Agile2014

This presentation will explore the effects of subtle variances in Agile implementations by drawing upon three business unit transformations I carried out for a single F500 client in the 2009-2013 timeframe. Each of the transformations was contractually independent of the others. However, all three exhibited a remarkable level of contextual similarity that enables the “apples to apples” comparison given in this presentation.



In particular, biz/dev alignment emerged as the #1 determinant of success in each of the three engagements, eclipsing other aspects of implementing Agile at scale such as strategy, funding, corporate processes, metrics, governance and culture. This finding is consistent with my experience in numerous other engagements in matrixed organizations: applying Agile at the team level is usually straightforward, but wholehearted buy-in by the business is essential for scaling.



At a certain level, Agile is all about the role that technology plays in business problem solving. Hence, unless a satisfactory alignment between the business and development is attained, an Agile transformation is not likely to reach the “escape velocity” (to use Geoffrey Moore’s metaphor) required for freeing software development from the pull of the past.