tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7930876570525471458.post4996842511814236656..comments2023-09-08T07:50:02.120-04:00Comments on Agile & Business: Explaining Agile to your brother-in-lawJoe Littlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13413810050491070483noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7930876570525471458.post-83348288690018476322007-03-13T09:44:00.000-04:002007-03-13T09:44:00.000-04:00Hi Cam, Perhaps you are familiar with Defined Pro...Hi Cam,<BR/> Perhaps you are familiar with Defined Process vs Empirical Process, as Ken Schwaber talks about it.<BR/> What I find remarkable is how close the Toyota process for producing cars is to SW dev. You would think that cars would be mass production via a defined process. But they want quality and human-focus and adaptability and low inventory (and lots of other stuff), so they make it the Lean way. See the Poppendiecks, if you haven't yet. Regards.Joe Littlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13413810050491070483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7930876570525471458.post-69171283271863405502007-03-13T09:07:00.000-04:002007-03-13T09:07:00.000-04:00I agree. When attempting to explain Agile to othe...I agree. When attempting to explain Agile to others outside of the software development business I find it helpful to put it in context to things people can relate to. Eg, methodologies like waterfall approach software development in the same way a basic manufacturing process is run. All tasks are well defined and can be scheduled and linked neatly together to produce the final output. <BR/><BR/>But software development isn't a well defined process...there are many uncertainties, unknowns, it's human centric, etc, and therefore attempting to manage the process in the same way a manufacturer would is not ideal. Enter Agile...etc.Cam Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00874658516848052646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7930876570525471458.post-58339975821603120072007-03-13T08:33:00.000-04:002007-03-13T08:33:00.000-04:00I think it makes more sense to discuss common busi...I think it makes more sense to discuss common business problems in delivering software development projects. These problems may, for some of us, be characterised by Waterfall, but in reality the problems agile development seeks to address are symptoms of other methdologies and many home-grown approaches too.<BR/><BR/>Kelly Waters<BR/>www.allaboutagile.comKelly Watershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17507745125859750885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7930876570525471458.post-77221316593893070792007-03-12T15:56:00.000-04:002007-03-12T15:56:00.000-04:00Ummm. I look at Waterfall as a proposed solution t...Ummm. I look at Waterfall as a proposed solution to the problems, and being inadequate. (Perhaps better than where we were in 1969, but not where we need to be now.) <BR/> Are you suggesting that I should say more about Waterfall? My feeling is that most of these "newbies" often don't know waterfall, and if they do, our point should be...dealing with the real problems, not so much one inadequate solution. (Sidebar: Waterfall has almost as many variations as there are projects that use it.) Still, with some people, you do need to address Waterfall.<BR/> Make sense?Joe Littlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13413810050491070483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7930876570525471458.post-83323607962773591422007-03-12T12:47:00.000-04:002007-03-12T12:47:00.000-04:00At the beginning you mention Agile is a response t...At the beginning you mention Agile is a response to a problem..and imply that Waterfall is the problem (at least that's the way I read it). Is it worthwhile expanding on that? Does your dad, mom, brother-in-law know what Waterfall is?Cam Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00874658516848052646noreply@blogger.com