http://13.50.150.85/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=WinWin 2026-07-14T17:03:51Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.43.3 http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6874 2014-12-01T22:15:32Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Back-logging, Development, Adaptation and Finishing. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed advised to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision” &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;/ref&gt; . &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;/ref&gt;]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM implementation across industries &lt;ref&gt; Conforto et. Rebentisch. The Building Blocks of Agility as a Team Competence. 2014 &lt;/ref&gt;.]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6864 2014-12-01T22:12:26Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision” &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;/ref&gt; . &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;/ref&gt;]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM implementation across industries &lt;ref&gt; Conforto et. Rebentisch. The Building Blocks of Agility as a Team Competence. 2014 &lt;/ref&gt;.]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6847 2014-12-01T22:07:06Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision” &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;/ref&gt; . &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;/ref&gt;]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM implementation across industries &lt;ref&gt; Conforto et. Rebentisch. The Building Blocks of Agility as a Team Competence. 2014 &lt;/ref&gt;.]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6845 2014-12-01T22:06:29Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision” &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;/ref&gt; . &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;/ref&gt;]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM implementation across industries: based on &lt;ref&gt; Conforto et. Rebentisch. The Building Blocks of Agility as a Team Competence. 2014 &lt;/ref&gt;.]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6830 2014-12-01T21:59:00Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision” &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;/ref&gt; . &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;/ref&gt;]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6824 2014-12-01T21:57:24Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision” &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;/ref&gt; . &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model &lt;ref name=three/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6822 2014-12-01T21:56:53Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision” &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;/ref name=three&gt;. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model &lt;ref name=three/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6819 2014-12-01T21:56:17Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision” &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;ref&gt;. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model &lt;ref name=three/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6816 2014-12-01T21:55:51Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision” &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;ref name=three/&gt;. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model &lt;ref name=three/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6805 2014-12-01T21:53:12Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision” &lt;ref&gt;Beedle &amp; Schwaber. Agile Software Development with Scrum 1. Edition &lt;/ref&gt;&lt;ref name=three/&gt;. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model &lt;ref name=three/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6801 2014-12-01T21:51:22Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision” &quot;'Attrup &amp; Olsson 2012 – Power i projekter og portefølje 2. Udgave''&quot; &lt;ref name=three/&gt;. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model &lt;ref name=three/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6797 2014-12-01T21:49:44Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision” &quot;'Attrup &amp; Olsson 2012 – Power i projekter og portefølje 2. Udgave''&quot; &lt;ref name=three/&gt;. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model based on &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;ref name=four/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6788 2014-12-01T21:46:05Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model based on &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; <br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6781 2014-12-01T21:43:08Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=four/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6779 2014-12-01T21:42:20Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 9(8):28– 35, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=four/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6776 2014-12-01T21:41:45Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 9(8):28– 35, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles &lt;ref&gt; Riis &amp; Ove 2008 – Adræt projektledelse &lt;/ref&gt; <br /> <br /> is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=four/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6766 2014-12-01T21:38:35Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: &lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 9(8):28– 35, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=four/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> = References =<br /> &lt;references /&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6763 2014-12-01T21:37:08Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: ”&lt;ref&gt; Fowler, Highsmith et. al. ''The Agile Manifesto''. Software Development, 9(8):28– 35, 2001. &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=four/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6752 2014-12-01T21:32:05Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=four/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6745 2014-12-01T21:30:58Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=four/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|300px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6738 2014-12-01T21:29:53Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=four/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[File:MIT_survey.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 2 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=two/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6724 2014-12-01T21:26:26Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> [[File:SCRUM.png|400px|right|thumb| Figure 1 - APM model based on &lt;ref name=four/&gt;]]<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=File:MIT_survey.png&diff=6720 2014-12-01T21:25:49Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div></div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=File:SCRUM.png&diff=6717 2014-12-01T21:25:12Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div></div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6700 2014-12-01T21:19:31Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6693 2014-12-01T21:16:49Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM TOOLS==<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==APM MODEL==<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ==Implementation==<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6690 2014-12-01T21:16:09Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM TOOLS=<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM MODEL=<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Implementation=<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6686 2014-12-01T21:15:13Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM TOOLS=<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM MODEL=<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Implementation=<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6683 2014-12-01T21:14:22Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM TOOLS=<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM MODEL=<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Implementation=<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. <br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6677 2014-12-01T21:12:39Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM TOOLS=<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM MODEL=<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =Implementation=<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination.<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> =Successful Case: Mobile Pay=<br /> <br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. <br /> <br /> '''Do it today:''' Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Empowerment and trust:''' On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Optimistic sprints:''' If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6669 2014-12-01T21:10:24Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM TOOLS=<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM MODEL=<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Vision phase:''' In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Back-logging phase:''' This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Development phase:''' This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Adaptation phase:''' The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Finishing phase:''' When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Implementation:<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination.