Discussion 1.6 by Tim Johnson

Control

timjohnsonsomo — 2020-08-05 09:59:42 UTC

Management will worry that they have no control and might waste money if things change.

Contract to start work

timjohnsonsomo — 2020-08-05 09:59:42 UTC

Might not be allowed to start the project until a contract is signed, and the contract might have to include a lot of fixed detail that could change during the project.

timjohnsonsomo — 2020-08-05 09:59:42 UTC

Procurement

People used to specifications

timjohnsonsomo — 2020-08-05 09:59:42 UTC

Management and some team members may feel the need for documentation, especially if they have a traditional project mgmt background (Prince2 etc.).

Budget/scope

2020-11-04 14:21:37 UTC

If there is a lot of change, but you have a fixed budget, you might not achieve enough to deliver the project.

Too much to do

2020-11-04 14:24:07 UTC

Customer may want a lot of features which end up taking a lot of time to explore and prioritise - thereby using time to discuss and put aside features that could have been used on developing essential items.

Forget to document things

2020-11-04 14:25:31 UTC

Projects need documentation to handover to customers and other developers to support the work in the future. You have to focus on the software, but also document it as you go.

Feedback that goes on and on

katejturner85 — 2020-11-11 11:58:52 UTC

You can spend too long focussing on one software increment i.e. the navigational wireframes of a website. Clients can get fixated by minutiae, forgetting the bigger picture, and before you know it weeks have past before you can sign this increment off.

Costing

katejturner85 — 2020-11-11 12:18:27 UTC

How do you cost up a project accurately if you don't know how long it will take from not knowing what the deliverables might change to? Do you charge a set monthly fee?

Difficult for new team members

2020-11-12 11:39:11 UTC

Wihout any focus on process and tools any newcomers to the team during the project may have a steep learning curve to understand how and where to get things from.

Roadmap

2020-11-12 11:42:12 UTC

Selling on a perceived future feature....defining an external roadmap for customers as the requests could change and be fluid.

Senior Leadership & Roadmaps

2020-11-17 14:44:36 UTC

Senior Leadership generally like to see a roadmap with defined project goals and financial costs against it, many aren't comfortable with the 'vagueness' of "at the end of X we'll have something of value".

Contract and SoW

2020-11-17 14:51:01 UTC

Without a defined schedule of works to be attributed to a contract with a vendor, it can be difficult to ensure that what is delivered provides value for the money spent if, as per other comments, deliverables can't be included due to the nature of change.

New team members may find it harder to get up to speed quickly and understand the product without proper documentation.

philliprogers1 — 2020-11-17 15:14:25 UTC

Processes and procedures will be minimal at first and expanded as and when the project advances.

philliprogers1 — 2020-11-17 15:16:47 UTC

Proper Change Management processes and procedures are required, usually administered by a dedicated CM team.

philliprogers1 — 2020-11-17 15:21:23 UTC

Revised Impact Assessments will be required as the scope of the project changes.

philliprogers1 — 2020-11-17 15:27:09 UTC

A workshop or project meeting to start describing the personas on the project is important to determine who are the individuals and the expectations on the outcome of the program or project

2020-12-27 19:20:57 UTC

A minimum acceptable version of the software should be negotiated, with minimum features comes minimum cost and minimum time, saving resources and progressing on alternative tasks

2020-12-27 19:22:26 UTC

assigning a technical authority on the client side working closely with the project manager on the other side is very effective so both perspective and resources are aligned

2020-12-27 19:24:37 UTC

Changes can be the nature of the project so aversion to change is inexistent and more room for innovation and progression is given to the project

2020-12-27 19:25:51 UTC

Procurement or Vendor management teams can be involved very early on at the level of client/provider relationship establishment and create a contractual agreement framework in case they worry about time/budget/scope

2020-12-27 19:28:43 UTC

Could be challenging for those with a set way of working

2021-01-05 14:07:31 UTC

Some individuals or teams may struggle to adapt to a new way of working and may feel challenged that their usual way of working has been changed. They may not understand the value of agile as they are in a mindset that their original working style was fit for purpose

Unease from management at this new style of working

2021-01-05 14:11:22 UTC

Management, who are unfamiliar with agile, may feel nervous about an approach of this kind and may encourage employees to stick to their original methods of securing a clear contract with deadlines and financial costs outlined

Uncertainty from colleagues or teams

2021-01-05 14:13:23 UTC

When things change, colleagues or those within the project group may feel unease at the new direction, unless this is clearly outlined. Good communications and the setting of realistic expectations will be important.

