Menu Expand
Agile Foundations

Agile Foundations

Peter Measey | Chris Berridge | Alex Gray | Richard Levy | Peter Measey | Les Oliver | Barbara Roberts | Michael Short | Darren Wilmshurst | Lazaro Wolf

(2015)

Additional Information

Book Details

Abstract

Agile practices transform the way organisations carry out business and respond to change. But to realise success, an Agile mindset needs to be adopted throughout an organisation. This book is aimed at those working in an Agile environment or wanting to understand Agile practices. Giving a comprehensive introduction to Agile principles and methodologies, it will enable the reader to apply core values and principles of Agile.
This book has been written by a team of world-class Agile practitioners and business transformation consultants, all of whom either work or have worked with Radtac Ltd, combining hundreds of years of Agile experience. Peter Measey (lead author and editor) has been supporting businesses worldwide to implement Agile since 1994.
Agile Foundations provides a much-needed overview of Agile, the new values, principles and mindsets, and the innovative methods that are driving improved software development outcomes worldwide. A great read for every manager and leader embarking on an Agile journey.
Dean Leffingwell
This book outlines a pragmatic view across all Agile frameworks. Its approach is at the heart of how we continually evolve the delivery and cultural effectiveness of our organisation.
Andrew Lee
It's refreshing to see a well-balanced review of Agile and its methods. A text like this is long overdue. I'm encouraged to see Kanban presented in its rightful place in the history of the Agile revolution.
David J Anderson
Agile practices transform the way organisations carry out business and respond to change. But to realise success, an agile mindset needs to be adopted throughout an organisation, not just within the IT team. This book is aimed at those working in an Agile environment or wanting to understand Agile practices. Giving a comprehensive introduction to Agile principles and methodologies, it will enable readers to apply core values and principles of Agile methods in their organisation. This is the official textbook for the BCS Foundation Certificate in Agile.
This book provides a comprehensive and balanced view of the various Agile approaches. This information is particularly important for those considering adopting Agile as it allows informed decisions to be made and ensures the style of Agile chosen actually fits with the culture and constraints of the organisation where it will be used.
Mary Henson

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Front Cover Cover
Copyright iv
CONTENTS v
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES viii
CONTRIBUTORS x
SECTION REVIEWERS xiii
GLOSSARY xiv
PREFACE xvi
INTRODUCTION xviii
PART 1 INTRODUCING AGILE 1
1. WHAT IS AGILE? 2
1.1 THE HISTORY OF AGILE 2
1.2 THE AGILE MANIFESTO 4
2. THE FOUNDATIONS OF AGILE 11
2.1 THE AGILE MINDSET 11
2.2 DELIVERY ENVIRONMENTS AND AGILE SUITABILITY 13
2.3 THE LIFECYCLE OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT 16
2.4 THE ‘IRON TRIANGLE’ 18
2.5 WORKING WITH UNCERTAINTY AND VOLATILITY 21
2.6 EMPIRICAL AND DEFINED PROCESSES 22
3. AGILE AND THE BUSINESS 26
3.1 THE ECONOMIC CASE FOR AGILE 26
3.2 BUSINESS CULTURE AND AGILE 29
4. AGILE MYTHS 33
PART 2 A GENERIC AGILE FRAMEWORK 37
5. GENERIC AGILE PROCESS 38
5.1 AGILE OPERATING MODEL 39
6. COMMON AGILE ROLES 42
6.1 THE CUSTOMER 43
6.2 THE TEAM 45
6.3 THE AGILE LEAD 48
6.4 THE STAKEHOLDERS 50
7. COMMON AGILE TECHNIQUES 53
7.1 STORIES AND BACKLOG REFINEMENT 53
7.2 AGILE ESTIMATION 60
7.3 AGILE PLANNING 62
7.4 AGILE TESTING 65
8. COMMON AGILE PRACTICES 69
8.1 SHORT FEEDBACK LOOPS 69
8.2 FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION 70
8.3 DAILY STAND-UPS 75
8.4 SHOW AND TELLS 76
8.5 RETROSPECTIVES 77
8.6 EMERGENT DOCUMENTATION 81
8.7 VISUAL BOARDS 83
8.8 SUSTAINABLE PACE 86
8.9 FOCUS ON QUALITY 87
8.10 MAJOR AGILE TECHNICAL PRACTICES 88
PART 3 APPLYING AGILE PRINCIPLES 91
9. INDIVIDUALS AND INTERACTIONS OVER PROCESSES AND TOOLS 92
9.1 MOTIVATED AND TALENTED INDIVIDUALS 92
9.2 EMERGENT DESIGN FROM SELF-ORGANISING TEAMS 97
9.3 TEAM DYNAMICS 99
10. WORKING SOFTWARE OVER COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENTATION 103
10.1 SATISFY THE CUSTOMER AND CONTINUOUS DELIVERY OF VALUE 103
10.2 DELIVER WORKING SOFTWARE FREQUENTLY 107
10.3 WORKING SOFTWARE AS A MEASURE OF PROGRESS 108
10.4 TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE AND GOOD DESIGN 109
11. CUSTOMER COLLABORATION OVER CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS 112
11.1 BUSINESS PEOPLE AND DEVELOPERS MUST WORK TOGETHER 112
11.2 REFLECT AND ADJUST (INSPECT AND ADAPT) REGULARLY 113
12. RESPONDING TO CHANGE OVER FOLLOWING A PLAN 114
12.1 EMBRACE CHANGE 114
13. SIMPLICITY 119
13.1 FIT-FOR-PURPOSE PRODUCTS 119
13.2 FIT-FOR-PURPOSE DELIVERY 120
PART 4 AGILE FRAMEWORKS 124
14. MAJOR AGILE FRAMEWORKS 125
14.1 EXTREME PROGRAMMING (XP) 125
14.2 SCRUM 131
14.3 DSDM 140
14.4 AGILE PROJECT MANAGEMENT 147
14.5 KANBAN 148
14.6 LEAN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT 152
14.7 LEAN START-UP 156
14.8 SCALED AGILE FRAMEWORK (SAFE) 159
REFERENCES 165
RECOMMENDED FURTHER READING OR ‘WHAT’S ON OUR OFFICE BOOKSHELF’ 172
INDEX 174
Back Cover 179