The document discusses lessons learned from adopting Agile practices in R&D organizations. It recommends starting with pilot projects to introduce Agile and learn how it impacts the organization. When expanding Agile, organizations must consider how it affects the entire R&D process and synchronize projects. Product management should be included to ensure teams develop products, not just software. Finally, adopting Agile requires optimizing the whole business system by aligning goals, sharing visions, and addressing problems that adoption uncovers in other areas of the business. The key is taking a holistic, business-oriented approach to adoption rather than focusing only on R&D.

1. Business agility – how to take advantage of an Agile R&D Vasco Duarte

2. Vasco Duarte @duarte_vasco http://bit.ly/sglx11_blog http://bit.ly/vasco_slideshare

4. Vasco

7. 90% Agile Projects are 37% Faster to Market than Industry Average Said Agile either improved or significantly improved their ability to manage changing priorities 2009 data, VersionOne Evidence mounts: Agile works and is being widely adopted 83% No: 18.5% Of respondents showed either improvement or significant improvement in project visibility Yes: 81.5% 2009 data, VersionOne 2007 data, VersionOne

8. Question: how do I make it work for me and for my business?

9. Ken Schwaber: 75% of organizations fail to benefit from Agile/Scrum as expected http://www.agilecollab.com/interview-with-ken-schwaber

10. Two Challenges: 1 How do I adopt Agile? 2 How do I make it benefit my business?

11. Would be nice: Have a model to adopt Agile and benefit my business

12. Agile adoption is hard, long term. But there are some lessons we’ve learned by having done this for many years.

13. Step 1: Pilot projects Introduce the method in a way that does not risk your business, a safe experiment Provide a learning opportunity for your people. Making sure that they learn the method in a lower risk environment Increase your knowledge of what are the likely consequences of Agile adoption in your environment. Understand your context deeply

14. Step 1a: Use output from Pilot Projects to prepare wider adoption

15. Lesson Learnt 1: Pilot Projects succeed because they are isolated and different!

16. Taking Agile to the rest of R&D is different than running Pilot Projects…

18. Step 2: Consider the impact on the whole R&D!

19. Lesson Learnt 2: Different clock cycles in the organization lead to conflict

20. Lesson Learnt 3: Align goals across projects and teams that must cooperate

21. Lesson Learnt 4: Agile requires Timeboxes. Drop waterfall now!

22. Step 2a: Synchronize projects across the whole R&D!

23. Lesson Learnt 5: Product Owners/Product Managers must serve R&D needs!

24. Lesson Learnt 6: As you need to support Agile adoption you need to consider the R&D boundaries

25. Lesson Learnt 7: As you bump into obstacles from other organizations you need to align goals. Do you have a cross-company goal for Agile adoption?

26. Step 2b: Include Product management in R&D. We develop products, not software!

27. Lesson Learnt 8: R&D can only improve speed of execution. Other parts of the company need to take advantage of it!

28. all your products are belong to us!

29. Lesson Learnt 10: R&D alone cannot improve your business!

30. The 1,000,000 Euro question: How do I make Agile work for my Business?

33. Lesson Learnt 11: Sales and portfolio management work with “long term, non-negotiable” roadmaps. R&D cannot work with those

34. Lesson Learnt 12: Agile R&D teams can iterate fast towards the wrong product

35. Step 3a: Have a Vision in place for every project that is shared across the whole organization!

36. Lesson Learnt 13: Projects where the goal is clear are more innovative and engage the whole team

37. Step 3b: Link your project Visions to your company’s strategy

38. Lesson Learnt 14: Agile adoption in R&D uncovers problems elsewhere

39. Step 3c: Align all business units with the goals for Agile adoption

40. Lesson Learnt 15: Competitors are improving also. Make the improvement your agenda – long term!

43. 3b: Link your project Visions to strategy

44. 3c: Align all business units with the goals for Agile adoptionLesson 11: Sales and portfolio management work with “long term, non-negotiable” roadmaps. R&D cannot work with those Lesson 12: Agile R&D teams can iterate fast towards the wrong product Lesson 13: Projects where the goal is clear are more innovative and engage the whole team Lesson 14: Agile adoption in R&D uncovers problems elsewhere Lesson 15: Competitors are improving also. Make the improvement your agenda – long term!

45. The key issue: We need a modelbased on experience that helps achieve a business improvement

46. HOLISTIK We need a business-oriented approach to Agile adoption

47. Here’s a tip you can take to the bank: Hire someone who has done it before.

48. Lesson 4: Agile Requires Timeboxes, drop waterfall now! Lesson 1: Pilot Projects succeed because they are isolated! Lesson 3: Align goals across teams and projects that must cooperate Lesson 10: R&D alone cannot improve your business Lesson 8: R&D can only increase speed, others still need to take advantage of it Lesson 2: Different clock cycles in the organization lead to conflict Step 1: Pilot Projects Step 2: Consider the impact in the whole R&D Step 3: Deliver value by considering the whole system. Optimize the system! Lesson 6: Reconsider your R&D boundaries Lesson 5: Product Owners must serve R&D needs Lesson 9: Portfolio decisions are too slow and not stable enough Lesson 7: Align goals for Agile adoption across the whole organization Lesson 11: Sales and portfolio management work with “long term, non-negotiable” roadmaps. R&D cannot work with those Lesson 13: Projects where the goal is clear are more innovative and engage the whole team Lesson 14: Agile adoption in R&D uncovers problems elsewhere Lesson 12: Agile R&D teams can iterate fast towards the wrong product Lesson 15: Competitors are improving also. Make the improvement your agenda – long term!

49. Currently an Agile Coach in Nokia, Vasco Duarte is an experienced product and project manager, having worked in the software industry since 1997. Vasco has also been an Agile practitioner since 2004, he is one of the leaders and a catalyst in the adoption of Agile methods and an Agile culture at Nokia and previously at F-Secure. Vasco's contributions to the improvement of the software development profession can be read in his blog: http://softwaredevelopmenttoday.blogspot.com. You can follow Vasco on twitter: @duarte_vasco Foto credits: Flickr users http://www.flickr.com/photos/snips/72812469/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/3133263572/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/66164549@N00/3005367325/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecstaticist/2589723846/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/celinet/606291449/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/datadevil/1344989797 http://www.flickr.com/photos/katphotos/2216663973/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/markkilner/2069380415 http://www.flickr.com/photos/clintjcl/2722008496 http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikelo/534441248 http://www.flickr.com/photos/muehlinghaus/3505426440