CMMI® to Agile: Options and Consequences

AW11 Concurrent Session 11/7/2012 3:45 PM

"CMMI® to Agile: Options and Consequences"

Presented by:

Paul McMahon PEM Systems

Brought to you by:

340 Corporate Way, Suite 300, Orange Park, FL 32073 888‐268‐8770 ∙ 904‐278‐0524 ∙ [email protected] ∙ www.sqe.com

Paul McMahon PEM Systems

Paul E. McMahon, principal at PEM Systems (pemsystems.com), has twenty-three years of industry experience as a software developer, team leader, and coach. For the past fifteen years, he has assisted his clients in achieving advanced CMMI certification levels as he coaches project managers, leaders, and software practitioners in industry best practices. Paul is a Certified ScrumMaster and a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt; instructor of Software Engineering at Binghamton University; and author of more than forty articles and two books including Integrating CMMI and Agile Development: Case Studies and Proven Techniques for Faster Performance Improvement. You can reach Paul at [email protected].

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CMMI To Agile:CMMI To Agile:CMMI To Agile: CMMI To Agile: Options and Consequences Options and Consequences

Paul E. McMahonPaul E. [email protected]@[email protected] [email protected]

CMMI & Agile at Odds?

CMMI AgileCMMI Agile

CMMI – Capability Maturity Model

Copyright PEM Systems 2011-2012 2

Not theory, based on actual client case studies…

p y yIntegration

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What You Will Learn

CMMI/Agile integration theory and why it should be easy, but why in practice often more difficult

Case Study 1 (LACM)• 4 techniques increase agility CMMI Level 3

organization

Case Study 2 (RAVE)• Different technique increase agility Level 5


• Different technique increase agility Level 5 organization

Practical guidance to help you move your own Agile CMMI integration forward

Case Studies discussed

described in greater detail in


greater detail in book.

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Fundamental Guidance (the theory)

CMMI is improvement reference model intended to help you ask the right questions

Not dictated practices

leading to best decisions for your organization

Examplequestions

Lean = eliminatewaste

Agile providespotential “how-to”

ti


CMMI is about “What” must do Agile techniques provide potential “How-to” options

options

Case Study 1 Background: LACM

LACM successful high tech organization

Focus on U.S. defense market

2007- Over 50 active projects; Only 2 any difficulty

CMM Level 3 many years ago; 2008 CMMI Level 3

2008 CMMI motivation:•Vice-President (VP) understood could use CMMI to address changing customer needs


CMMI to address changing customer needs

•He knew his organization needed to change improving performance and increasing agilityin key areas

Where do we start?

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Where Start To Improve Performance and Increase Agility

When Using CMMI?

LACM one of best approaches observed…

“Why are our customers coming back to us now over the competition?”

pp


“What is the unique value this organization brings to its customers?” Technique 1

Technique 1:Start by Asking Key Questions

to Focus Objectives

Common“non-lean & non-agile”

All CMMI Expected Practices…

non lean & non agileapproach

Recommended start point


Establish specific objectives

Help you focus improvement efforts where need help the most

MeasurementExample

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What Data Should You Collect?

Non-agile approach --collect data related to each process area and figure out later how might use

“Who will use data if collect it?”

The “agile/lean approach” …ask following questions first…


“How does data relate to objectives?”

Makes sense if already using CMMI and looking to improve, or just starting out with CMMI effort

Why involveworkers?

Why Involve Your Workers?

Led to realizations…Product reuseEmployee turn-overEmployee turn over

Company did have training program, but training & processes not aligned with real issues faced on job

Encouraged open forum discussions...


Led to Technique 2

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Technique 2:Pruning the Processes

Built flow diagrams of what people really did to get their job done

Anything not on flow became candidate for elimination


More questionsIf no one used, why there?Wasting time training?If used, would it help?

Pruning led to streamlined processes &

improved training Example

Pruning Example:Peer Review Process

Great deal of data collected about each defect

Periodic analysis of the collected data

Flow diagrams showed people entered data, but no one analyzed it

Further investigation showed requirements for data had been added to process because


Pruning led to moreeffective peer review process & improved

performance!

psomeone wrongly thought CMMI required it

Onerous review process had discouraged comments

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Insight

Historical tendency: Read things into CMMI model that aren’t there

Creates unnecessary non-value-added work

By using CMMI as intended, can improve your CMMI implementation and increase agility and

performance at the same time


How did LACM do this?Why not more?

