Agile is a hot topic and is having a major influence on how we all think about software, both as developers and as consumers. The idea of capability arriving in huge waves is set to become a thing of the past, as we adopt techniques to stream capability in line with consumer expectation. I see this transition in two parts:

• Embrace new software delivery models.
  From requirements and user stories to iteration commitments and user deliverables.
• Retain flexibility as a core software design concern.
  Smart design is essential to ensure there is an architectural framework to support iterative delivery.

So what does this mean? Well, we know a lot about these things independently, the exciting part is in putting the concepts together. This got me thinking; we’ve spoken a lot about testing within an agile delivery model, but maybe we should consider testing to determine how Agile the deliverable is. One approach is for the SVT team to put in a request for an additional user story, or story variation, and measure the resulting impact in some way. For example, number of additional story points, estimated delivery date, or impact to the backlog etc.

Following-on from Arthur’s last post, I felt that I should offer an analogy, and the Landrover story seems an appropriate one. The first Landrover was produced in the Late 1940s as a simple but practical vehicle. Its highly versitile design has evolved over the last sixty years, achieving iconic status, and Landrover continue to produce a vehicle which borrows elements from the concept. In my view, the flexibility of the Landrover platform has played a big part in its success. As user requirements have emerged or changed, a Landrover variation has been delivered to meet it rapidly.

Tags: agile, svt, time-to-market

This entry was posted on Monday, December 8th, 2008 at 22:38 by Richard Coppen. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.