This document discusses truths and misconceptions about agile software development. It begins by establishing that agile is more than a high-level concept, and discusses differences between traditional project management and agile principles. Key differences between agile methodologies like Scrum and XP are outlined. The document then addresses common misconceptions about agile and Scrum, establishing truths around topics like planning, fixed-date projects, risk management, rework, and the role of metrics and documentation in Scrum.

1. TRUTH OR MISCONCEPTION
Agile Software Development

2. Richard Cheng - @RichardKCheng
◊ Agile trainer & coach
◊ Member of PMI, Scrum Alliance, Agile
Alliance, Agile Leadership Network
◊ CST, PMP, CSM, CSPO, CSP, PMI-ACP
◊ Founder & executive committee
member of Agile Delivery for Agencies,
Programs, and Teams (ADAPT)
◊ Experience in Federal and commercial
Agile transformations

3. TRUTH OR MISCONCEPTION
Agile Software Development

4. Truth or Misconception
Agile is just a high level concept.
TRUTH!

5. “Traditional” IT Project Management
◊ Process and tools
◊ Comprehensive documentation
◊ Contract negotiations
◊ Following a plan
This is how we control projects….

6. Agile Manifesto
Individuals and interactions over Process and tools
Working software over Comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over Contract negotiation
Responding to change over Following a plan
We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing
it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to
value:
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value
the items on the left more.
http://agilemanifesto.org/

7. 1. "Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable
software.”
2. "Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for
the customer's competitive advantage.”
3. "Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a
preference to the shorter timescale.”
4. "Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.”
5. "Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need,
and trust them to get the job done.”
6. "The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development
team is face-to-face conversation.”
7. "Working software is the primary measure of progress.”
8. "Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be
able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.”
9. "Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.”
10. "Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.”
11. "The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.”
12. "At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its
behavior accordingly."
Principles Behind The Agile Manifesto:

8. Identifying and delivering value……
◊ Identify value and eliminate waste
◊ Prioritize features
◊ Deliver early and often
◊ Inspect and adapt
◊ Empower team

9. Truth or Misconception
Agile and Scrum are the same thing.
Misconception!

10. Agile Methodologies
Agile
Scrum XP
Kanban
Lean

11. Scrum Framework
* Diagram from Scrum Primer
Product
Backlog

12. Scrum Overview
1. Project development is performed in 2 to 4 week
iterations.
2. Product Owner creates a prioritized backlog of features
3. Highest priority features delivered first
4. At the end of the iteration, the deliverables are reviewed
by the business customers
5. The team reflects on the process
6. This is repeated until the project is completed

13. Scrum Framework
* Diagram from Scrum Primer
From the Scrum Primer

14. Iterative / Incremental Deployment
At any given point, the product is “deployable”
Deployed

16. Truth or Misconception
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) is the base
level Agile/Scrum certification.
TRUTH!

17. Scrum Alliance Certifications*
* from http://www.scrumalliance.org/certifications

18. CSM Requirements
1. Complete CSM course
2. Pass CSM test
1. Correctly answer 24 out of 35 questions
2. 60 minutes to complete
3. Combination of true/false and multiple choice questions
4. Two free attempts within 90 days of course completion
5. $25 for each additional attempt after the free period
3. Accept the license agreement
http://www.scrumalliance.org/faqs#section27717

19. • After the class, Scrum Alliance will email instructions for taking the
assessment / exam on your computer.
• 35 questions
• Passing score is 24 correct answers from 35 questions.
How do I take
the CSM exam?
• 2 Years. Towards the end of your term, Scrum Alliance will send you
instructions for how to renew.
How long does
certification last?
• This class 14 PMI PDUs / contact hours towards both PMP and PMI-
ACP. Details for claiming them will be sent after the class.
What about PMI
PDUs?
• http://www.scrumalliance.org/resources/2747CSM Test Outline
FAQ
http://www.scrumalliance.org/pages/faq_training_and_certification

20. Scrum Alliance Certifications*
* from http://www.scrumalliance.org/certifications

21. CSP Certification
Be a current holder
of an active CSM,
CSPO, or CSD
credential
Have a minimum
of 36 months of
successful
Agile/Scrum work
experience gained
within the past
five years
Gather and submit
70 Scrum
Education Units
(SEUs) from the
past three years

22. Truth or Misconception
Scrum does not believe in planning,
estimating, forecasting.
Misconception!

23. Scrum Overview
Product Vision
Roadmap
Day
Sprint…
…
…
Plan
Day
Day
Daily Scrum
Review
Retro
Sprint
Plan
Review
Retro
Idea
Initiation Release
Plan
Release Release
Plan
Plan
Time

24. Estimating and Forecasting
• Team members provide Estimates
• Completed work represent Actuals (Velocity)
• Velocity used for Forecasting

25. Velocity and Forecasting
Sprint Work Remaining Velocity
1 625 75
2 560 65
3 490 70
4 421 69
5 350 71
6
7
8
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Project Burndown