Some people on the project could have difficulties reversing this process if they've worked with processes and tools firstly as opposed to reversing their routine.

2021-01-15 08:25:18 UTC

Awkward conversations

2021-01-15 08:26:31 UTC

Governance and Assurance checks - peer reviews of work can be difficult due to the pace of the work and the 'agile' iterative documentation produced.

saleach — 2021-01-19 10:26:01 UTC

Project Team members and Stakeholders expectations of what will be documented and when - for example expecting a requirements document upfront before any development will begin.

saleach — 2021-01-19 10:27:27 UTC

Teams

2021-01-29 16:18:54 UTC

Every times has a certain way they work together and may not want to change it

Proof

2021-01-29 16:20:30 UTC

Clients/accounts like to see written proof to refer back to

Funding

2021-03-11 08:02:55 UTC

Getting capital expenditure signed off for major project work such as a new site would be challenging without comprehensive documentation and costs. There would need to be buy in and understanding from all stakeholders

Learning Curve

2021-04-10 11:40:24 UTC

There may be resistance to new ideas, especially ones that impact the way we do work.

Acceptance of this idea would require trust and expertise from the individual(s) advocating for it. Potentially would have to come from senior level. For larger organisations this would require training and research.

In domains outside of technology the benefits for Agile ways of working are less clear and existing models of working have a stronger evidence base.

Specific project requirements

2021-04-10 11:48:49 UTC

Some projects may have specific requirements in place to comply with regulations or manage risk resulting in comprehensive documentation.

For example, designing a healthcare system for hospitals would require more QA and longer testing periods.

Record of info

2021-07-06 10:06:04 UTC

At my agency, people often need 'proof' of what has been agreed which is largely recorded in tools and through documentation. More trust

Fear of change

2021-07-06 10:07:13 UTC

A lot of people have worked at my agency for over 20 years, whilst they have experienced much change I think for some this is a barrier. Therefore building in a process based on change could be a challenge.

Trust

2021-07-15 09:17:43 UTC

An Agile project needs to have good communication with the project owner, to be able to gain trust on the team and trust that the product will meet the requirements of project, the client and the end users.

Structure

2021-08-22 13:51:22 UTC

Having a tool can clearly communicate to others that specifics have been discussed.. without this you will need to make sure the right conversations are happening at the right time so 'issues' are not missed.

GMP environment

2021-08-22 13:52:56 UTC

some environments you legally need the documentation even in trial stages

2021-11-03 19:00:12 UTC

Introducing Agile will arise such kind of problem if the team used to use another program. They have to adapt the new program , and it will take time. A simple example, when a programmer uses android, and one day they decide to change computers and start working with ios.

2021-11-03 19:08:04 UTC

This can be especially difficult for the PM, as he is responsible for the success of the project.

2021-11-03 19:16:59 UTC

Customers, stakeholders, sponsor and PM should have a discussion the project, its requirements and needs. Conflict can be according to Charter. Charter it's like without it they can't start a project. They should discuss every detail.

2021-11-03 19:25:02 UTC

It's challenging but everyone knows that during the project we can have changes and we should be ready for it. We have change log and assumption log. Before we start the project we also assume risks( known and unknown) which insure and gives us confidence.

Work Habits & Tools

2021-11-04 03:25:15 UTC

If the team members are used following certain processes and tools, it will take some time for them to adjust with Agile method.

Based on my experience, it can took up to a week just to explain to the team how it will work and how the interactions will play out if we're using Agile methodology.

2021-11-04 03:27:36 UTC

Most of the organisation which are new to Agile methodology will need to remember that documentations are needed but not to the point that we have to waiting for all the documentations to be finished and signed off before we start with the planning/design/development.

Even if they manage to have a smooth transition, they still need to make sure that they won't be drifting back to old habits.

Collaborate with customers and making them part of the processes

2021-11-04 03:30:58 UTC

I've been involved in countless projects in which we negoatiate the contract and work based on the contracts instead of bringing the customer in and as an extended part of the team.

It'll be difficult to educate both the management and the customers on how we will work together and what their role will be. Sometimes there are customers who takes over the role of the PM.

