SYNGO TFS Program InfoTeam Keynote

MS Team Foundation Server
(TFS) Program @ SYNGO
Experiences and Lessons Learned …
Prepared for InfoTeam TFS Workshop
Revision: 1.0
Date: March 15, 2011

Author(s): Arnold Rudorfer, Gerold Herold

Contributions: Siemens Healthcare SYNGO TFS Program Team
(T. Baer, T. Dasch, A. Gerhäußer, S. Gruber, P. Kiesel, K. Moritzen, C. Schmitt, C. Schu),

© Siemens AG 2011. All rights reserved.
Page 1 March 15, 2011 InfoTeam TechTalk, Bubenreuth Siemens Healthcare SYNGO

Table of Contents

Contents

 Goals for this talk

 Who is SYNGO?

 Rationale, evolution of SE technologies

 TFS business case, program setup

 Initial experiences: Project- & Change MT

 Pro’s and Con’s of Using TFS

 Further information


Table of Contents

Contents


 Who is SYNGO?







What are we going to cover today …

Goals of this Talk
 Provide you with an overview
on SYNGO’s TFS Program

 Report about our journey
towards using TFS in a large
development project
syngo.via

 Review pro‘s and con‘s
engaging in ALM to drive
efficiency and cost
optimization


Table of Contents

Contents


 Who is SYNGO?







Who is SYNGO?
Our business is to enable clinical workflows

in-vivo diagnostics (imaging)

X-Ray Computed Magnetic Molecular Ultrasound Oncology
Tomography Resonance Imaging

syngo.via
in-vitro diagnostics (laboratory systems)

Immunodiagnostics Nucleid Acid Clinical Chemistry Hematology Urin Lab Automation Near Patient
Testing Analysis Testing


syngo
The Central Image Hub In Healthcare Workflows

Sound diagnoses
More patient exams
in less time*
in less time*

Smooth and fast
Efficient image collaboration
creation, usage,
archiving,
and sharing

*Results may vary. Data on file.
syngo. It’s all about you.

Example: syngo.mCT Oncology Workflow
Tumor Detection, Staging and Monitoring

Automated Case Preparation Disease-Oriented Reading Multi-Modality Access

 Automated bone and blood pool  Preferred layout applied  Image fusion for CT, PET, and
removal  Automated lesion segmentation MR images, etc.
 Automated sorting of images, etc.  Automatic loading of prior
exams, etc.


Table of Contents

Contents


 Who is SYNGO?







Rationale for TFS Program
Most burning issues @ SYNGO

Pain Points 

 Secure product quality in large,
distributed teams
 Configuration-, integration- and
build-management highly complex
 No consistent approach for project
management across development
sites & product lines
 Reporting from many different
sources
 Tool chain distributed in many
distinct tools:
Project management, source control,
bug tracking, build and test lab

Evolution of Software Engineering Technologies
There is no way out to remain competitive …

Global development Process customization,
Software as driver for integration & orchestration
innovation Process measurement
Transparency Product-lines Mining
Specialization of Lack of tool Continuous drive to
development integration optimization
Trends & Challenges

roles Agility, concurrent
Usability engineering
Open-source &
Object orientation world-wide-web
Emergence
software maturity
models of Application
Metrics Team life-cycle tools
Development
Integrated Tools
Development
Editor Environment
Compiler (IDE)

Build
Test
Source Control
Time
2000+


Table of Contents

Contents


 Who is SYNGO?







TFS Overview
Next generation software engineering environment

Definition:
TFS is the next generation syngo.via development environment that combines
team portal, version control, work-item tracking, build management, process
guidance, and business intelligence into a unified server (1).

(1) Source: Adapted from Microsoft Corporation, http://www.microsoft.com


TFS Corner Stones
Higher automation and throughput

Performant development activities supporting syngo.via

Application
Lifecycle
Management

Collaboration Automation Reporting
Optimizing how people Efficiency by integrating Improve by measuring
work together workflows progress real-time

Central Data Repository


syngo.via Product
Best managed using ALM tools …

Overview

syngo.via: Next generation
imaging software covering the
entire reading process

Context:
 > 5,000 single product
requirements
 Several million lines of code
C++/C#
 Several hundred developers in
many locations
 Clinical applications for
Radiology, PACS, X-Ray, CT, MI,
Oncology, Particle Therapy, MR