<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. <br /> <br /> Successful Case:<br /> <br /> Mobile Pay:<br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. <br /> <br /> Do it today - Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. <br /> Empowerment and trust – On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about.<br /> Optimistic sprints - If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. <br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6660 2014-12-01T21:08:31Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM TOOLS=<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”.<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Timeboxing:''' The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM MODEL=<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> Vision phase: In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. <br /> <br /> Back-logging phase: This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. <br /> <br /> Development phase: This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. <br /> <br /> Adaptation phase: The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product.<br /> <br /> Finishing phase: When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Implementation:<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination.<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. <br /> <br /> Successful Case:<br /> <br /> Mobile Pay:<br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. <br /> <br /> Do it today - Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. <br /> Empowerment and trust – On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about.<br /> Optimistic sprints - If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. <br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6658 2014-12-01T21:07:39Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM TOOLS=<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”.<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> '''Consensus building:''' Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. <br /> <br /> Timeboxing: The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> APM MODEL<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. <br /> <br /> Vision phase: In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. <br /> <br /> Back-logging phase: This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. <br /> <br /> Development phase: This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. <br /> <br /> Adaptation phase: The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product.<br /> <br /> Finishing phase: When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Implementation:<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination.<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. <br /> <br /> Successful Case:<br /> <br /> Mobile Pay:<br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. <br /> <br /> Do it today - Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. <br /> Empowerment and trust – On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about.<br /> Optimistic sprints - If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. <br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6655 2014-12-01T21:06:46Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Process''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM TOOLS=<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”.<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> Consensus building: Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. <br /> <br /> Timeboxing: The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> APM MODEL<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. <br /> <br /> Vision phase: In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. <br /> <br /> Back-logging phase: This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. <br /> <br /> Development phase: This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. <br /> <br /> Adaptation phase: The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product.<br /> <br /> Finishing phase: When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Implementation:<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination.<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. <br /> <br /> Successful Case:<br /> <br /> Mobile Pay:<br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. <br /> <br /> Do it today - Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. <br /> Empowerment and trust – On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about.<br /> Optimistic sprints - If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. <br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6649 2014-12-01T21:05:31Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''1. Value &amp; Quality'' – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''2. Timeliness –'' The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''3. Direction and Vision'' – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''4. Communication and collaboration'' – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''5. Flow and pace'' – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''6. Competent and empowered team'' – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> ''7. Simplify'' – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM TOOLS=<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”.<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> Consensus building: Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. <br /> <br /> Timeboxing: The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> APM MODEL<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. <br /> <br /> Vision phase: In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. <br /> <br /> Back-logging phase: This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. <br /> <br /> Development phase: This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. <br /> <br /> Adaptation phase: The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product.<br /> <br /> Finishing phase: When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Implementation:<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination.<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. <br /> <br /> Successful Case:<br /> <br /> Mobile Pay:<br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. <br /> <br /> Do it today - Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. <br /> Empowerment and trust – On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about.<br /> Optimistic sprints - If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. <br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6640 2014-12-01T21:00:52Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> 1. Value &amp; Quality – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> 2. Timeliness – The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> 3. Direction and Vision – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> 4. Communication and collaboration – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> 5. Flow and pace – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> 6. Competent and empowered team – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> 7. Simplify – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> =APM TOOLS=<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”.<br /> <br /> '''Daily Standup Meeting:''' This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions: &lt;br&gt;<br /> *What did I do yesterday?<br /> *What will I do today?<br /> *Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> Consensus building: Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. <br /> <br /> Timeboxing: The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> APM MODEL<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. <br /> <br /> Vision phase: In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. <br /> <br /> Back-logging phase: This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. <br /> <br /> Development phase: This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. <br /> <br /> Adaptation phase: The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product.<br /> <br /> Finishing phase: When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Implementation:<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination.<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. <br /> <br /> Successful Case:<br /> <br /> Mobile Pay:<br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. <br /> <br /> Do it today - Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. <br /> Empowerment and trust – On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about.<br /> Optimistic sprints - If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. <br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6633 2014-12-01T20:58:11Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> 1. Value &amp; Quality – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> 2. Timeliness – The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> 3. Direction and Vision – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> 4. Communication and collaboration – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> 5. Flow and pace – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> 6. Competent and empowered team – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> 7. Simplify – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> APM TOOLS<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”.<br /> <br /> Daily Standup Meeting: This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions:<br /> • What did I do yesterday?<br /> • What will I do today?