Collaborate with customers and making them part of the processes

2021-11-04 03:32:03 UTC

I've been involved in countless projects in which we negoatiate the contract and work based on the contracts, and it costs us a lot when what written in the contract is binding us and the deadline cannot be negotiated especially when the technical issue arise.

It'll be difficult to educate both the management and the customers on how we will work together and what their role will be. Sometimes there are customers who takes over the role of the PM.

2021-11-04 03:35:24 UTC

I've worked as a BA for almost 5 years, and I've seen what good some changes will do to a project.

A positive changes are always needed, to prevent burnout and give new challenges to the team. But, not all team members are keen to welcome changes. Some of them are even skeptical because they want to keep "how it always have been".

2021-11-26 09:48:33 UTC

Management who continue to measure performance using the same old metrics which don't reflect how Agile changes the way in which the business delivers value.

Interactions

2022-02-07 16:25:31 UTC

Interactions between individuals can in some organisations only be defined by the processes and tools they use. It's then tough to flip the focus and make the tools secondary

Bosses sometimes can't understand how to measure success with agile

2022-02-10 15:09:34 UTC

I have experienced workplaces where line managers have to nail down exactly what you're meant to be doing every minute of the day in order to see if you're "succeeding". This is so not agile! I think a shift in management thinking is necessary to bring agile into the mainstream. A lot of people think it's just a buzzword or jargon for "flying by the seat of your pants"!

Some individuals may be resistant to change and find it hard to motivate themselves without a long list of predefined tasks

2022-05-13 14:25:17 UTC

Adapting agile to non-software based jobs

aliryland — 2022-11-30 17:28:29 UTC

2023-01-10 15:56:18 UTC

May be a grey area if deliverables cannot be defined at stage of contract. It may mean that in the contract the amount or type of deliverables is outlined roughly, with them being subject to change.

Scope/SoW

2023-01-10 15:56:53 UTC

Without defining the final deliverables in the SoW, it may cause confusion/miscommunication around what is and isn't included in the initial scope agreed by the client. They may be reluctant to agree to a cost if they're unsure of exactly what they're going to get

Communication

2023-02-21 18:38:58 UTC

Prioritising Individuals and Interactions is key. That initial communication helps to identify the right processes and tools for the job. Because of this, I don't see it as being a problem, I see it as being common sense. If someone is adopting that level of communication and prioritisation for the first time, then perhaps it may come as somewhat of a surprise - i.e. a team or process is ready to get started in the way they are used to, but are delayed because there needs to be an initial discussion with additional stakeholders to identify whether or not the usual team are suitable for the needs of the upcoming project. I can't see this being too problematic though.

2023-02-21 18:43:13 UTC

Comprehensive documentation is important to a point, but if it's causing analysis paralysis then it's no good. Getting a product or service out there is beneficial so that you learn as you go. I can see this being problematic for those with old-school mindsets though. Those that need extensive documentation, with every possible outcome accounted for, before they feel comfortable to move forward, will find this way of working challenging.

2023-02-21 18:47:20 UTC

Collaborating with the customer ensure the focus remains on the customers desired outcome, not an outcome that suits the company at a predetermined budget. Ensuring the dialogue remains open and a continual service improvement model is implemented, then close collaboration with the customer ensures there aren't any hidden surprises and that the work is completed to a satisfactory level. Those panicked by numbers, guidelines, specifics and SLAs over XLAs will find this way of working tough.

2023-02-21 18:49:36 UTC

Being able to adapt is key in the digital world. Advancements are made all the time, changes occur regularly. Being too rigid to divert from the original plan could be shooting yourself in the foot. Those set in their ways will struggle with this.

Ongoing development

2023-03-29 11:20:41 UTC

Without documentation how is project intelligence past on to others, say for example a developer leaves with all the knowledge. Surely this is a big risk?

lisaschoenenberg — 2024-06-06 08:22:55 UTC

-More direct communication and collaboration
-Breaking down rigid hierarchies

lisaschoenenberg — 2024-06-06 08:23:21 UTC

-Focus on regular provision of functional software
-Reduction of the documentation effort

lisaschoenenberg — 2024-06-06 08:23:38 UTC

-Continuous customer involvement and feedback
-Higher customer satisfaction

lisaschoenenberg — 2024-06-06 08:23:53 UTC

-More flexible and adaptable projects
-Better response to changes in requirements