Planning

The Fluid Nature of Agile Development A key tenet of agile software development is embracing change during the development process. Agile methodologies value responding to changing requirements and priorities over strictly adhering to pre-defined plans and schedules. This fluidity and flexibility runs counter to the rigid sequential nature of Gantt charts, which assumes tasks and…

The Problem of Oversubscribed Resources Overcommitted resources refer to situations where more tasks, processes, or requests are allocated to a system or team than it has the capacity to handle effectively at a given time. This can occur when too many responsibilities and workflows are assigned without factoring in resource constraints, unpredictable delays, or team…

The Problem of Repeatedly Finishing Sprints Early Agile software development teams working in sprints often face the issue of repeatedly completing user stories and finishing sprints earlier than planned. This consistent pattern points to systemic problems in the sprint planning and estimation process. When sprints continually finish ahead of schedule, it leads to frustration for…

Calculating Overlapping Time Intervals When managing multiple projects that overlap in their timelines, it becomes critical to accurately track and measure the unique effort and duration across those initiatives. Calculating total months or hours can be deceiving when timespans coincide, resulting in inflated perceptions of workload and timeline. Therefore, properly accounting for intersection is key….

Why Initial Estimates Matter Creating initial estimates is a vital component of agile release planning that sets expectations for both project scope and schedule. Though rough in nature, initial estimates help inform critical decisions around feature prioritization and sequencing during sprint planning sessions. By dedicating upfront effort towards estimation, teams can determine project velocity and…

Understanding Resource Allocation in JIRA JIRA provides robust tools for resource management and capacity planning across multiple projects. The software allows managers to view capacity and allocation across teams, set velocity rates for sprints, and track progress to budgets and schedules. However, optimizing allocation across competing priorities can be challenging. JIRA coordinates resource distribution by…

Why Research Gets De-Prioritized The pressurized environment of sprint planning often leads product teams to deprioritize open-ended research in favor of feature development. Two primary factors contribute to research taking a back seat: The Pressure to Show Progress Iterative frameworks like agile Scrum focus heavily on tangible artifacts as markers of progress. The sprint review…

Defining Effective Leadership Effective leadership starts with setting a clear strategic vision for the organization. An effective leader paints a compelling picture of the desired future state and where the organization aims to be in 5 or 10 years. This vision provides long-term direction and rallies all employees towards a shared goal. The leader ensures…

The Challenges of Multi-Step Processes Multi-step development processes often involve complex interdependencies between tasks that need to be managed carefully in agile environments. Some key challenges include: Handling dependencies between tasks – When a task depends on the output of another task, delays can cascade through the project plan if not handled correctly. Maintaining clarity…

Defining Project Complexity Complex software projects involve multiple interconnected components and dependencies between modules, frameworks, databases, APIs, and other systems. This interconnectedness leads to uncertainty and unpredictability during development. Complex projects also often have conflicting stakeholder needs that must be balanced and prioritized. Key attributes of complexity include: Integration with multiple internal and external systems…