Jeff Briggs
Senior Consultant
Capstone Consulting
Who’s working (or has worked) on an Agile
project?
Who’s working on a “kinda Agile” project?
Of the others, who knows very little about
Agile?
My Experience/Background
Agile Overview
Success for BA in Agile
Business Analyst Duties in an Agile Project (in
my humble opinion)
Open Discussion/Questions/Comments
Agile Manifesto
17 Developer-types get together and try to decide
on how to do things. Agreed on four main values:
- Individuals and interactions over processes
and tools
- Working software over comprehensive
documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract
negotiation
- Responding to change over following a
plan
We follow these principles:
Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive
advantage.
Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
BUSINESS PEOPLE AND DEVELOPERS MUST WORK TOGETHER DAILY THROUGHOUT
THE PROJECT.
Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job
done.
THE MOST EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE METHOD OF CONVEYING INFORMATION TO
AND WITHIN A DEVELOPMENT TEAM IS FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION.
Working software is the primary measure of progress.
Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant
pace indefinitely.
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.
The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly .
*From Agile Alliance
Scrum is an agile development methodology for
developing products by managing work in an
iterative manner
Scrum teams are optimally five to nine people,
but is often more. Can be scaled to include
many more.
Scrum works exceptionally well on software
development projects
Because the business is involved from the start,
less chance requirements are misinterpreted
Easier to adapt to changing requirements
Working software in the hands of the user
earlier
Few errors due to constant testing (and errors
are dealt with quicker)
The Team constantly learns the business, the
technology, and the application
Scrum only defines three roles:
Product Owner – Defines what work will be done
Scrum Master – Enables Team to perform best
work
Development Team – Builds the product
Scrum only defines three roles:
Notice: BUSINESS ANALYST IS NOT A NAMED
ROLE!
No absolute formula. Every team/company is
different
Contrary to some individuals’ opinions, not just
anyone can be a good Business Analyst
Requires Training
Requires Experience
Requires a “dynamic personality”
Still does some documentation
You are still a Business Analyst!
Still interacts/is liaison with the business
Become well-versed in Agile/Scrum
Learn the business
Be the right-hand of the Product Owner
Analyze!
Learn to write good stories and acceptance
criteria (conditions of satisfaction)
Facilitate
Requirements gathering
Scrum Ceremonies
Misc Meetings
Learn how to do the Scrum Master job
Write test cases and test
Training
Take a real interest in the development process
Be ready willing and able to do whatever
enhances the Team’s ability to perform the job
A good Business Analyst is (still) worth their
weight in gold
BE A LEADER!
A Business Analyst can be an extremely
important member of any Agile Team
While the specific tasks may change, Business
Analysis is “alive and well”
Developers LOVE a “good BA”
It’s up the individual BA to make their mark (but
that hasn’t ever changed)
Always be looking for what you can do, where
you can add value (and then do it!)
Try not to be “pigeon-holed”
Constantly learn. Take a class
Work your tail off (but you would anyway,
right?)
Become an Agile “expert”
*In My Humble Opinion
Question/Comments
Contact me
Jeff Briggs
Capstone Consulting
Jeff.briggs@capstonec.com