AgileCamp 2014 Track 1: Enterprise Scaling Patterns and Anti Patterns, Monica Yap, Agile Coach

16. Pattern Name
Depending on Roadmap & Release Planning
Aspect
Dependencies
Problem
Multiple dependencies within a project across teams, hardware and software technologies
Context
 Dependencies not realized until it’s too late
 Difficult to plan with dependent teams
 Issues came up for dependencies not resolve in time
 Integration issue across dependent teams
Solution
 When conducting high level roadmap planning, identify dependent team(s), involve their leaders in roadmap
planning together
 Dependent team(s) participate in release planning, involve– create & groom their stories, estimate,
sequencing stories, slot stories in sprints within release window, commit together
 Track dependency status and conduct regular release plan review with representatives from each
dependency team
 Conduct Scrum of Scrums during those sprints where stories have dependencies across teams,
representatives from each team
 Release demo across each team
Where it used
Precor fitness, across 3 client consoles teams, 1 backend teams, 1 hardware team

17. Pattern Name
Plan for the New & Maintaining the Old
Aspect
Large Scale Planning
Problem
Have existing mature products, and developing next generation for multiple product lines
Context
 Need to produce new product(s)
 Needs to fix bugs and produce small existing product enhancement regularly
 Team specialize only in silo business domain, creating problem down the road when in maintenance mode
Solution
 Use iterative methodology (Scrum) for developing new product(s)
 Use Kanban for existing product enhancement and bug fixes
 Rotate delivery team to focus on new product development vs. maintenance, every quarter
 Streamline release planning, only for dedicated product teams
Where it used
GE Healthcare, out-patient product line, across 10 delivery teams

18. Anti-Pattern Name
Anti-Pattern - Plan for the New & Maintaining the Old
Aspect
Large Scale Planning
Problem
Have existing mature products, and developing next generation for multiple product lines
Context
 Need to produce new product(s)
 Needs to fix bugs and produce small existing product enhancement regularly
 Team specialize only in silo business domain, creating problem down the road when in maintenance mode
Ineffective Solution
 Each development team develop for new product as well as maintaining existing product
 Put a large size story as place holder for bug fixes in each Sprint
Where it used
A large online payment company

19. Anti-Pattern Name
Permafrost
Aspect
Role & Responsibility Outside
of Team
Problem
Multi layers of management, teams are Agile, managers are not
Context
 Middle managers still in command-in-control mode
 Managers assign tasks for each team member
Ineffective Solution
 Development managers play dual roles as ScrumMaster and manager
Where it used
A large eCommerce company

20. Pattern Name
Keep it close and keep it far
Aspect
Dispersed Organization
Problem
Multiple development centers across the world
Context
 Distributed specialties across different time zones and locations, e.g. developers, testers, UX
Solution
 Re-organize teams to maximize co-location to form cross functional teams, with the following preference
order
o Co-located within same location
o Time zones with maximum overlapping time
 Re-organize work space to allow members from same delivery team in the same office space
 Whenever team member leaves, back fill in the same location where the majority of team members resides
Where it used
Large online payment company, teams across US, APAC, India

21. Pattern Name
Remote Product Owners
Aspect
Dispersed Organization
Problem
All Product Owners are in one location, development teams are else where with large time zone gaps
Context
 Remote Product Owners or business stakeholders from the delivery team
Solution
 Create proxy Product Owner role local with the delivery team members
 Regular sync-up and Q&A sessions between delivery team and Product Owner, e.g. PO attend team standups
2 times a week
 Use collaborative space for offline communication, e.g. wiki
 Delivery team record demo as soon as each story is completed, PO accept/not-accept story based on
recorded demo
 Use high bandwidth communication mode during ceremonies, e.g. video conference
Where it used
Areva, delivery teams in Shanghai, POs in west coast US