TFS Program Goals, Business Case
Min. 10% higher throughput and ~10% less cost

Cost-/ Benefit Analysis
TFS introduction (over 5 years)
TFS: Is proposed to be the next generation Cost of initiative: ~ xxxx €
syngo.via development environment that  ~ xxxx € license costs for TFS
combines team portal, version control, work-  ~ xxxx € for customization, internal training
item tracking, build management, process and external contracts over 5 year period
guidance, and business intelligence into a
unified server. Recurring costs:
 ~ xxxx € for maintenance, operations
Goal:
 Optimize cost for syngo.via development Quantified benefits potential :
environment by 10%  Min. business value: ~ xxxx €
 Achieve developers‘ productivity increase by  Min. ROI > 1:6
>> 10%
Qualitative benefits (not yet quantified):
Implementation scope:  Better product quality
 Project & Change Management  Quicker communication between
 Configuration-, Integration and Build development teams
Management  Increase in developer satisfaction
 Software- and System Test


TFS Program Organization Chart

Lean focused team of highly motivated and visionary experts


Table of Contents

Contents


 Who is SYNGO?







Overview about Process Improvements

Software Development Initiatives @ SYNGO

Agile
Transition

Agile
Project Management
with TFS

Optimized Requirements Microsoft
Engineering Approach Team Foundation Server
(OREA) (TFS)


Roles involved in Backlog Management

The backlog is the central planning tool @ SYNGO

Product Product
Manager Owner

 Content  Content
Definition Slicing
 Ranking Backlog

Project Architect
Manager
 Technical Work
 Other Work Team Items
Items  Estimations
 Grooming  Technical
 Realization Dependencies

Best Practice

Introduction


TFS Process Templates

Definition
 A process template
is a collection of files
that together
define various process elements
of a team project
in Team Foundation Server.

 A template defines
 data types
 processes
 workflows
 services
 reports


Available TFS Process Templates

Templates

 CMMI Template
supports traditional development
processes

 Agile Template
supports generic iterative
development processes

 Scrum Template
matches the standard Scrum
terminology


Our Template Needs

Business Needs Consequences

 Agile development processes  Neither of the
(~Scrum) existing templates
fulfills our business needs
 Large amount (>25) of
distributed teams  We need to adapt
the TFS process template
 Platform development to our business needs

 Regulated environment
(healthcare business)


Best Practice

Usability


User Interface Design

Challenge

 Smart usage by teams

 Acceptance by users

 Avoid user errors

 Reduce training efforts


„Same“ User Interface for all Items

Solution

 Every attribute is always at
the same place

 Every attribute has always
the same name

 Maybe parts are dimmed,
not visible or just not used

 Also a 90%-fit
is more efficient than
specific user interfaces
(Source: Android screenshots)


Two Column Approach

Solution

 Avoid switches between Two column approach
tab cards

 Focus on information
you need together

 For planning tasks:
definition and
planning data
Left: Right:
 For acceptance tasks: Definition Planning &
definition and Acceptance
acceptance data


Small Header

Solution

 Reduce header to Small Header
an absolute minimum

 Most screen area
is available for the tabs

 Avoid usage of the scroll bar,
which is disturbing

 Support of small screens,
e.g. beamer, notebooks


Tab Cards

Solution

 Reduce the number of tab Many tab cards contain links:
cards BreakDown, Tasks, Defects and
All Links
 Define clear content
 Avoid redundancies

Example:
 „All Link“ tab card
is sufficient
„All Links” tab card
 Types of links are grouped

Groups


Take-Away-Message

Usability

 Excellent usability
is a pre-requisite
for acceptance
by the users


Best Practice

Hierarchy


Work Item Hierarchy

Challenge

 Support of work items with
different granularity needed

 Large work items require
multiple break downs (slices)

 Small work items can be
processed directly


Different Views on Backlog

Challenge

 Overall product manager
focuses on
top-level items only
(„scope items“)

 Development team
focuses on
(sliced) leaf items only
(„work to do“)


Top-level and Leaf Item Queries

Workaround

 Definition of queries Work Item and Direct Links Query
using TFS basics
is possible ...

