Luca Foppiano has worked on several software projects using agile methodologies like Scrum and Kanban over the past decade. From 2009-2011, he developed an ETL platform using pure Scrum but faced limitations from the team. In 2011-2012, the platform grew to over 100 processes in production but maintenance was difficult with Scrum. Applying Kanban principles to Scrum worked better from 2012-2013 as the platform handled over 200 programs. Since 2013, Foppiano has focused on a workflow system using Prince2 and Scrum with experiments in sprints, peer programming, and retrospectives to continuously improve.

1. Esperienze di vita vissuta
agilmente tra successi e
fallimenti
Luca Foppiano

2. Luca Foppiano
Software engineer @
@whitenoise
blog.foppiano.org
lfoppiano*

3. 2011
2012
2009
2013
now
The Journey

4. 2009 - 2011
ETL Platform
2011
2009

5. 2009 - 2011
ETL Platform
National
patent
offices
CN
US
UK
IT
…
DBs
Platform
100% Development!
!
SCRUM by the book
2011
!
Patent business challenging
!
Limitation were around the team
2009

6. Deployment
CN
US
UK
IT
…
Platform
Plat
TEST
INTG
UAT
OSA
CN
PROD
US
UK
2w
IT
ee
ks

7. ‘Agile’ deployment
3 days
CN
US
UK
Platform
IT
…
TEST
TEST
I0
PROD
x OSA
< 1 week
INTG
UAT
Batch processing: No UAT
PROD

8. Discover your boundaries
What is not agile?
What should be improved?
What cannot be improved?
Focus on one thing!

9. 2011 - 2012
ETL Platform (2)
2011
2012
~100-150 processes in Production
Maintenance mode
1 weeks iterations

10. Length of the sprint
Long sprints vs Short sprints
First experiment worth trying
Sync with the deployment circle

11. 2012 - 2013
ETL Platform (3)
Full maintenance
project
Running more than 200
country programs

12. SCRUM weak points
Doesn’t work well on maintenance project!
Small, frequent and unexpected tasks
Lack of protection from the management
Not respecting the planning invalidate the whole
methodology

13. 2012 - 2013
ETL Platform
Maintaining the normal SCRUM methodology was
too difficult
Kanban principles applied to a SCRUM approach
Planning transformed to a ‘light planning’ of 15
minutes
It worked!

14. Continuous experiment
Experiment, experiment, experiment
Consider going outside your scope: e.g. KANBAN
Remove what doesn’t work

15. 2013 - now
Workflow system

16. 2013 - now
Workflow system
Workflow
Firefox
Extension
Platform
Goal: deliver new
features on an existing
application
Data
Access
Layer

17. 2013 - now
Workflow system
Development mode
PRINCE 2 + SCRUM
No team
Skills not easily available on the market
Creativity as skill

18. 2013 - now
Workflow system
After 1 year of experiments:
~1 week focused sprint*
Peer programming as part of the process
WIP max 1 task per person
Retrospective

19. Retrospective
Retrospective is a key point.
Retrospective -> storming -> action points
Retrospective is the driver for continuous
improvements.

20. Q/A
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45842803@N00/2747637336

21. Thank you

22. Some articles from me
http://blog.foppiano.org/2012/10/22/kanban-some-mythsand-truths/
http://blog.foppiano.org/2012/10/29/agile-2-kanban-vsscrum-myths-and-truths/