[#ALM] Learned Lessons

Good,

yesterday afternoon I happened to open the internal session of Avanade commenting on my experience in theShowcase last year. If you don’t know the work of the Showcase, simply comment that it is a partnership between Accenture, Avanade and Microsoft with the aim of show business scenarios real, based on Microsoft technologies.

As well, initially I was going to comment as we have organized our TFS, as we change the chip with each new application that we created and each new customer we have, as we are faced with new technologies, etc. But then I realized that perhaps in 20 minutes it is best to share some lessons which we have learned to work on such projects. I will not put all the points but yes I will leave a couple of them.

We must periodically adjust our ALM process to serve the purpose of the project

In my case, I do not measure the speed of my computer and not think with story points and if someone gives you a look at my BurnDown charts, safe that has a heart attack. However, I have an elastic team, in a month can be only 4 people in 4 different projects and then climb up to 40 on a same project. With these metrics in mind is very difficult to measure the speed of a computer, and not to mention estimate.

As also the members of the teams are changing, the skills that we also are elastic. Beware, be very well that in a homogeneous team everyone should be able to perform any task. But reality says that a person who has experience in a task will X make it faster than one that not; that Yes for 2nd person is an opportunity to learn a little.

On this basis, and after thinking about it and take turns, decided to start to adapt good practices of Scrum and Agile to the “team”. And of course, always trying new things to see which gives us a better result. For example, we are now under the theory of the estimate without hours of the Edu, we’ll see how it is going.

Done is DONE (DoD, Definition of Done)

This if very important point and applies to all the teams and projects. Before you begin to work, define tacitly or in writing that is DONE for the team. In my case, the concept has changed and I think still we do not have it very in tune, even though we are on track. My stakeholders (not Product Owners, long to explain but very interesting) have a lot to say on the matter.

The quality of the materials coming from the team is also closely related to this point. We always have to work with the mind set on maintaining high levels of quality. These 2 lines above are the typical lines that look like a horoscope, serve any. However, apply best practices, have a minimum of quality metrics to control, serve as a reference point to ensure a job well done. Also in our case not only is it compile, pass the test and work on production; We have to have a subsequent approvals that frightened even to vampires of twilight. Here come the Uats’ap.com, distributed teams, functional sessions, etc.

Works with HPT (High Performance Teams)

Try to always work with the best in your team. Ojo, to here where you see me, I am my own worst, but keep the moral high and incentive to work with the best people is something that I have learned that it is essential. The test beam, coupled to a crack with a ‘normal’ person and you can have 2 possible results

1. The normal person will not feel motivated and will continue to be “normal”

2. The normal person will awaken from their slumber and have a future crack in power

In both cases you lose nothing, so try not cost. (if this is a blog of relief also could tell the bad experiences…)

Collaborates and make it fun

Commented above equipment is an elastic equipment that changes of members each 2 by 3, are in Madrid, Barcelona, London, Seattle, etc. Let’s that if not, we try to have fun and work together, we are facing a very serious problem. We are fortunate to have Lync in the company with which all our non-Presential contacts pass through there. However OneNote + SkyDrive and tfs.visualstudio.com have been the best news for the collaboration that we have discovered this year.

And well, ready the post of reflection. To see that I can say on the matter in December

Saludos @ La Finca

El Bruno