#29463
Adapting to Scrum: Challenges and Strategies 
Read about some of the challenges facing technical writers who create product documentation in a Scrum environment, as well as strategies for confronting these challenges.
Sigman, Christine Marini. Intercom (2007). Articles>Project Management>Agile>Scrum
#27801
The purpose of this article is to define a set of ideal practices for an agile software development project.
McLennan, Liam. Code Project, The (2006). Articles>Project Management>Agile
#31040
Agile methodologies have had a lot of press in recent years. To listen to some people, agile methodologies are the answer to all the ailments that have ever plagued software development from the beginning of the computer age. But what are they, really? And do they really deliver on that promise? The answer is: (drumroll, please) it depends.
Little, Karen. BA Collective (2007). Articles>Project Management>Agile>Methods
#28599
A CIO's Playbook for Adopting the Scrum Method of Achieving Software Agility 
Scrum is a proven, Agile software management method that has been widely adopted by organizations seeking to reliably deliver higher quality software. Scrum is a simple process: it has a small set of interrelated practices and rules, is not overly prescriptive, can be learned quickly and produces productivity gains almost immediately.
Schwaber, Ken, Dean Leffingwell and Hubert Smits. Rally Software Development (2007). Articles>Project Management>Agile>Scrum
#28612
A CIO's Playbook for Adopting the Scrum Method of Achieving Software Agility
Provides a brief overview of the Scrum method as well as 'playbook' of guidelines and tactics for enterprise-wide adoption of Scrum.
Schwaber, Ken, Dean Leffingwell and Hubert Smits. Rally Software Development (2006). Articles>Project Management>Agile>Scrum
#27602
Agile modeling started out fairly complex and it grew a bit into its current form.
Ambler, Scott W. Agile Modeling (2006). Articles>Project Management>Agile>Collaboration
#28597
Five Levels of Agile Planning: From Enterprise Product Vision to Team Stand-up
Existing agile methods often focus on small, single-team projects and overlook the broader impact of large, multi-team and multi-year projects. This paper outlines a distinct planning framework that has been used successfully in large-scale agile software development projects and relies on five levels: product vision, product roadmap, release plan, sprint plan and daily commitment. Each of the five levels of planning addresses the fundamental planning principles: priorities, estimates and commitments. In this paper, the main agile principles are introduced, as well as the Lean principles upon which the agile methods are built. One of those Lean principles, Muri, or overburdening of people, is addressed through the extension of the agile planning process. The extension of the most used agile planning technique (iteration planning) is described in detail, both the motivation for the extension as well as the collaboration practices behind each planning level. In the final chapter, the impact of product complexities on the planning process is evaluated, and a solution to create a smooth flow in the planning/delivery cycle is presented.
Smits, Hubert. Rally Software Development (2007). Articles>Project Management>Agile
#28606
In this offbeat presentation, Jean compares the impediments and obstacles encountered by an Agile mentor with those detailed in Homer's classical reference. Through the presentation and dialogue, you will discover who plays which classical roles in an organization's effort to adopt Agile practices: Cyclops, the Sirens, Poseidon, Circe, Cicones, the Lotus-Eaters, and even the good-and-faithful dog Argus.
Tabaka, Jean. Rally Software Development (2006). Articles>Project Management>Agile
#28598
A Project Manager's Survival Guide to Going Agile
When software development project teams move to Agile methodologies, they often leave project managers behind. Traditionally trained project managers are confused as to what their new roles and responsibilities should be in an environment that no longer needs them to make stand-alone decisions. This paper focuses on re-defining the job of project manager to better fit the self-managed team environment, one of the core Agile principles. Special emphasis is placed on the shift to servant leadership, with its focus on facilitation and collaboration. Mapping of PMBOK knowledge areas to Agile practices is discussed at length. After reading this paper, project managers should have a better understanding of what changes they need to make professionally, and how to make these changes in order to survive the transition to an Agile software development approach.
Sliger, Michele. Rally Software Development (2007). Articles>Project Management>Agile
#28601
Successfully Managing Agile Projects in the Waterfall Enterprise
Agile and waterfall methods are utterly different—from the way projects start to the expected deliverables and release schedules. In a waterfall world, what's an IT enterprise to do? Can agile and waterfall methodologies successfully coexist? The answer is yes, for both the short-term and the long-term. In this presentation, Michele Sliger outlines how to: factor your company's business needs into existing agile processes, streamline requirements and activities and identify specific points where agile and waterfall teams must plan, coordinate, and review progress. Learn how you can make agile processes work in the real-world.
Sliger, Michele. Rally Software Development (2007). Articles>Project Management>Agile
#28600
Tactical Management of Agile Development: Achieving Competitive Advantage
This whitepaper provides an Agile development overview full of techniques, best practices and educational materials.
Leffingwell, Dean. Rally Software Development (2007). Articles>Project Management>Agile
#28603
A Tale of Two Technical Writing Teams
Sometimes considered an afterthought in the product development lifecycle, technical writers often struggle to become part of a performing Agile team.
Broderick, Stacia. Rally Software Development (2007). Articles>Project Management>Agile>Technical Writing
#32997
Adopting User-Centered Design Within An Agile Process: A Conversation
eXtreme Programming and other agile processes provide a middle ground between chaos and over-elaborate processes sometimes referred to as 'death by documentation'. A particular attrtactive aspect of the agile approach for many teams is its willingness to accomodate change no matter how advanced development might be. However, this very flexibility can cause user interface design issues and ensuing usability problems. Adopting a user-centered approach to user interface design can address these issues, as the following simulated conversation between a user-centered design consultant and an XP team leader will explain.
Hudson, William. UIaccess (2002). Articles>User Centered Design>Agile>Project Management
#33454
Agile Development Projects and Usability
Agile methods aim to overcome usability barriers in traditional development, but pose new threats to user experience quality. By modifying Agile approaches, however, many companies have realized the benefits without the pain.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2008). Articles>Project Management>Usability>Agile
#33640
Getting Real About Agile Design
Agile is here to stay. The economic difficulties of the past months have finally put waterfall out of its misery; now more than ever, long requirements phases and vaporous up-front documentation aren’t acceptable. Software must be visible and valuable from the start. For many designers, Agile is already a fact of life (and for those less accustomed, some recommended reading follows at the foot of this article). We are reaching the point where we must either acclimatize or risk being bypassed. The good news is that Agile does allow us to still do the things we hold dear—research, develop a vision, and test and improve our designs—we just need new techniques. Now is the time to get real, and prove design can adapt, if we want to stay relevant in these increasingly unreal times.
Bowles, Cennydd. List Apart, A (2008). Articles>Web Design>Agile>Project Management
