Agislistic Thoughts , Agilistic Practices

High Traffic Keywords to my blog !

2012-06-07T02:16:00.000-07:00

Hello ,

Today was checking the most traffic to my blog based on the keywords.
spending sometime to know how the traffic comes in to my blog.

The readers come in to my blog by the below mentioned key workd searches!

1. ms build missing reference
2. devenv.exe/installvstemplates - Missing the templates?
3. IIS7 Settings for WCF hosting
4. "Distributed Scrum" Practices
5. Silverlight :Expander within AccordianItem with a theme Applied: sys.InvalidOperationException : AG_E_UNKOWN_ERROR

Will keep adding my Thoughts on Agile , SCRUM, KANBAN, Management Practices soon!

Thanks
Senthil

Effective "Distributed Scrum" Practices

2011-01-13T03:29:00.000-08:00

When it comes to Distributed Scrum, the Agile Teams can be located in more than one location.

Some of the Agile Teams are also planned in 3 locations based on the nature of the Business.
Majority of the Teams are Designed as:Onsite & Offshore teams, there are also other Business Models where in we have a Combination of: Onsite, Offsite, & and also a Near Shore.
Below are few of the best Practises which will help when dealing with Distributed Scrum Teams.

1. Active colloboration Between Distributed Teams:
a. Daily stand up Meeting.
The time can be decided by your teams as per your project schedules.
If you are Having a offshore Team in India and a Onsite team in US or Europe , fix the Right Timing.
During the stand up meeting an Online Compuer Screen needs to be shared between two teams, where the Time Reduced or the Impediments are noted down.
Or if u have a SIMPLE WALL - Maintain the Post-Its Movements with a LIVE WEB CAM.
b. Pairing of Onsite and Offshore Team members:
Pairing is one of the best effetive ways to complete a User Story.
To get started, the SAME user story can be shared by 2 team members - 1 in onsite and other in Offshore.
Also Pair Programming Between the Onsite and Offshore can be done by a Shared Desk Top.

c. Team Members Available in Comminicators or Other Messengers:
All the Agile Team members need to be in the common Messenger- Ex: MS Communicator, Skype , or others.
Creation of Project Chat Groups.MS Communicator , Skype haave the facility of creating project groups and the members dicussions on those chat groups.

d. Online Tools: for Story Tracking: virtual story-task board.

The onsite and Offshore Team members to have a virtual task board if possible.

A Simple WALL in Onsite with Great Colloborations will do for most of the projects, but the wall will be more visible only to the OnSite teams.
WIKI: for User story descriptions, Arch Diagrams uploading , functional specs , team info , contant numbers, project related info getting added will help a lot.
f. Time Difference & Over Lapping between Agile Teams:

Select the BEST Timings for Overlap between the distributed teams.
2. Distributed Sprint Planning:
a. When it comes to Sprint Planning involve both the teams to-gether.
b. Do not get only the estimations from only one team, get from both the teams.-- THIS WILL HELP IN THE OWNERSHIP OF THE TASKS TAKEN UP.
3. Continuous Builds, Continuos Test Automation , Big Visible Cruises : or Big Visible Information Emittors on Either sides:
a. if you are planning for a CI System in place , there needs to be a Information Emittors in OnSite as well as on the Offshore.Ex: Cruise Control, TFS, Hudson, Team City. etc.,
b. Also the Test's Passed \ Failed info should be configured on the CI topology.
c. Sprint Burn downs and product burndown based on User Stories to be available on a SEPARATE MONITOR for both the teams.
4. During Demo:
a. During Sprint Demo's if both the teams are present they all can Hear the VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER!
5.Web Cams: Having Web Cams in both the ends will be a great tool for colloboration.

Thanks
Senthil

AGILE in COTS Implementations(COMMERCIAL OFF THE SHELF) -SAP, ORACLE

2010-11-14T12:44:00.000-08:00

Hello !
In the last 2 weeks had discussions with 2 Different Clients for Agile Implementations for COTS.

1. One was for large Scale of SAP Implementations.
2. One was for large Scale of Oracle Implementations.
There was a lot of misconceptions Agile will work well in COTS Implementations.
Most common points were :
1. SAP, ORACLE are highly desigend and process oriented Implementations which cannot be done in smaller Sprint - Agile Iterations.
2. Agile will not work for projects which needs to be configured for long durations of 8 months or so.
4. We have multiple teams across the globe and we will not be able to do a distributed way of Software delivery with the Agile Model.
5. we cannot do a complete big, huge ERP Implementation without the design frozed and taken like a Water Fall Model.
Had a detailed presentation on how Agile works in Various SW Implementations - Dotnet, Java,etc , ran thorugh the ROI being very much transparent and without no uncertainities.
After a clear detailed discussion on how to we go about with Agile in COTS, both the customers were satisfied, their Mindset change happened.

