RE: XP, Requirements & Selling Organizational Change

Dave, just some short comments ...

> -----Original Message-----
> From: davehane 
> 
> --- In [email protected], "Alleman, Glen B."
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> > (1) What is the felt need for moving from where ever you are now to
> XP?
> 
> Need?  Who said anything about need?  :^)
> 
> Ok, I'm consulting for this client as a QA person on one particular
> implementation though I've had my share of development experience
> (all in traditional SDLC projects).
> 
> Since I'm really a mole, I've been able to observe their processes
> from a distance.  The term "death march" is apropos.  I've seen poor
> quality software, 72 hour work weeks, budget overruns and some
> unhappy employees.
> 
> All in all I view this as an "opportunity" to help a client adopt a
> process that will allow them to create higher quality software in
> less time with fewer resources - and won't wreak havoc on the people
> doing so.  Eventually I also see the client as being able to take
> advantage of "better process" in their outbound marketing.

[>] I'd suggest some type of assessment of what the problem is before jumping into the solution. XP provides many solutions to specific types of problems, but not all problems. Here are some problems types:

(1) Skill sets - do the developers have the skills to produce high quality code. 
(2) Development environment - is there sufficient understanding of the core coding practices - CM, testing, core design processes, core team work processes, for building code.
(3) Product life cycle - is this a high rate of requirements change environment - good for XP. How are requirements (for the service) articulated? Are there resources for the core XP processes - dedicated customer, feedback cycles, etc.?

> > (2) What is the level of maturity of the current processes? E.g.
> are there processes in place or is this an ad hoc development org?
> 
> They have a formal development methodology, though being on the QA
> side I am one step removed from the particulars.

[>] It'd be good to know which one? RUP? Home grown?

> > (3) Are the practices of XP "understood" to any extent by the
> management? E.g. do they have a clue about the concept of process
> improvement and the issues associated with improving software
> development processes?
> 
> I don't know what their understanding of is of XP or any other Agile
> methodology, nor do I have a good feeling (yet) for their
> understanding of process improvement work.  As far as improving
> software development processes go, that's an interesting question.
> The new CTO has
> identified that they continously re-invent the wheel.  He is
> attempting to build a common framework on which they can begin to
> base future applications.  That fact coupled with my pressing the ASD
> issue helped me win a dinner meeting with him next week.

[>] as the public speaking classes advise - known your audience.

> The CTO has a development background.  Plus I called on him in a
> former life.  So that's why I said that I felt confident about
> selling ASD to him.
> 
> Culturally the company doesn't see itself in the software development
> business.  They only see themselves as a purveyor of a service.  The
> fact that they build custom software for each program they sell seems
> to be something of a curiousity, as in "why wouldn't we do it that
> way?"  This is what makes me nervous about introducing something
> new.
> 
> > (4) What is it about XP that attracted you to start there?
> 
> Not sure that I understand this question.  If you mean why do I think
> XP is of value to them, it's because of the end product -- higher
> quality software that does what is needed (or has the most business
> value), etc.

[>] Why XP? Why not Scrum? DSDM? RUP?

> Does this help?
> 
> > Glen B. Alleman

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