<br /> • Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> Consensus building: Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. <br /> <br /> Timeboxing: The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> APM MODEL<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. <br /> <br /> Vision phase: In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. <br /> <br /> Back-logging phase: This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. <br /> <br /> Development phase: This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. <br /> <br /> Adaptation phase: The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product.<br /> <br /> Finishing phase: When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Implementation:<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination.<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. <br /> <br /> Successful Case:<br /> <br /> Mobile Pay:<br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. <br /> <br /> Do it today - Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. <br /> Empowerment and trust – On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about.<br /> Optimistic sprints - If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. <br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6629 2014-12-01T20:57:18Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Category:Agile]] [[Category:Project Management]] [[Category:Agile Project Management]] [[Category: Complexity]] [[Category: Uncertainty]]<br /> <br /> <br /> = Introduction =<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> <br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> <br /> *Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> *Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> *Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> *Responding to change over following a plan<br /> <br /> <br /> == APM Principles ==<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Regarding the Product''' &lt;br&gt;<br /> 1. Value &amp; Quality – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project. &lt;br&gt;<br /> 2. Timeliness – The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process: &lt;br&gt;<br /> 3. Direction and Vision – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly. &lt;br&gt;<br /> 4. Communication and collaboration – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project. &lt;br&gt;<br /> 5. Flow and pace – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. &lt;br&gt;<br /> 6. Competent and empowered team – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. &lt;br&gt;<br /> 7. Simplify – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. &lt;br&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> APM TOOLS<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”.<br /> <br /> Daily Standup Meeting: This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions:<br /> • What did I do yesterday?<br /> • What will I do today?<br /> • Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> Consensus building: Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. <br /> <br /> Timeboxing: The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> APM MODEL<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. <br /> <br /> Vision phase: In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. <br /> <br /> Back-logging phase: This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. <br /> <br /> Development phase: This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. <br /> <br /> Adaptation phase: The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product.<br /> <br /> Finishing phase: When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Implementation:<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination.<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. <br /> <br /> Successful Case:<br /> <br /> Mobile Pay:<br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. <br /> <br /> Do it today - Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. <br /> Empowerment and trust – On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about.<br /> Optimistic sprints - If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. <br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=APM_-_Agile_Project_Management&diff=6615 2014-12-01T20:50:55Z

<p>WinWin: Created page with &quot; Introduction Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was develope...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div><br /> <br /> <br /> Introduction<br /> Agile project management (APM) first appeared in 1991 in the form of agile manufacturing. However, it was not until 2001, when the Agile Manifesto was developed, that the agile approach became increasingly popular. The Agile Manifesto originated in the software industry, where it quickly became widespread due to Man’s entrance into the computer age.<br /> In general, agile project management can be of great use in projects where the solution is not obvious, where the surroundings are ever changing and where the project plan itself can risk being changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the customer’s demands on the product might change as well as the project manager’s access to resources and personnel. All these uncertain parameters give rise to new requirements to the manager’s qualifications in order to maneuver through the project landscape. The APM theory gives the project manager a set of new tool to deal with these challenges, as the essence of APM is to be able to adapt and work efficiently in an ever-changing environment. It can be summarized in the Agile Manifesto below: <br /> ▪ Individuals and interactions over processes and tools<br /> ▪ Working software over comprehensive documentation<br /> ▪ Customer collaboration over contract negotiation<br /> ▪ Responding to change over following a plan<br /> A more elaborate version can be found in “Twelve Principles of Agile Software”<br /> <br /> APM Principles:<br /> One of the cornerstones in the agile approach is the ability to adapt to any given situation, embrace changes and make the best out of them. The following principles of APM should therefore only act as a general guideline to draw inspiration from. Depending on the situation, various tools within the APM framework may be drawn out for usage. The overall theme of the 7 principles is to focus on value creating activities for the sake of the customers/users, who are paying for the project, and to minimize any nuisances or disturbances in the project like bureaucracy or incompetent team members. It also advises the project manager to make use of direct forms of communication in regards to both the developers and the consumers to draw mutual inspiration and insight from one another. Finally it urges the project leader to optimize the use of all available resources and empower the project team as much as possible in order to have a smooth and fast running project.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Regarding the product:<br /> 1. Value &amp; Quality – End product has to add value to the customer and be of excellent quality, thereby positioning both the company and the customer in a more favorable position than prior to the project.<br /> 2. Timeliness – The delivery and commissioning of the products must be in accordance to the customer’s needs. Whenever and whereever.<br /> Regarding the process:<br /> 3. Direction and Vision – The vision of the project must continuously guide the directing of the project. New circumstances or discoveries may change the vision and thus the direction must change accordingly.<br /> 4. Communication and collaboration – The end users/consumers must continuously be a part of the work process. Getting a steady stream of feedback and elaborations on wishes and demands make for a better product. Keeping in mind who the product is for and collaborating with them is crucial for the success of the project.<br /> 5. Flow and pace – The projects must deliver fast and often, thus the project should ideally consist of many small iterations (milestones). If the project at some point gets too complicated and complex, it has to be restructured and simplified. The idea is to create a workflow of high intensity and continuity. <br /> 6. Competent and empowered team – The project team must ideally consist of competent people who have been empowered to make as many decisions as possible. This allows for fast decision-making and keeps up the workflow. However, it requires a high level of trust from the executive management level. <br /> 7. Simplify – It is essential to simplify all work and decision processes and consequently avoiding all non-value creating activities. Additionally, any sort of communication should be simple and direct be it face-to-face conversations, telephone conferences or short meetings. Finally all project specifications, results, plans and status must be simple, up to date and visible for all project members. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> APM TOOLS<br /> In order to help the project manager uphold the principles of APM, many tools have been developed. This section will describe some of the most commonly used tools and techniques currently used in APM. The techniques in focus are the Daily Standup Meetings (SCRUM meetings), Consensus Building and Timeboxing. Other tools such as backlogging, velocity measurements and story points have not been included in this article. However, further inquiry into APM tools can be found in “PMI: Agile Certified Practitioner”.<br /> <br /> Daily Standup Meeting: This tool is positively the easiest and most commonly used tool in APM. The Daily Standup Meeting is a brief 15 minutes status report meeting at the beginning of each day. The framework of the meeting is very simple. Every single project team member answers the same 3 questions:<br /> • What did I do yesterday?<br /> • What will I do today?<br /> • Are there any obstacles in my way and what do I need in order to overcome these obstacles?