Both the customers have now shown Green for Agile Adoptions.

Will soon post on the Various points on how the Adoption Moves on!

First win with COTS Customers!!!

,,,
SenthilVel.M

A Scrum Master 360 Degree View

2010-11-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

Today in the Current Business Situations the Scrum should not only restrict only to the Agile Adoption in a Team, and continue with the deliveries related.....BUT ALSO.....should be :

1. Have good People Skills to deal with different situations - handling as a servant leader!
2. Dealing with the Business stake holders - providing enough info on how to Progress on the various schedules.
3. keep in pace with latest techs.
4. having an over all good understanding on the Companies - Enterprise view of Projects\Business on a Holistic View.
5. be a go to person.
6. Helping the teams to Adopt , practice the best Engineerting Practices - TDD, CI, Automated Builds, Estimation Techniques, etc.,
7. Helping the end users as well.

Received my CSP Credentials !!!

2010-11-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

Whats the Process:

1. Become a CSM.
2. Start to use Scrum Adoptions in team(s).
3. Be a person who has gained knowledge on Scrum Adoptions.
4. As a CSM you will be definetely undergoing various agile ways to - Deliver Software, Dealing with Teams and also with Business stake holders.
The Scrum Master in todays scenarions need to have a 360 degree vision on whats around him - Business , teams, Engg practices,latest techs, etc.,
5. I had opportunities to work with Different Agile Teams in the last few years from 2007 onwards.
6. There is no one common pattern, but all different learning from each team as well as from the stake holders also.
7. Once u think u have gained good knowledge on Agile - SCRUM , start to next levels - CSP.
Racap all the best Agile Practices you have implemented in your various Agile Adoptions.
8. You can down load the form from ScrumAlliance - under the coaching menu.
9. Complete the form - be as much as True in filling up the form as Agile States - Openess and Courage.
10.It will be take 2 months or so to get back your results.
If you are reading my blog and if u wanted to knwo on applying for CSP , you can contact me.

All the Best !

Senthil

Working on Scrum Adoptions for SAP Projects

2010-10-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Currently working on a Scrum Adoption for a SAP system.

Overcomming many misconceptions on "How will Agile work with SAP projetcs".

Getting the customer outputs early in the cycle is the Key Sucess for any Project deliverable.

So for this exercise , have started to learn how the SAP development cycles are presently done and can Agile be incorporated.

Once the study is done , will get the best practices and the framework which needs to be done for Agile in SAP Projects.

Now in Sweden - Gothenburg

2010-10-17T03:23:00.000-07:00

This is my First Trip to Sweden.

Also the first Trip to consult for project management, Agile Related consultation, Agile Adoptions.

Agile Manisfesto

2010-10-17T03:15:00.000-07:00

Individuals and Interactions OVER process and tools.
Working Software Over Comprehensive Documentation.
Customer Collboration Over CONTRACT Negotiation.
Responding to a Change Over Following a Plan.

Tasks That will be present in Sprint 0

2010-07-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

Most of the Agile Teams Start off / Kick off the project with the Sprint 0.

This is the Sprint from my experience where most of the below important aspects of the project are getting shaped up or getting started off..

Team Formation- The basic team will be already formed , but this phase the critial skill needs will be addressed.
Architecture of the Project- The base architecture will be laid down and there will be a continuous improvements in the base architecture.
Development tools identified.
Stake holders education on the Agile process getting trigerred.
Hardware,Software procurements.- For Advance server requests, etc.,
Iteration Plannings,Release level Plannings.
Team seating arrangement decisions.[however may change as quiet as possible!]
Build systems. Continouous Integration Topology , Big Cruise Setups, build notifications designs.
Systems for Test builds laydown - getting designed.
Test Frameworks decisions. - How much should be the Test coverage.
Discussions on Agile Engineering Practices to be implemented.
Client \ Stake holder demo tools, etc.,

Sprint 0

2010-07-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

Hi,

As a Certified Scrum Master and an Agile Practising member...It was long since desire to have a Agile Blog of my own!

There were lot many a times, where i thought there needs to be place to share my thoughts on Agile Practices, project Adavantages , Client satisfaction, Team empowerment , and so ....

During this part of my life i was having the luxury on the freedom of my time...

So started with the usuall SPRINT 0 of starting my bloggin!

All the views expressed are my own , gained and read from various knowledge sources...

vist again for more Agilistic Thoughts!