1. Case Study:
Agile won’t work here… Really?
connect. demonstrate. collaborate
Mainframe and Agile – A Match Made in Heaven?
Candi Rai
Nationwide Insurance

2. Agenda
• Why this topic
• Case Study
• Nationwide Application Development Center
• Challenges and Solutions for the mainframe projects
• Lessons learned
• Culture Transformation
• Continuous improvements
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3. Mainframe Projects
• Technology
– Applications created in different eras with different
design and development approach
– Often involve cross-platforms collaboration with other
technologies
– Modernization is on the way
• Process
– Governed by rigid processes
• People
– Most are on the application for years
– COBOL and mainframe are not focus areas in colleges
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4. ESD Agile
Enterprise Service Delivery Methodology (EDSm)
ESD Agile
Initiate + Solution Scoping -> Iteration 0: Backlogs Creating &
Release Planning
Design+Development+Implement -> Iteration Cadences
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5. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
Challenge: Difficult to produce features/epics and agree upon
how to approach development
Bottom Line:
– Reverse-engineer to produce requirements
– Group the changes by business function or by technical
relevance
– Do small incremental deliveries
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6. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
Challenge: Urgency for commitment to a release date
Bottom Line:
– T-shirt size each feature
– Allow lower velocity for first few iterations
– Plan 90% capacity throughout
– Deliver features with highest Business value first
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7. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
Challenge: Urgency to begin coding
Bottom Line:
– Identify and address blockers and gaps (skills, tools,
environments)
– Adequate environments ready to avoid wait state
– Build NFR (non-functional requirements) validation into
interations
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8. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
Challenge: Rigid testing processes and environments with pre-
determined release schedule
Bottom Line:
– Master testing strategy discussed/understood
– Engage external dependencies early
– Set expectations of the level of involvements for integrated
applications, infrastructure support and testing support
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9. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
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10. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
Challenge: Produce reasonable size of story card with clear
defined acceptance criteria
Bottom Line:
– Small story card is essential to the success of Agile
– Collaborate with extended team SMEs
– Manage requirement activities as Release card or Tech
card
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11. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
Challenge: Skeptical about TDD/ATDD or pair programming
Bottom Line:
– Test Driven Development, delivery quality when lack of
functional knowledge
– Pairing to cross-train functions
– Pair developer with tester!
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12. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
Challenge: Continuous integration is difficult and time-
consuming
Bottom Line:
– Plan for longer cycle
– Identify the “core” of the changes and write unit tests to
cover the core area
– Automated iteration testing can be a “batch”
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13. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
Challenge: Interesting and meaningful show & tell. A challenge
to any project that has no user screen
Bottom Line:
– Show & Tell always provides quick feedbacks, another
essential key for success.
– Persistent. Show flows, green screen setup, etc. till actual
outputs
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14. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
IT/ST/PT Testing
Smoke test, system integration, system test, user acceptance
test. Shortened test cycles with automated testing being
the norm and manual testing the exception.
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15. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
Challenge: Many integrating points across applications,
environments and release
Bottom Line:
– Signoff Master Testing Strategy in early iterations to
develop a good test plan
– Spend time planning upfront and ensure all dependent
applications know the integrating points and expected
deliveries
– Manage testing and release activities via Release cards
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16. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
Challenge: End-to-end automated testing can be too expensive
or too difficult
Bottom Line:
– Start automation with areas that produces highest ROI.
Continue the efforts as project progresses.
– Manage the work (tech cards) through IPM
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17. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
In Their Own Words ..
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18. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
Product Owner
The Application produced over one
million combined policies, roughly translates
In Their Own Words ..
into a savings of $500,000 in print and
postage costs. Survey showed increase in
customer satisfaction. Overall, the results
are a direct result of the product and quality
Team is producing.
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19. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
IT Delivery Executive
At a recent ITLT, I gave you a preview of the
great success we were experiencing on the
Combined Dec & Bill project. The project utilizes the
Animal House line in the ADC which is made up of
both ADC and BSA resources.
I wanted to follow back up with a summary of
the results we have seen. I think you will be
impressed by the team work, thought leadership and
value created by this effort. It is truly embracing our IT
strategy!
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20. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
Asset Owner
Changes in the analysis, development
and testing domains have provided
significant improvements in team
performance. These translate into tangible
business benefits.
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21. Iteration -1 Iteration 0 Iteration n* IT/ST/PT Testing Deployment
Application SME
Agile has made a good difference in delivery for
me for the way it breaks down the big picture into
small pieces. The big picture can be overwhelming
and difficult to manage. Agile breaks it down into
smaller pieces, making it feel more manageable
and not so intimidating.
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22. Lessons Learned
• Culture Transformation
– Best SME(s) may not be the best match for Agile
– Allow/Encourage the team to be self-managing
• Continuous Improvements
– Story card
– TDD and Test Automation
– Team retrospective
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23. Q&A
Candi Rai
raip@nationwide.com
mobile 614 580 5425
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