<br /> <br /> Consensus building: Coming to an agreement when making decisions is important throughout the project. In other words, aligning expectations and including all project members in this continuous process. The result is a more committed, engaging and hardworking team, because they feel a sense of ownership. However, consensus building must not over shadow the principle on “flow and pace”. There are countless tools that the project manager can make use of to teach the team to quicker and better decisions. The book “Coaching Agile Teams” explores many of these tools and techniques. <br /> <br /> Timeboxing: The practice of timeboxing is a tool for the project team to divide the work of the whole project into smaller boxes with a fixed length. Each box/iteration normally takes 3-4 weeks to complete depending on the type of project. It is important that timeboxing is done correctly in order for the project to run at a steady pace, because any unfinished work in one iteration will automatically be stacked on top of the next iteration, thus causing unnecessary stress. However, there are also benefits from using this approach. Due to the limited time frames of each iteration, it causes an increase in productivity and gives the team a sense of completion after each iteration, consequently making the whole project seem more manageable.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> APM MODEL<br /> The APM model is designed to optimize execution and delivery for any given project. There are various APM models depending on the branch of APM and the type of project in focus. The following is a generalized model that consists of 5 project phases: Vision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt and Finish. Even though the figure does not show Vision in a loop, it is indeed possible to continuously revise the Vision following the third principle of APM on “Direction and Vision”. <br /> <br /> Vision phase: In this phase the project team focuses their energy on discussing and establishing the overall vision for the end product, followed by a rough sketch on who needs to be involved, group dynamics and deliverables. <br /> <br /> Back-logging phase: This phase focuses on defining the content of the back-log, which in essence is the work that needs to be done. Hereafter, it divides the work into small parts of equal workload and establishes a sprint plan. <br /> <br /> Development phase: This phase kicks off the project for the entire project team. Responsibilities are delegated in order to create a self-organizing team consisting of active, responsible and empowered workers, who are able to perform optimally. It is also in this phases that the project manager has to continuously manage all the stakeholders, which includes both the executive managers as well as customers, legislation and all other important stakeholders surrounding the project. In order to complete a successful project, it is crucial to constantly align expectation, especially with the executive management level. <br /> <br /> Adaptation phase: The results from the exploration phase are revised and analyzed from various angles. Adjustments may occur as a result of the analysis and will be implemented in the next speculation phase. This loop consisting of speculation, development and adaptation will continuously improve the scope and the quality of the product.<br /> <br /> Finishing phase: When all the building blocks from each iteration/sprint are done, the final product can be put together and delivered to the customer. It is also in this phase that reflections on the project are made in order to continuously improve the process for future projects. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Implementation:<br /> An implementation of APM is possible in almost any type of project or in any business branch due to the flexible nature of the methodology. The essence of agile project management is much like a stream of crystal clear water running effortlessly through the landscape. The stream does not try to force its way over high hills or deep mountains. It flows around obstacles in its path, constantly adapting to its surroundings. It’s a force of nature. Nothing can stop it from reaching its destination.<br /> Even though APM can be applied almost anywhere, it might not always be beneficial. For projects with high complexity and high level of uncertainty it does indeed make sense to implement the APM approach. However, for low complexity and low uncertainty project, like type house building or franchising projects, a traditional project management approach is most likely to have an equally successful outcome. Figure 2 depicts the results from a worldwide survey conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The graph shows 856 participating companies, who all use APM, divided into 17 industry sectors. The software industry is topping the list with almost 170 companies. On the other hand the food production industry is at the bottom of the list with merely 10 companies using APM. This leads to an important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey. It shows that industries with higher degrees of creativity and freedom are more prone to implement APM, while companies with lots of manual labor or who are restricted by heavy legislation rely more on the traditional project management methods. <br /> <br /> Successful Case:<br /> <br /> Mobile Pay:<br /> An example of a successful implementation of agile project management is the Danish app called Mobile Pay, which is an application for mobile payments produced by Danske Bank in 2013. The project that ultimately led to the application was started merely 6 months prior to its release date. It happened as a result of Danske Bank’s exit from the sector wide collaboration on a mobile payment app, because Danske Bank believed that they could make a much better product by themself. This was unheard of because it was an unwritten rule for the industry to collaborate on all infrastructural projects – mobile payment being under that category. <br /> As previously stated, the project team had only 6 short months to make a brand new, functioning mobile payment application. Reason being that they wanted to launch Mobile Pay before the industry launched their product, thus giving Danske Bank a head start. <br /> The project manager on Mobile Pay, Rasmus Søren Korsgaard, applied the agile approach on the project and thereby got all the benefits from APM. However, the standard agile approach alone was not enough to ensure the success of the project. When asked about it Korsgaard mentioned the 3 principles that he lived by, to have a chance at making it in time for the extremely short deadline. <br /> <br /> Do it today - Do not wait and do not let other people wait. Time was of the essence so everything had to happen double time. Instead of doing the meeting tomorrow, it should be done right there on the spot whether it was in the coffee machine, the parking lot or the men’s room. <br /> Empowerment and trust – On high profile projects with short running time, it is crucial to demand empowerment from the top level of the organization. Otherwise too much time will be spent bureaucratic and non-value creating activities. Furthermore, the project manager should empower the team member enabling them to make decisions on the spot if necessary. Trust is what it is all about.<br /> Optimistic sprints - If the project manager sets up optimistic, but not impossible, deadlines then he/she discreetly urges the team to try harder, because it does not seem out of reach to finish the sprints in times. <br /> <br /> The results for Mobile Pay speak for themselves. Presently, there are more than 1.3 million registered users of the application in Denmark with more than 700.000 not being customers of Danske Bank. In other words, they have somewhat captured almost three quarters of a million customers from their competitors. Another benefit from exiting the industry wide collaboration is that Mobile Pay is owned solely by Danske Bank. This is that the application can easily be launched in any country, where Danske Bank is present. <br /> This incredible outcome is not all thanks an intelligent project manager or APM for that matter. It is a result of the next stage of agile project management. Even if it was only for a brief moment in time, Danske Bank ascended into being an agile organization that can adapt to its surroundings and make the most of any situation and where empowerment and trust is given it its employers. <br /> For further information about Mobile Pay please read “Case Study of Mobile Pay” from the DTU directory.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=Talk:Designing_Project_Teams&diff=3359 2014-11-25T19:42:36Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>== Review by Keyser-sözer ==<br /> <br /> review use of commas, i have removed ones that are unnecessary. a few sporadic grammar or spelling errors, i have also changed them myself where I can. all sections that I have suggested changes towards are chronological so that they are easier to find within the body of the text.<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;How it will be advantageous to combine the individual teams in relation to current project and departments. It sheds light on whether each team need specific roles to solve a given task optimally (campion M, 1996).&quot; <br /> <br /> i have removed the use of 1st person from this section, you use the sentence &quot;in my opinion&quot;, avoid 1st person in an academic article. &quot;In order to complete a project successfully, it is important that there is a good relationship and good cooperation among the team members. As it is a part of humans social needs. (Hein 2009)&quot;<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;When a number of people included in a group with others, consume each person a form of role.&quot;<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;At the same time as providing awareness of own and other team roles better internal acceptance of colleagues' strengths and weaknesses in teamwork.