work in progress on board
  • Building the right product instead of delivering a “successful project”
Naturally, organisations that have implemented Agile within small pockets are enamoured by the results. Result: suddenly, the entire organisation wants to go Agile. 76% of CIOs are expected to adopt Agile methods in 2016 The key challenges However, when the entire organisation embraces Agile, major challenges begin to arise. While adopting Agile at a unit level is relatively easier, scaling is tough. This is because a small team may do well—but it will fail to generate value when all the other teams don’t work in a synergistic fashion for end-to-end efficiency. If an organization is to be fully Agile, it needs to have teams several small and specialized teams working in a synchronous fashion to develop on rhythm and be ready to release on demand. But it is no secret that achieving global optima is tough back-breaking business. Overcoming the challenges Enterprise Agility to describe a state where the various parts of the enterprise work cohesively across multiple areas to enable a cultural transformation and a shift in mind-set. Core Areas are: People/ Culture: The key goal is to ensure collaboration. This is possible when traditional hierarchical, command-and-control structures are replaced by structures that encourage self-organisation and when roles and responsibilities (Scrum Master, Scrum of Scrum Master and Product Owner etc.) are created with a defined career framework, supported by role-based competency development programs. Training/ Skilling: A major component of success is reskilling individuals, shifting them from being I (uniskilled) to Pi/ _(multiskilled). Success also depends on tweaking organizational policies to facilitate self-organization and reward performance based on collaboration. Processes: In our experience, processes that allow value to flow form the foundation for successful Agile implementation. When processes are not in sync, value gets obstructed. For example, if the development team has software releases every six months and the marketing team wants it every six weeks, there is bound to be dissonance in the organization. An organization-wide rhythm is important. Partner Relationship Management: With quick and unexpected changes in project scope dictated by business, it is essential to re-examine how partner and vendor contracts are structured. These contracts can’t be rigid. They can’t be based on adherence to schedule, scope and methodology. Instead, contracts should demonstrate a willingness to embrace unpredictability Tools & Technology: Agile development assumes the adoption of strong engineering practices and automation. Adoption of Extreme Programming and DevOps practices brings in Engineering Agility and ensures left shift in Quality.

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