 .. but difficult
to understand and
often error-prone


isTop & isLeaf Attributes

Solution

 New attributes
isTop = true
„isTop“ and „isLeaf“

 Automation service
updates values
if parent or child links
are modified

 Queries are simple

 Can be used in reports as well isLeaf = true


Aggregation of Efforts / Story Points

Solution

 Automation service
aggregates efforts
from child items

 Aggregated efforts
on leaf items
are more precise than Aggregation
the initial ones
on the top-level

 Improve estimations by
$
comparing initial and
accounted efforts


Propagation of Status Information

Solution

 Request to propagate
the status of leaf items STOP
to the top-level
automatically

 Refused ...
Propagation
 ... because often
additional checks
are necessary,
e.g. integration of parts
√


Take-Away-Message

Hierachy

 Automation services
are powerful tools,
but do not automate
everything


Best Practice

Single Backlog Item


TFS as Overall Planning Tool

Challenge

 One single tool for
all planning issues

 Requirements
 Defects
 Product changes
 Process improvements
 .. and further work items


Local Optimization

First Approach
Goal
 Definition of an optimal state
diagram for each work item type

Requirement Defect Issue

Achievement


The Query Problem

Problem All available
status values
 A query selecting all work items which
are not finished

 The implementation 

... and further more for other work item types


The Reporting Problem

Problem

 How to generate a combined (overall) report?

Work item with Work item with
three states two states


One State Diagram for „All“ Work Item Types

Solution

Created
Initial state

Ready
Ready for planning
Readiness Checklist completely achieved

Committed
Committed for an iteration

In Work
Implementation has started

Implemented
Ready for acceptance & doneness check

Done
Terminated
Item finished
No longer relevant
Doneness Checklist completely achieved


Simple Queries and Simple Reporting

Solution

 A query selecting all work items  Same report for each scope
which are not finished (for all or some work items types
only)
 The implementation 


Single Backlog Item

Final Solution

 Best practice:
same state diagram

 Best practice from usability:
align user interface

 One work item that fits all:
Single Backlog Item


Take-Away-Message

Single Backlog Item

 From a business
perspective,
a global optimum
is more useful than
many local ones


Table of Contents

Contents


 Who is SYNGO?







Pro‘s and Con‘s of Using TFS

What you need to know when getting
engaged in customization and roll-out …

 Advantages & benefits

 Disadvantages

 Lessons learned

 TFS feature gaps


Advantage & Benefits

What does it bring to your
engineering efficiency

 Integrated platform for core
engineering workflows

 Reduction of TCO by phase out of
proprietary development tools

 Flexibility through customization
to domain-specific needs
(e.g. medical devices)

 Address developers‘ principal pain
points


Disadvantages

Challenges that have to be mastered
 High effort to customize work item
templates; domain agnostic

 Degrees of freedom for customization
bare risk for over-engineering

 Development of target reporting
highly laborious

 Investment into TFS infrastructure
capital-intense

 Only few very knowledgeable TFS
experts available


Lessons Learned

A few of our learnings ...
 TFS implementation needs a
business case to provide focus &
management support
 Involve workers‘ council early and
engage in highlighting benefits for
staff
 TFS is a living eco-system
 Platform for continuous
optimization of engineering
workflows
 New productivity tools constantly
emerge
 Proactive roll-out approach and
grooming of TFS champions


TFS Feature Gaps

What TFS still needs to work on to
become even more accepted

 Requirements Engineering is a big
gap
 Modeling of requirements
 Requirements Management:
 Baselining
 Split/ merge of requirements
 Versioning

 Variant- and version management of
requirements and test cases

 Role- and state-specific views on work
items


Key Take-Aways

What you need to consider when engaging with TFS in your journey ...

 TFS is a very powerful development platform with proven potential to
drive development efficiency.
 Any TFS implementation needs a highly talented, motivated team to
learn to use the technology.
 Benchmark your TFS implementation approach with similar
organizations
 Roll-out of a new engineering environment needs structured change
management.
 Usability is a key driver for quick acceptance by engineers.
 To effectively use TFS, abstain from re-implementing existing
development process.


Table of Contents

Contents


 Who is SYNGO?







Contact Details

Arnold Rudorfer

Director Software Initiative and
Process Improvement
Siemens Healthcare
Imaging & Therapy

Phone: +49 9131 – 84 2299
Mobile: +49 174 1537825

Email:
arnold.rudorfer@siemens.com


Contact Details

Gerold Herold

Process Manager
“Project Management”
Siemens Healthcare
Imaging & Therapy SYNGO

Phone: +49 9131 – 84 5991

Email:
gerold.herold@siemens.com


SYNGO TFS Program InfoTeam Keynote

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