&quot;<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;Over the nine years analyzed and observed by Belbin and his team, the factors which influence whether a team was successful or failure. His research resulted in particular in two conclusions (Mullins 2007).&quot;<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;The organizer(s) are motivated by their sense of loyalty to the rest of the team, therefore, they often also the acidic tasks that others would otherwise let lie. Often the organizer however seen as inflexible because they find it difficult to leave their own thoughtful plans and structures&quot;<br /> <br /> There have been a few sections where I have had to change &quot;he&quot; or &quot;she&quot; to they. Avoid being gender specific. This is particularly apparent in the nine roles section.<br /> <br /> Consider reviewing the whole of the nine roles section. Some words and sections are clumsy. The strengths and weaknesses section is strong, quick and to the point, however the descriptions of each role are poorly worded. I have changed a lot myself but there are a lot of words that could be changed to something more formal eg &quot;Resource investigators, however, often have to get input from others as there is a danger that they will get bored themselves and thus become ineffective in the group (Belbin 2010).&quot; Don't use the words &quot;get bored&quot; here. Definitely worth considering using a stronger synonym for a lot of words within this section.<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;The intermediary shall ensure social cohesion, where the roles are bound together and creating team spirit. The intermediary would then like that all is well, which can result in conflict-avoidance. At the same time, the intermediary may be a little invisible in the team, but only until they are gone and the small discussion starts to flare up (Belbin 2010).&quot;<br /> <br /> The two ending sections are clumsy, &quot;team performing&quot; and &quot;conclusion&quot;. Team performing is clumsy in its wording, review how you have interlinked sentences and review some of the grammar. Likewise with the conclusion, however also consider reviewing what is being conveyed by the conclusion. A few words on how the Belbin Team Development tool could be improved could be considered along with more of a focus on the tool, your thoughts seem very disjointed, like you are not really drawing a conclusion at all until you reach the last two sentences.<br /> <br /> Overall, the first few sections introduce the tool well. You have covered the need for a tool that defines a team and then you have went on to explain how Belbin's tool solves this problem. The Nine Roles section is good for defining exactly what the tool covers, however it definitely needs a few adjustments here and there. The ending section is relatively disjointed, you need to focus your thoughts a bit more potently, maybe include some argumentation about how well the tool performs its job. The report certainly includes the foundations for being a strong article.<br /> <br /> <br /> *editing note- i have said where wording needs to be changed instead of changing it myself because I am uncertain of what you are trying to say. If you are having problems rewording these sections yourself, please message me and try to explain what you are trying to say, I would be more than happy to change it myself if I knew what you were trying to say.<br /> <br /> == Peer review - Different ==<br /> <br /> * Many sources. Nice structure. Easy to read in most sections!<br /> <br /> * A very bold statement from the beginning! I like it, but it might require a source. (The most common characteristics of Danish companies are, that for each project, they are composing a new team)<br /> <br /> * I probably wouldn't write &quot;my&quot; in an article like this. Try rephrasing it to &quot;The article&quot; or something in that direction. Specifically this line: &quot;As lunching and building the project teams is the most important stages of starting up a project, my research in this article is to find out how Belbin’s team development-concept will help to ensure the right teams in projects&quot;<br /> <br /> * In the section &quot;Designing teams&quot; you use the word &quot;team&quot; 5 times. While I do understand it is necessary to use it a couple, 5 times might be going a bit overboard.<br /> <br /> * The reference of (Hvenegaard 2003) might just be needed once in the first paragraph of designing teams<br /> <br /> * You write: &quot;Over the nine years analyzed and observed Belbin and his team&quot; It should just be: &quot;Over nine years Belbin and his team analyzed and observed&quot;<br /> <br /> * You write: &quot;Belbin defends 9 roles, which he means a person may take in the context of a group.&quot;. It would probably be better with: &quot;Belbin defines 9 roles, which a person may take in the context of a group.&quot;<br /> <br /> * There is quite a few grammatical errors in your article, and I've noted here some of them, but it would be an extensive process to catch them all. I'm convinced that you are a Dane, since your English sounds a bit Danish at times. Maybe you could look through it again, with a spell check on, or maybe get some help rephrasing some of the sentences that sounds &quot;Danglish&quot;<br /> <br /> * &quot; and a number of questionnaires&quot; are there more than one questionnaire? A questionnaire can contain several questions, but I'm not sure if this is what you mean?<br /> <br /> * &quot;I&quot; and &quot;my&quot; are used a couple of times in the section of section as well<br /> <br /> * Good description of roles.<br /> <br /> * The word &quot;weakness&quot; misses a capital letter in two places.<br /> <br /> * There are a few punctuation errors in this section (The Nine team roles) - The word &quot;Strength&quot; has to be moved down a line, in more than one place. (e.g. under Finisher and Shaper)<br /> <br /> * I'm not quiet sure why you are describing some roles as &quot;he&quot; and some as &quot;she&quot;. It might not be necessary to change it, however.<br /> <br /> * Under &quot;Team worker&quot; (also missing capital W), you suddenly start to talk about a &quot;Intermediary&quot;. Is this the same role? Something is definitely up here.<br /> <br /> * Finisher is written with the quotation marks &quot; &quot;. When you aren't doing it with the other roles, it might not be great _just_ to do it here.<br /> <br /> * Under Team Performing(P here should also be capital!) you write: &quot;Belbin has not optimal team size ranges&quot;. Maybe instead: &quot;Belbin has not defined optimal team sizes as it differs from project to project, but he suggests...&quot;<br /> <br /> * Under Team Performing you write that the teams should be balanced, but not really what that entails. Maybe add a couple of sentences about having a balanced team?<br /> <br /> * Under Conclusion &quot;Belbin Team Development is ideal when you want to work with:&quot; might be better as &quot;Belbin Team Development is ideal when you want to attain:<br /> <br /> == Review - WinWin ==<br /> <br /> <br /> =Structure=<br /> * Nice and chronological structure in the article, but could definitely benefit from using more figures to break up the heavy text.<br /> * The language is overall very appropriate and precise. However there are some obvious spelling and grammar mistakes. Taking care of this small matter will lift the article to a whole new level making it a much smoother experience for the reader. <br /> * Try to incorporate tables instead of all the bullet points. It might provide a better overview for the reader. <br /> <br /> =Content= <br /> * There are several very strong paragraphs including the &quot;roles&quot; and &quot;strengths/weaknesses&quot;. <br /> * Very nice to have all the sources. It shows hard work and that the article is reliable. <br /> * Maybe try to have clearer definitions and points throughout the report and make sure nothing is up to the interpretation of the reader. For instance under &quot;Team Worker&quot; you suddenly refer to &quot;Intermediary&quot;, which is the same or something different?<br /> <br /> = Review - WinWin =<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Structure==<br /> * Nice and chronological structure in the article, but could definitely benefit from using more figures to break up the heavy text.<br /> * The language is overall very appropriate and precise. However there are some obvious spelling and grammar mistakes. Taking care of this small matter will lift the article to a whole new level making it a much smoother experience for the reader. <br /> * Try to incorporate tables instead of all the bullet points. It might provide a better overview for the reader. <br /> <br /> ==Content== <br /> * There are several very strong paragraphs including the &quot;roles&quot; and &quot;strengths/weaknesses&quot;. <br /> * Very nice to have all the sources. It shows hard work and that the article is reliable. <br /> * Maybe try to have clearer definitions and points throughout the report and make sure nothing is up to the interpretation of the reader. For instance under &quot;Team Worker&quot; you suddenly refer to &quot;Intermediary&quot;, which is the same or something different?</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=Talk:Designing_Project_Teams&diff=3358 2014-11-25T19:41:59Z

