In bespoke software development projects, the majority of C-level executives in major organisations believe that:
- Project management and development are too bureaucratic
- Project management and development processes are not adjusted to the uniqueness of the project
- Project managers spend too much time ‘justifying and explaining’
- Projects take too long to deliver
- Project business cases are poorly-developed, maintained and managed
- The level of transparency around projects is inadequate
- They expect to be “ambushed” at some time in a project
- Most Steering Committees are a waste of time
- Most reports they receive are not accurate
Speed Of Delivery
When done well Agile solves these issues. However, fundamental to the speed of delivery is moving from reactive to proactive governance and implementing a culture of speed to value and agility. Crucially this must be understood by the project and wider business stakeholders for the project to succeed, when this isn’t the case, Agile will be very painful!
Project health needs to be leading the direction and pace of the project. understanding the true picture of project health rather than lagging behind as with other delivery methodologies requires a culture of openness honesty and trust. Our challenge for projects is to look at the objective data, remove emotion, and fear; and produce objective analysis about the genuine status of a project.
Have The Hard Conversations Early
Having hard or awkward conversations early has a net positive effect on the project, and it’s this transparency and forward reporting that C-level executives require to enable rational and planned decision making.
We help businesses to move away from decisions based on the periodic lagging status of a project and allow people to give the project their Continuous Partial Attention. CPA allows people to connect, relate to and understand the project, allowing them to scan the latest data for opportunity and optimise for the best opportunities, activities, and actions, at any given moment.
Projects of this nature will always have unforeseen decision points. Having a culture that accepts, embraces and encourages decisions to be made with the best data available empowers the team to make fast and effective choices.
Remove Reporting And Approval Layers
Removing multi-layered management reporting and approval processes is vital. The focus needs to be changed so that real code and potentially deployable products that are ‘done done’ are the key drivers. Traditional reporting metrics have a place, but these come second to delivery.
Agility is not just about speed of delivery and execution but, more importantly, speed of communication, decision-making, governance and impediment removal. Sponsors, Project Managers, Product Owners and the Project Management Office are all key to this.
Have you ever heard of users giving a project team a standing ovation in a meeting? Igale have received this during sprint demos – showing the delight of users at the functionality and quality of delivery being achieved within a single sprint. And it’s this productivity, and speed of delivery that makes Agile delivery so rewarding.
Faster Delivery And Increased Accountability
Agile methods exhibit a “viral” distribution of behaviours. Key positive drivers will include, increased Sponsor accountability, faster delivery and greater ability to realise benefits, increased transparency, a more change friendly environment, a more challenging environment where people will be known for their delivery; but also an environment where people cannot ‘hide’ if they do not deliver.
The cumulative effect is an environment that is more enjoyable for all stakeholders; an environment that embeds great values, and a team that become renowned for their ability to deliver.