26. Release Burndown
Originally forecasted release date
Extrapolation of actual
release date

27. Truth or Misconception
Scrum is not good for fixed price and/or
fixed date work.
Misconception!

28. Fixed Date / Fixed Scope
◊ Outcomes of Fixed Date / Fixed Scope projects:
– Waterfall
1. Delivered _____ and working ________
2. “Delivered” _____ … with ______
3. Cannot deliver on time, ______
– Scrum
1. Delivered _____ and working ________
2. The _____ items are _______ by the requested date and
working _______

29. Fixed Date / Fixed Scope
Outcomes of Fixed Date / Fixed Scope projects:
Waterfall
1. Delivered on time and working as expected
2. “Delivered” on time … with issues
3. Cannot deliver on time, need to extend
Scrum
1. Delivered on time and working as expected
2. The highest valued stories are delivered by the requested date and
working as expected
Be cautious of sacrificing quality and best practices to meet
dates

30. 0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Work Completed
Work Remaining
Scrum Delivery
Project Due Date

31. Truth or Misconception
Agile ignores risk.
Misconception!

32. Problems with Waterfall
Requirements
Design
Develop
Test
Deploy
“I believe in this concept,
but the implementation described
above is risky and invites failure”
– Dr. Winston Royce
What happens if something goes wrong?
Managing the Development of Large Software Systems, Winston Royce (1970)

34. Advantages of Scrum
◊ Manages risk by delivering high value, high risk
items early
– Identify and resolve problems faster
– Showing tangible results throughout the project
– High assurance of product vision due to continual
inspection by business representatives
◊ Daily standup exposes risk
◊ Adaptability (Scrum) versus Predictability
(Waterfall)
– Waterfall makes it expensive to make changes to the
project
– Scrum development minimizes the cost of change
◊ Quality is built in
◊ Continuous improvement

35. Truth or Misconception
Agile development requires a lot of
rework.
TRUTH!

36. “Refactoring is a disciplined technique for restructuring an
existing body of code, altering its internal structure
without changing its external behavior.” – Martin Fowler,
Refactoring.com
◊ Simplify
◊ Fix
◊ Optimize
◊ Improve
Real time payment of technical debt.
Refactoring

38. Truth or Misconception
Scrum does not believe in metrics or
documentation.
FALSE!

39. Agile Metrics

40. Metrics for Business Initiatives
Effort Area Story Points Percentage
Foundational 78 22%
Maintenance 9 3%
Optimization 168 48%
New Product 98 28%
First Quarter Initiatives

41. Metrics for Business Value
Features Story Points Business Points Comment
Feature 1 40 8 High effort, mid
value
Feature 2 20 13 High effort, good
value
Feature 3 4 8 Low effort, mid
value
Feature 4 13 40 Mid effort, high
value
Feature 5 5 20 Low effort, high
value

42. Metrics for the Project
Project Burn Down / Burn Up Chart

43. Metrics for the Sprint

44. Metrics for Team Performance

45. Metrics for Team Performance

46. Metrics for Team Performance
For a Scrum team, key goals include:
1. Achieving a high completion percentage
(actual velocity / projected velocity)
2. Stabilizing velocity
3. Increasing velocity (after 1 and 2)

47. Team Radar
Delivering Business Value
Asking & Receiving Feedback
Responding to Change
Understanding Vision & Goal
Planning
Applying Technical Practices
Working as a Team
Continuously Improving
Sprint 1 Team Self Assessment

48. Team Radar
Delivering Business Value
Asking & Receiving Feedback
Responding to Change
Understanding Vision & Goal
Planning
Applying Technical Practices
Working as a Team
Continuously Improving
Sprint 5 Team Self Assessment

49. Cumulative Flow Diagram

50. Cost Metrics
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Story Pts Remaining 1200 1300 1123 987 978 876 725 655 524 411 290 110 0
Cost (in thousands) $1,000 $900 $800 $700 $600 $500 $400 $300 $200 $100 $0 -$100 -$200
-400
-200
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Cost Feature Burn Down

51. Documentation
Identifying and delivering value……
1. Identify value and eliminate waste
2. Prioritize features
3. Deliver early and often
4. Constant inspection
5. Empower team
Generally, documents are consumables, not deliverables

53. Book Resources
Agile Project Management with
Scrum
Ken Schwaber
ISBN #073561993X
Agile Estimating and Planning
Mike Cohn
ISBN #0131479415
The Software Project Manager’s
Bridge to Agility
Michele Sliger, Stacia Broderick
ISBN #0321502752
Agile Project Management:
Creating Innovative Products
Jim Highsmith
ISBN #0321658396
The Art of Agile Development
James Shore
ISBN #0596527675

54. Excella Consulting
Experience and Expertise in Agile Solutions
– Coaching
– Training
– Assessments
– Agile Adoption
– Agile Development Teams
– Agile PMO
Training Courses
– Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
– Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO): The Agile Business Analyst
– Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)
– Certified Scrum Developer (CSD)
– Agile Testing
– Agile Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing
– Automated Acceptance Testing – Great for Analysts and Testers!!
See http://www.excella.com/training for more information

55. Contact Information
Richard K Cheng
richard.cheng@excella.com
703-967-8620
http://www.excella.com
Twitter: @RichardKCheng