<p>WinWin: /* Review - WinWin */ new section</p> <hr /> <div>== Review by Keyser-sözer ==<br /> <br /> review use of commas, i have removed ones that are unnecessary. a few sporadic grammar or spelling errors, i have also changed them myself where I can. all sections that I have suggested changes towards are chronological so that they are easier to find within the body of the text.<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;How it will be advantageous to combine the individual teams in relation to current project and departments. It sheds light on whether each team need specific roles to solve a given task optimally (campion M, 1996).&quot; <br /> <br /> i have removed the use of 1st person from this section, you use the sentence &quot;in my opinion&quot;, avoid 1st person in an academic article. &quot;In order to complete a project successfully, it is important that there is a good relationship and good cooperation among the team members. As it is a part of humans social needs. (Hein 2009)&quot;<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;When a number of people included in a group with others, consume each person a form of role.&quot;<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;At the same time as providing awareness of own and other team roles better internal acceptance of colleagues' strengths and weaknesses in teamwork.&quot;<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;Over the nine years analyzed and observed by Belbin and his team, the factors which influence whether a team was successful or failure. His research resulted in particular in two conclusions (Mullins 2007).&quot;<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;The organizer(s) are motivated by their sense of loyalty to the rest of the team, therefore, they often also the acidic tasks that others would otherwise let lie. Often the organizer however seen as inflexible because they find it difficult to leave their own thoughtful plans and structures&quot;<br /> <br /> There have been a few sections where I have had to change &quot;he&quot; or &quot;she&quot; to they. Avoid being gender specific. This is particularly apparent in the nine roles section.<br /> <br /> Consider reviewing the whole of the nine roles section. Some words and sections are clumsy. The strengths and weaknesses section is strong, quick and to the point, however the descriptions of each role are poorly worded. I have changed a lot myself but there are a lot of words that could be changed to something more formal eg &quot;Resource investigators, however, often have to get input from others as there is a danger that they will get bored themselves and thus become ineffective in the group (Belbin 2010).&quot; Don't use the words &quot;get bored&quot; here. Definitely worth considering using a stronger synonym for a lot of words within this section.<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;The intermediary shall ensure social cohesion, where the roles are bound together and creating team spirit. The intermediary would then like that all is well, which can result in conflict-avoidance. At the same time, the intermediary may be a little invisible in the team, but only until they are gone and the small discussion starts to flare up (Belbin 2010).&quot;<br /> <br /> The two ending sections are clumsy, &quot;team performing&quot; and &quot;conclusion&quot;. Team performing is clumsy in its wording, review how you have interlinked sentences and review some of the grammar. Likewise with the conclusion, however also consider reviewing what is being conveyed by the conclusion. A few words on how the Belbin Team Development tool could be improved could be considered along with more of a focus on the tool, your thoughts seem very disjointed, like you are not really drawing a conclusion at all until you reach the last two sentences.<br /> <br /> Overall, the first few sections introduce the tool well. You have covered the need for a tool that defines a team and then you have went on to explain how Belbin's tool solves this problem. The Nine Roles section is good for defining exactly what the tool covers, however it definitely needs a few adjustments here and there. The ending section is relatively disjointed, you need to focus your thoughts a bit more potently, maybe include some argumentation about how well the tool performs its job. The report certainly includes the foundations for being a strong article.<br /> <br /> <br /> *editing note- i have said where wording needs to be changed instead of changing it myself because I am uncertain of what you are trying to say. If you are having problems rewording these sections yourself, please message me and try to explain what you are trying to say, I would be more than happy to change it myself if I knew what you were trying to say.<br /> <br /> == Peer review - Different ==<br /> <br /> * Many sources. Nice structure. Easy to read in most sections!<br /> <br /> * A very bold statement from the beginning! I like it, but it might require a source. (The most common characteristics of Danish companies are, that for each project, they are composing a new team)<br /> <br /> * I probably wouldn't write &quot;my&quot; in an article like this. Try rephrasing it to &quot;The article&quot; or something in that direction. Specifically this line: &quot;As lunching and building the project teams is the most important stages of starting up a project, my research in this article is to find out how Belbin’s team development-concept will help to ensure the right teams in projects&quot;<br /> <br /> * In the section &quot;Designing teams&quot; you use the word &quot;team&quot; 5 times. While I do understand it is necessary to use it a couple, 5 times might be going a bit overboard.<br /> <br /> * The reference of (Hvenegaard 2003) might just be needed once in the first paragraph of designing teams<br /> <br /> * You write: &quot;Over the nine years analyzed and observed Belbin and his team&quot; It should just be: &quot;Over nine years Belbin and his team analyzed and observed&quot;<br /> <br /> * You write: &quot;Belbin defends 9 roles, which he means a person may take in the context of a group.&quot;. It would probably be better with: &quot;Belbin defines 9 roles, which a person may take in the context of a group.&quot;<br /> <br /> * There is quite a few grammatical errors in your article, and I've noted here some of them, but it would be an extensive process to catch them all. I'm convinced that you are a Dane, since your English sounds a bit Danish at times. Maybe you could look through it again, with a spell check on, or maybe get some help rephrasing some of the sentences that sounds &quot;Danglish&quot;<br /> <br /> * &quot; and a number of questionnaires&quot; are there more than one questionnaire? A questionnaire can contain several questions, but I'm not sure if this is what you mean?<br /> <br /> * &quot;I&quot; and &quot;my&quot; are used a couple of times in the section of section as well<br /> <br /> * Good description of roles.<br /> <br /> * The word &quot;weakness&quot; misses a capital letter in two places.<br /> <br /> * There are a few punctuation errors in this section (The Nine team roles) - The word &quot;Strength&quot; has to be moved down a line, in more than one place. (e.g. under Finisher and Shaper)<br /> <br /> * I'm not quiet sure why you are describing some roles as &quot;he&quot; and some as &quot;she&quot;. It might not be necessary to change it, however.<br /> <br /> * Under &quot;Team worker&quot; (also missing capital W), you suddenly start to talk about a &quot;Intermediary&quot;. Is this the same role? Something is definitely up here.<br /> <br /> * Finisher is written with the quotation marks &quot; &quot;. When you aren't doing it with the other roles, it might not be great _just_ to do it here.<br /> <br /> * Under Team Performing(P here should also be capital!) you write: &quot;Belbin has not optimal team size ranges&quot;. Maybe instead: &quot;Belbin has not defined optimal team sizes as it differs from project to project, but he suggests...&quot;<br /> <br /> * Under Team Performing you write that the teams should be balanced, but not really what that entails. Maybe add a couple of sentences about having a balanced team?<br /> <br /> * Under Conclusion &quot;Belbin Team Development is ideal when you want to work with:&quot; might be better as &quot;Belbin Team Development is ideal when you want to attain:<br /> <br /> == Review - WinWin ==<br /> <br /> <br /> =Structure=<br /> * Nice and chronological structure in the article, but could definitely benefit from using more figures to break up the heavy text.<br /> * The language is overall very appropriate and precise. However there are some obvious spelling and grammar mistakes. Taking care of this small matter will lift the article to a whole new level making it a much smoother experience for the reader. <br /> * Try to incorporate tables instead of all the bullet points. It might provide a better overview for the reader. <br /> <br /> =Content= <br /> * There are several very strong paragraphs including the &quot;roles&quot; and &quot;strengths/weaknesses&quot;. <br /> * Very nice to have all the sources. It shows hard work and that the article is reliable. <br /> * Maybe try to have clearer definitions and points throughout the report and make sure nothing is up to the interpretation of the reader. For instance under &quot;Team Worker&quot; you suddenly refer to &quot;Intermediary&quot;, which is the same or something different?<br /> <br /> == Review - WinWin ==<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Structure==<br /> * Nice and chronological structure in the article, but could definitely benefit from using more figures to break up the heavy text.<br /> * The language is overall very appropriate and precise. However there are some obvious spelling and grammar mistakes. Taking care of this small matter will lift the article to a whole new level making it a much smoother experience for the reader. <br /> * Try to incorporate tables instead of all the bullet points. It might provide a better overview for the reader. <br /> <br /> ==Content== <br /> * There are several very strong paragraphs including the &quot;roles&quot; and &quot;strengths/weaknesses&quot;. <br /> * Very nice to have all the sources. It shows hard work and that the article is reliable. <br /> * Maybe try to have clearer definitions and points throughout the report and make sure nothing is up to the interpretation of the reader. For instance under &quot;Team Worker&quot; you suddenly refer to &quot;Intermediary&quot;, which is the same or something different?</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=Talk:Designing_Project_Teams&diff=3357 2014-11-25T19:41:33Z

