This document provides an overview of adopting an agile Scrum framework. It begins with introducing the presenter and their experience in agile project delivery. It then summarizes the traditional waterfall approach and poses questions about its effectiveness. The bulk of the document outlines the Scrum framework and provides tips for implementation, including establishing objectives, selecting pilot projects, customizing processes, training teams, and adopting in stages. It emphasizes treating the implementation as a formal project and allowing time for the cultural changes required.

1. ADOPTING AGILE
SCRUM
Sparkhound Lunch & Learn

2. Presenter: Rick Kelly
Sparkhound Strategic Engagement Manager
20+ years of technology delivery experience
PMP Certified in 1994 (#2433!)
Certified Scrum Master (CSM) – 2008
Certified Scrum Professional (CSP)- 2013
Seven years PMO and PM process consulting
Extensive hands-on agile project delivery
Dell, Cognizant, Blockbuster, Lowe’s, Walgreens,
Mutual Mobile
Extensive distributed team & offshore scrum delivery
Still learning!
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3. A Day in the Life of an IT Delivery Manager
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4. Waterfall – A Summary
The waterfall SDLC approach focused on development in discrete
phases in series:
• All Requirements, then
• All Design, then
• All Development, then
• All Testing, then
• All Deployment
• Usually implemented – painfully – before the iPad
• Safe and traceable, but is it the most effective way to build most
software?
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5. Some Fundamental Questions
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6. Agenda
Agile Scrum - the 5-minute primer
ROI - Real world statistics on agile benefits
Implementing Scrum:
Our recommended framework
Tips and techniques by framework phase
Q&A
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7. What is Agile vs. Scrum?
Is there a difference?
Agile is a philosophy to deliver and act in an
iterative manner
Scrum is a specific agile software delivery
approach implementing Agile principals
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8. A Very Short History of Scrum:
“A flexible, holistic product development strategy where a
development team works as a unit to reach a common
goal“ as opposed to a "traditional, sequential approach"
- The New Product Development Game, Takeuchi and Nonaka, 1986
1990’s: The Scrum Godfather, Ken Schwaber, builds the principals
2001: Schwaber published Agile Software Development with Scrum
Yada Yada Yada…Now the most common iterative software
development approach in the world
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Image: sitcomsonline.com

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But…why?
Focus on
People vs.
Process
Low Upfront
Planning
Minimal
Documentation
Priorities regularly
updated
High & Early
Customer
Involvement
Early &
incremental ROI
Facilitative vs.
command
leadership

10. 1
Product
Backlog
Daily
Stand Up
1-4 Week
Sprint
Potentially
Shippable
Product
The Basic Scrum Development Process
Prioritize Plan
Sprint
BacklogDemo
Retro

11. Agile ROI
Waterfall
Successful
16%
Failed
26%
Challenged
58%
Successful
41%
Failed
14%
Challenged
48%
Agile
Agile vs. Waterfall Development Success Rates
Source: The Standish Group; 2012

12. Our Observation:
Companies are far more likely to gain the benefits
of Scrum if they follow these three foundational
guidelines:
Scrum is customized for their specific
environment
The Scrum implementation itself is conducted
in a formal, structured manner
There is senior management commitment -
and a little patience – to make the needed
cultural and workplace changes
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13. Scrum Implementation Tips
and Techniques

14. 14
High-Level Scrum Implementation Roadmap

15. Stage 1: Quick Start
• Requirements, KPI & Objectives
Confirmation
• Quick Start Agile Asset &
Process Implementation
• Selection of Pilot Project(s)
• Creation of Product Backlog
• Pilot Team(s) Quick Start
Training

16. Defining & Base-lining Implementation
Success
How will your business know if implementing Scrum is successful?
If you track actual, hard statistics, congratulations! What are they?
In many cases, “success” is defined by business customer
perception
Not fast enough, too expensive, not responsive to change, etc.
To track success, a baseline of current performance needs to be
captured.

17. Picking a Pilot
Image: Businessweek.com
Project

18. Stage 2: Pilot and Refine
• Lead/Support Pilot Project(s)
• Refinement of Agile Assets &
Processes
• Define Agile Training, Rollout,
and Comms. Plan
• Define Prioritization &
Estimation Model
• Agile Tool Recommendation
• Agile PMO Setup
Image: Paper Airplanes, Google Play Store

19. Estimates & Scrum: the age-old conflict
Provokes an age-old question:
Does your company write no-estimate blank checks?

20. Hybrid Estimation Process
1. Via a Planning Sprint
2. Outputs:
Feature-level, Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimate
Baseline sprint & release plan
A resource plan/proposal with a +/-50(??)% level of
accuracy
3. Updated after each sprint

21. Customizing Scrum
• Plan-Level
 Deploy to production after each sprint?
 Adding “Technical Debt” and UAT/Launch Sprints
• Within Sprints
 A mid-point reading of the User Stories
 By-feature Sprint Review approvals

22. Sprint Duration
Factors
 The need for speed
 The overhead of Sprint planning & properly prepped client demos
 Demonstrable progress & wow factor
 Client review burnout
 Recovery time for the sprint “Oh %$&!” moment
 Recommended Default Starting Point: 3 weeks
 Should be re-assessed and agreed with team on ongoing basis

23. Stage 3: Rollout
• Implement Pilot Lessons Learned
• Agile Process & Tool Rollout
• Training & Comms. Plan Rollout
• PMO and KPI Reporting Rollout
• Cross-Team “Scrum of Scrums”
Rollout
• Team Coaching
Image: nasa.gov

24. Initial Team Training
For new projects, a 1-hour intro session is enough
Like Scrum itself, get Sprinting ASAP
Mandatory, short reading: The Scrum Guide
13 pages of text, covers all the “rules”
https://www.scrum.org/Scrum-Guide

25. More Training Tips
• Expect someone new each Sprint
• Start each Sprint Planning Session with a 10-
minute Sprint Planning Overview Deck
• If at all possible, send your Scrum Master to a
public, classroom certification Course
• http://www.scrumalliance.org/courses-events/course?type=Csm
• Informal Monthly Agile Brown Bag Lunches
Image: scpoliycouncil.org

26. In Conclusion…Key Scrum Implementation Factors
Treat as a formal project
Drinking the Koolaid - Pilot, learn, adjust, implement
Respecting & incorporating real-world existing budget and
approval processes
Company-specific customization - Scrum as an approach, not a
doctrine!
Time provided to allow for the fundamental change in the way the
enterprise works
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Example of a Hybrid Scrum One-Month Sprint Delivery Approach

28. Questions?

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