Prolay ChaudhuryPractice Lead & Lead Solution Architect| Chaudhury, Inc.Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Dear Flocks,
Scope Creep - The one line definition - what business has asked to develop is not matching with the product delivery by the IT implementation team. Moreover, It implementation team deliver the right scope, but business has changed their minds after going through the developed application (Further enhancement, significant change management and so on and so forth).
The difference between the Business and It implementations Team is a boiling topic, and both the parties have their viewpoints and expectation over each other. What are the secret sauces for the Architects and the Project Managers to handle the diverse business stakeholders who are sponsoring the project and implement it successfully with the Agile methodologies and also maintaining the coordination with different dependent departments?
Looking for the expert suggestions and comments. Saving Changes...
Anupam, I am also an active practitioner. As you know in the real world situation we do not play copy book or follow the best practices. In the real world project environment, you will never get a perfect environment where everything will be defined and measured correctly.
As you can understand in reality, the timelines are set by the business and IT implementation team always run to fulfill the same. Now the Architect and Project managers (also the stakeholders) are in painful situations.
I started the topic by thinking of Agile/Waterfall practices and also considering the popular Architectural frameworks like Togaf and Zachman.
Saving Changes...
saurabh mahajanPMP, ITIL, PRINCE2| vodafonePune, Maharashtra, India
This issue might arise because one of the stakeholder(influential one) was not included from the start when the scope looking at the backlog was not involved. Also, try and look at the sprint review and retrospective meeting logs if you can find any discrepancy in the delivery.
it's the product owner who should decide if the delivered is as per expectations. If not going back to the approved scope will be beneficial to conclude the conflict. This approved scope of the sprint/release should have come from product owner. Plus looking at the backlog included in the release should give you clear picture what was asked.
Still if there are new changes demanded then better to include them in backlog (new RFC's) and decide on the release to include them.
Check for DevOp's path to take Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
It is simple: to have a good change control system. And it does not matter the type of life cycle model you are using (adaptative or predictive). And it is critical to avoid the "vs.".
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1 reply by Prolay Chaudhury
Dec 28, 2016 8:57 AM
Prolay Chaudhury
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Agreed, @Sergio, but it depends on the context as per as my experience and understanding.
Saving Changes...
Prolay ChaudhuryPractice Lead & Lead Solution Architect| Chaudhury, Inc.Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Dec 27, 2016 12:50 PM
Replying to Anupam
...
Anupam, I am also an active practitioner. As you know in the real world situation we do not play copy book or follow the best practices. In the real world project environment, you will never get a perfect environment where everything will be defined and measured correctly.
As you can understand in reality, the timelines are set by the business and IT implementation team always run to fulfill the same. Now the Architect and Project managers (also the stakeholders) are in painful situations.
I started the topic by thinking of Agile/Waterfall practices and also considering the popular Architectural frameworks like Togaf and Zachman.
...
1 reply by Anupam
Dec 28, 2016 8:05 AM
Anupam
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Prolay, I don't agree on your thought of best practices. It's not that you copy, but learn from the experience.
You are welcome to take the expert advice :)
Thanks!!
Saving Changes...
Prolay ChaudhuryPractice Lead & Lead Solution Architect| Chaudhury, Inc.Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Secondly, I am looking for the perspectives of Business Stakeholders rather than, IT Program/Project Managers, Architect and the project implementation team.
It will be good hear their voice on this controversial topics. Saving Changes...
Anupam, I am also an active practitioner. As you know in the real world situation we do not play copy book or follow the best practices. In the real world project environment, you will never get a perfect environment where everything will be defined and measured correctly.
As you can understand in reality, the timelines are set by the business and IT implementation team always run to fulfill the same. Now the Architect and Project managers (also the stakeholders) are in painful situations.
I started the topic by thinking of Agile/Waterfall practices and also considering the popular Architectural frameworks like Togaf and Zachman.
Prolay, I don't agree on your thought of best practices. It's not that you copy, but learn from the experience.
You are welcome to take the expert advice :)
Thanks!!
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1 reply by Prolay Chaudhury
Dec 28, 2016 8:56 AM
Prolay Chaudhury
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Anupam, I do not believe there are any best practices in especially in Indian context. When the unexpected expectations from Strategic and Higher management are getting mobilized and thrown to the IT implementation and operation team, all the academic, and prior experiences (Here I meant Agile, Scrum, Product Owner and so and so forth) started vanishing. There is one and only pressure to the project team to complete the project with the impossible deadline.
And for a large project as an Architect we need to consider the E2E design of the whole process automation :) Which itself is very challenging due to the diversity, timezone and the project priorities and pipelines.
So, It is going to be the injustice if we think it only from the Agile perspective. I am talking about the whole organizational goal.
Secondly - By the word diverse Team I meant the Multi-Vendor project team. The project team members are coming from the different vendors.
Scope creep is unmanaged scope changes. As Sergio pointed out, all you need it to clearly manage scope changes and you will avoid scope creep. Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
Hi Prolay, I am not a Business Stakeholder, however, I would like to share my thoughts anyway.
Regardless of looking at from the perspectives of them vs IT, it is not like that. It is a team. Working out Loud, transparency, inclusion ... all should be a vital aspect of the project. There should be no surprises. Any change is to be handled through change management. Is it a scope change, or a requirement update (blue instead of green is not a scope change -- simple example, but a gets my point across)
In my experience, centralizing the project, exposing project information, and inclusion has greatly made my projects more successful.
I also agree with Anupam's response about copy best practice. Saving Changes...
Prolay ChaudhuryPractice Lead & Lead Solution Architect| Chaudhury, Inc.Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Dec 28, 2016 8:05 AM
Replying to Anupam
...
Prolay, I don't agree on your thought of best practices. It's not that you copy, but learn from the experience.
You are welcome to take the expert advice :)
Thanks!!
Anupam, I do not believe there are any best practices in especially in Indian context. When the unexpected expectations from Strategic and Higher management are getting mobilized and thrown to the IT implementation and operation team, all the academic, and prior experiences (Here I meant Agile, Scrum, Product Owner and so and so forth) started vanishing. There is one and only pressure to the project team to complete the project with the impossible deadline.
And for a large project as an Architect we need to consider the E2E design of the whole process automation :) Which itself is very challenging due to the diversity, timezone and the project priorities and pipelines.
So, It is going to be the injustice if we think it only from the Agile perspective. I am talking about the whole organizational goal.
Secondly - By the word diverse Team I meant the Multi-Vendor project team. The project team members are coming from the different vendors.
...
1 reply by Anupam
Dec 28, 2016 9:14 AM
Anupam
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Sorry to say but that's not really true :)
There are best practices and especially in Indian context.
Saving Changes...
Prolay ChaudhuryPractice Lead & Lead Solution Architect| Chaudhury, Inc.Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Dec 28, 2016 4:56 AM
Replying to Sergio Luis Conte
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It is simple: to have a good change control system. And it does not matter the type of life cycle model you are using (adaptative or predictive). And it is critical to avoid the "vs.".
Agreed, @Sergio, but it depends on the context as per as my experience and understanding.
...
1 reply by Sergio Luis Conte
Dec 28, 2016 12:03 PM
Sergio Luis Conte
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You have two posibilities: adapt to context or change the context. If you adapt to context then you have to accept scope creep and you do not have to have concerns about it.