<p>WinWin: /* Review - WinWin */ new section</p> <hr /> <div>== Review by Keyser-sözer ==<br /> <br /> review use of commas, i have removed ones that are unnecessary. a few sporadic grammar or spelling errors, i have also changed them myself where I can. all sections that I have suggested changes towards are chronological so that they are easier to find within the body of the text.<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;How it will be advantageous to combine the individual teams in relation to current project and departments. It sheds light on whether each team need specific roles to solve a given task optimally (campion M, 1996).&quot; <br /> <br /> i have removed the use of 1st person from this section, you use the sentence &quot;in my opinion&quot;, avoid 1st person in an academic article. &quot;In order to complete a project successfully, it is important that there is a good relationship and good cooperation among the team members. As it is a part of humans social needs. (Hein 2009)&quot;<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;When a number of people included in a group with others, consume each person a form of role.&quot;<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;At the same time as providing awareness of own and other team roles better internal acceptance of colleagues' strengths and weaknesses in teamwork.&quot;<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;Over the nine years analyzed and observed by Belbin and his team, the factors which influence whether a team was successful or failure. His research resulted in particular in two conclusions (Mullins 2007).&quot;<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;The organizer(s) are motivated by their sense of loyalty to the rest of the team, therefore, they often also the acidic tasks that others would otherwise let lie. Often the organizer however seen as inflexible because they find it difficult to leave their own thoughtful plans and structures&quot;<br /> <br /> There have been a few sections where I have had to change &quot;he&quot; or &quot;she&quot; to they. Avoid being gender specific. This is particularly apparent in the nine roles section.<br /> <br /> Consider reviewing the whole of the nine roles section. Some words and sections are clumsy. The strengths and weaknesses section is strong, quick and to the point, however the descriptions of each role are poorly worded. I have changed a lot myself but there are a lot of words that could be changed to something more formal eg &quot;Resource investigators, however, often have to get input from others as there is a danger that they will get bored themselves and thus become ineffective in the group (Belbin 2010).&quot; Don't use the words &quot;get bored&quot; here. Definitely worth considering using a stronger synonym for a lot of words within this section.<br /> <br /> change the wording of this section &quot;The intermediary shall ensure social cohesion, where the roles are bound together and creating team spirit. The intermediary would then like that all is well, which can result in conflict-avoidance. At the same time, the intermediary may be a little invisible in the team, but only until they are gone and the small discussion starts to flare up (Belbin 2010).&quot;<br /> <br /> The two ending sections are clumsy, &quot;team performing&quot; and &quot;conclusion&quot;. Team performing is clumsy in its wording, review how you have interlinked sentences and review some of the grammar. Likewise with the conclusion, however also consider reviewing what is being conveyed by the conclusion. A few words on how the Belbin Team Development tool could be improved could be considered along with more of a focus on the tool, your thoughts seem very disjointed, like you are not really drawing a conclusion at all until you reach the last two sentences.<br /> <br /> Overall, the first few sections introduce the tool well. You have covered the need for a tool that defines a team and then you have went on to explain how Belbin's tool solves this problem. The Nine Roles section is good for defining exactly what the tool covers, however it definitely needs a few adjustments here and there. The ending section is relatively disjointed, you need to focus your thoughts a bit more potently, maybe include some argumentation about how well the tool performs its job. The report certainly includes the foundations for being a strong article.<br /> <br /> <br /> *editing note- i have said where wording needs to be changed instead of changing it myself because I am uncertain of what you are trying to say. If you are having problems rewording these sections yourself, please message me and try to explain what you are trying to say, I would be more than happy to change it myself if I knew what you were trying to say.<br /> <br /> == Peer review - Different ==<br /> <br /> * Many sources. Nice structure. Easy to read in most sections!<br /> <br /> * A very bold statement from the beginning! I like it, but it might require a source. (The most common characteristics of Danish companies are, that for each project, they are composing a new team)<br /> <br /> * I probably wouldn't write &quot;my&quot; in an article like this. Try rephrasing it to &quot;The article&quot; or something in that direction. Specifically this line: &quot;As lunching and building the project teams is the most important stages of starting up a project, my research in this article is to find out how Belbin’s team development-concept will help to ensure the right teams in projects&quot;<br /> <br /> * In the section &quot;Designing teams&quot; you use the word &quot;team&quot; 5 times. While I do understand it is necessary to use it a couple, 5 times might be going a bit overboard.<br /> <br /> * The reference of (Hvenegaard 2003) might just be needed once in the first paragraph of designing teams<br /> <br /> * You write: &quot;Over the nine years analyzed and observed Belbin and his team&quot; It should just be: &quot;Over nine years Belbin and his team analyzed and observed&quot;<br /> <br /> * You write: &quot;Belbin defends 9 roles, which he means a person may take in the context of a group.&quot;. It would probably be better with: &quot;Belbin defines 9 roles, which a person may take in the context of a group.&quot;<br /> <br /> * There is quite a few grammatical errors in your article, and I've noted here some of them, but it would be an extensive process to catch them all. I'm convinced that you are a Dane, since your English sounds a bit Danish at times. Maybe you could look through it again, with a spell check on, or maybe get some help rephrasing some of the sentences that sounds &quot;Danglish&quot;<br /> <br /> * &quot; and a number of questionnaires&quot; are there more than one questionnaire? A questionnaire can contain several questions, but I'm not sure if this is what you mean?<br /> <br /> * &quot;I&quot; and &quot;my&quot; are used a couple of times in the section of section as well<br /> <br /> * Good description of roles.<br /> <br /> * The word &quot;weakness&quot; misses a capital letter in two places.<br /> <br /> * There are a few punctuation errors in this section (The Nine team roles) - The word &quot;Strength&quot; has to be moved down a line, in more than one place. (e.g. under Finisher and Shaper)<br /> <br /> * I'm not quiet sure why you are describing some roles as &quot;he&quot; and some as &quot;she&quot;. It might not be necessary to change it, however.<br /> <br /> * Under &quot;Team worker&quot; (also missing capital W), you suddenly start to talk about a &quot;Intermediary&quot;. Is this the same role? Something is definitely up here.<br /> <br /> * Finisher is written with the quotation marks &quot; &quot;. When you aren't doing it with the other roles, it might not be great _just_ to do it here.<br /> <br /> * Under Team Performing(P here should also be capital!) you write: &quot;Belbin has not optimal team size ranges&quot;. Maybe instead: &quot;Belbin has not defined optimal team sizes as it differs from project to project, but he suggests...&quot;<br /> <br /> * Under Team Performing you write that the teams should be balanced, but not really what that entails. Maybe add a couple of sentences about having a balanced team?<br /> <br /> * Under Conclusion &quot;Belbin Team Development is ideal when you want to work with:&quot; might be better as &quot;Belbin Team Development is ideal when you want to attain:<br /> <br /> == Review - WinWin ==<br /> <br /> <br /> =Structure=<br /> * Nice and chronological structure in the article, but could definitely benefit from using more figures to break up the heavy text.<br /> * The language is overall very appropriate and precise. However there are some obvious spelling and grammar mistakes. Taking care of this small matter will lift the article to a whole new level making it a much smoother experience for the reader. <br /> * Try to incorporate tables instead of all the bullet points. It might provide a better overview for the reader. <br /> <br /> =Content= <br /> * There are several very strong paragraphs including the &quot;roles&quot; and &quot;strengths/weaknesses&quot;. <br /> * Very nice to have all the sources. It shows hard work and that the article is reliable. <br /> * Maybe try to have clearer definitions and points throughout the report and make sure nothing is up to the interpretation of the reader. For instance under &quot;Team Worker&quot; you suddenly refer to &quot;Intermediary&quot;, which is the same or something different?</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=Talk:Risk_register&diff=3346 2014-11-25T19:26:41Z

<p>WinWin: /* Content */</p> <hr /> <div>== Hermaeus Mora ==<br /> <br /> =Structure=<br /> *The language is clear and easily understandable. A couple commas may be missing and in the first section paragraph 3 &quot;The risk register cannot only be used as a motivating risk management tool&quot; could be formulated as &quot;The risk register can be used not only as a motivating risk management tool;&quot; apart from that it's good.<br /> *There's just one figure, more could be added as the article grows.<br /> *References to links are nicely made, the article uses a book, this should be referenced in the traditional wiki way &lt;nowiki&gt;&lt;references /&gt;&lt;/nowiki&gt;. <br /> *A category from APPPM is added which is nice, maybe add a few more e.g. Uncertainty, Risk etc.<br /> *Layout seems to be ok for now, abstract, introduction to the tool and its applications and an introduction to how the tool should be used.<br /> <br /> =Content=<br /> *The article is obviously not finished yet (778 words as of the writing of this review) So the review can only regard the initial part.<br /> *The article clearly falls under the 'in-depth description of a particular method' category. It relates deeply to project management and, judging by the links attached, is based on fresh data.<br /> *The abstract is good in length and shows a fair purpose behind the tool. It could however include a few sentences about the tool itself, short summary, instead of a rather strong opinion that it's &quot;THE optimum [...] tool within project management&quot;.<br /> *As mentioned before any book references should be added along with additional categories in APPPM wiki for further reading.<br /> <br /> = Review - WinWin =<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Structure'''<br /> <br /> * The overall feeling of the article is very positive. The language is precise and easy to understand. However, there are a few spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes, which will surely disappear in the editing process.<br /> * At the moment there is only one figure in the article. Using more figures will definitely have a positive effect on the visualization as the article gets further along.<br /> * Good use of references. <br /> * The layout seems to be fine for now. <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Content'''<br /> * The preliminary content seems to be very relevant to the course. The paragraphs are nicely written but could profit from a few summarizing sentences. <br /> * The fresh data is a nice touch.<br /> * The abstract has a suitable length for this kind of article. Definitely a plus.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=Talk:Risk_register&diff=3345 2014-11-25T19:25:26Z

<p>WinWin: /* Review - WinWin */ new section</p> <hr /> <div>== Hermaeus Mora ==<br /> <br /> =Structure=<br /> *The language is clear and easily understandable. A couple commas may be missing and in the first section paragraph 3 &quot;The risk register cannot only be used as a motivating risk management tool&quot; could be formulated as &quot;The risk register can be used not only as a motivating risk management tool;&quot; apart from that it's good.<br /> *There's just one figure, more could be added as the article grows.<br /> *References to links are nicely made, the article uses a book, this should be referenced in the traditional wiki way &lt;nowiki&gt;&lt;references /&gt;&lt;/nowiki&gt;. <br /> *A category from APPPM is added which is nice, maybe add a few more e.g. Uncertainty, Risk etc.<br /> *Layout seems to be ok for now, abstract, introduction to the tool and its applications and an introduction to how the tool should be used.<br /> <br /> =Content=<br /> *The article is obviously not finished yet (778 words as of the writing of this review) So the review can only regard the initial part.<br /> *The article clearly falls under the 'in-depth description of a particular method' category. It relates deeply to project management and, judging by the links attached, is based on fresh data.<br /> *The abstract is good in length and shows a fair purpose behind the tool. It could however include a few sentences about the tool itself, short summary, instead of a rather strong opinion that it's &quot;THE optimum [...] tool within project management&quot;.<br /> *As mentioned before any book references should be added along with additional categories in APPPM wiki for further reading.<br /> <br /> == Review - WinWin ==<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Structure'''<br /> <br /> * The overall feeling of the article is very positive. The language is precise and easy to understand. However, there are a few spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes, which will surely disappear in the editing process.<br /> * At the moment there is only one figure in the article. Using more figures will definitely have a positive effect on the visualization as the article gets further along.<br /> * Good use of references. <br /> * The layout seems to be fine for now. <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Content'''<br /> * The preliminary content seems to be very relevant to the course. The paragraphs are nicely written but could profit from a few summarizing sentences. <br /> * The fresh data is a nice touch.<br /> * The abstract has a suitable length for this kind of article. Definitely a plus.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=Talk:Risk_register&diff=3344 2014-11-25T19:24:33Z

<p>WinWin: /* Content */</p> <hr /> <div>== Hermaeus Mora ==<br /> <br /> =Structure=<br /> *The language is clear and easily understandable. A couple commas may be missing and in the first section paragraph 3 &quot;The risk register cannot only be used as a motivating risk management tool&quot; could be formulated as &quot;The risk register can be used not only as a motivating risk management tool;&quot; apart from that it's good.<br /> *There's just one figure, more could be added as the article grows.<br /> *References to links are nicely made, the article uses a book, this should be referenced in the traditional wiki way &lt;nowiki&gt;&lt;references /&gt;&lt;/nowiki&gt;. <br /> *A category from APPPM is added which is nice, maybe add a few more e.g. Uncertainty, Risk etc.<br /> *Layout seems to be ok for now, abstract, introduction to the tool and its applications and an introduction to how the tool should be used.<br /> <br /> =Content=<br /> *The article is obviously not finished yet (778 words as of the writing of this review) So the review can only regard the initial part.<br /> *The article clearly falls under the 'in-depth description of a particular method' category. It relates deeply to project management and, judging by the links attached, is based on fresh data.<br /> *The abstract is good in length and shows a fair purpose behind the tool. It could however include a few sentences about the tool itself, short summary, instead of a rather strong opinion that it's &quot;THE optimum [...] tool within project management&quot;.<br /> *As mentioned before any book references should be added along with additional categories in APPPM wiki for further reading.</div>

WinWin http://13.50.150.85/index.php?title=Talk:Risk_register&diff=3341 2014-11-25T19:24:02Z

<p>WinWin: </p> <hr /> <div>== Hermaeus Mora ==<br /> <br /> =Structure=<br /> *The language is clear and easily understandable. A couple commas may be missing and in the first section paragraph 3 &quot;The risk register cannot only be used as a motivating risk management tool&quot; could be formulated as &quot;The risk register can be used not only as a motivating risk management tool;&quot; apart from that it's good.<br /> *There's just one figure, more could be added as the article grows.<br /> *References to links are nicely made, the article uses a book, this should be referenced in the traditional wiki way &lt;nowiki&gt;&lt;references /&gt;&lt;/nowiki&gt;. <br /> *A category from APPPM is added which is nice, maybe add a few more e.g. Uncertainty, Risk etc.<br /> *Layout seems to be ok for now, abstract, introduction to the tool and its applications and an introduction to how the tool should be used.<br /> <br /> =Content=<br /> *The article is obviously not finished yet (778 words as of the writing of this review) So the review can only regard the initial part.<br /> *The article clearly falls under the 'in-depth description of a particular method' category. It relates deeply to project management and, judging by the links attached, is based on fresh data.<br /> *The abstract is good in length and shows a fair purpose behind the tool. It could however include a few sentences about the tool itself, short summary, instead of a rather strong opinion that it's &quot;THE optimum [...] tool within project management&quot;.<br /> *As mentioned before any book references should be added along with additional categories in APPPM wiki for further reading.<br /> <br /> '''Structure'''<br /> <br /> * The overall feeling of the article is very positive. The language is precise and easy to understand. However, there are a few spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes which will surely disappear in the editing process.<br /> * At the moment there is only one figure in the article. Using more figures will definitely have a positive effect on the visualization as the article gets further along.<br /> * Good use of references. <br /> * The layout seems to be fine for now. <br /> <br /> <br /> '''Content'''<br /> * The preliminary content seems to be very relevant to the course. The paragraphs are nicely written but could profit from a few summarizing sentences. <br /> * The fresh data is a nice touch.<br /> * The abstract has a suitable length for this kind of article. Definitely a plus.</div>

WinWin