Technique 3:Use CMMI Model Less Formally

LACM used the CMMI model first to:

Help discover where needed A li dHelp discover where needed improvements to help performance

Then prioritized work and focused on those value added improvements

Lesson:

Applied CMMIwith agilespirit


Lesson: When process improvement teams face pressure to achieve a formal CMMI level and aren’t given adequate time to work real issues, real performance improvements are rarely achieved

2nd – What pruning takes

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What Pruning Really Requires

People in trenches who really understand how job done

Often these people in the trenches are the best performers & the busiest people in the company

If experiencing similar symptoms as LACM, consider allocating


percentage of time of key people to this effort

Small investment in pruning might pay high dividends in long run

Key questionAlternative: Build relationships with technical experts looking for measurable improvement opportunities

A Key Question

How Do We Ensure We Aren’t Jeopardizing

Our CMMI Compliance?


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Understanding What CMMI Expectsof Your Process Repository

LACM is large and product centric

Some wrongly believe the CMMI requires a “heavyweight” process repository superstructure

LACM is large and product centricLACM mandates tools, and standardsLACM has some detailed work instructions

BOND is small and service centricBOND mandates few tools few standards


BOND mandates few tools, few standardsBOND has no detailed work instructions

Process repository structure depends on your business need

Example

Process Repository Structures

Traditional (LACM like structure)

Policies

Agile (BOND like structure)

Processes/Practices

Work Instructions/Procedures

Enablers/

Policies/Processes

How-to Guides/Tailoring Aids


Enablers/Templates

Different Repository Structures, Both CMMI “Compliant” **CMMI doesn’t mandate repository structure

**Achieves intent

However, if want Agile & CMMI too

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Technique 4: Keep “must dos” packaged separately from “guidelines”

Keep must dos:•Lean (minimums)•Focused on “what”•Fundamentals

Policies/Processes

“Must dos”No one tailors

Tailor Up from the “must dos”

•Fundamentals


How-to Guides/Tailoring Aids

Aids tailoring

Questions or Comments?

How many have used the CMMI d l thi ?model this way?

Why don’t more organizations do this?


Next Case Study may shed light…

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Case Study 2 Background: RAVE

RAVE Large CMMI Level 5 Organization

Focus on U.S. defense market

2005 recognized “stealth agile” movement

CMMI Level 5 processes didn’t recognize

Different approach to agility:•Did not modify existingCMMI processes tailoring down


CMMI processes

•Handle agile through their normal tailoring approach & “agile developers guide”

tailoring down

Group Discussion

What do you see as the advantages & disadvantages to each approach?

LACMLACM:Ask key questionsPrune processesUse CMMI less formallyKeep must-dos separateTailor up

RAVE:Developers GuideTailor down


Group shares views

Then I share my views…

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Technique 5:Consider Developer’s Guide to Aid Agility

AdvantagesNo risk to proven level 5 processes• (advantage if working

DisadvantagesIf hearing: • “processes don’t help”

• (advantage if working well)

Doesn’t require critical personnel in “trenches”

Less cost, less retraining

• “create work without value”

…then this approach won’t help

…also may result in redundant efforts


• E.g. product reviews, progress reporting

…or may result in loss of key “must dos” when tailor

Note: Consider right answer for youcould be combination of LACM & RAVE approach

Next deeper…

CMMI Agile

Many Now Realize CMMI & AgileCan Coexist

CMMI Agile

But to what Level?


But to what Level? 3, 4, 5?

Quantitative? Continuous Improvement?

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More Information onTwo Case Studies

LACM, Level 3, used selective Level 4 & 5 practices (QPM, CAR) informallyto achieve performance goals

Specific problem getting hardware

Agilespirit Specific problem getting hardware

ordered/installed on timeProject team derived specificmeasures, isolated root cause, & implemented corrective action

RAVE, Level 5, used Agile Developer’s guide and tailor down

Succeeded

appliedat Level 4


Developer s guide and tailor down approach, fell short of goals

QPM – Quantitative Project ManagementCAR – Causal Analysis and Resolution

Why?

RAVE Wanted To Keep Improving

Funded Lean Six Sigma Team

Created Agile Developer’s Guide

But did so because did not want to change Level 5 formal processes out of fear

Misperception that level 5


Misperception that level 5 means perfect so can’t change

This is exactly backwards from intent of level 5

Is RAVE unique?

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What Is HappeningToo Often Today

“At this point, of the many organizations that have been evaluated at CMMI Level 5, too many have essentially stopped , y y ppworking on improvement.

Their objective was to get to level 5 and they are there, so why should they keep improving?

This is both an unfortunate and an


This is both an unfortunate and an unacceptable attitude... it is unacceptable because the essence of level 5 is continuous improvement.” From page 7

“CMMI for Development”Version 1.3

Attaining Level 5 Doesn’t Mean We Don’t Need to Keep Improving

Agile practices can not only coexist with CMMI Level 5 th f ilit tthey can facilitate continuous improvement

Example: Sprint retrospectiveActionable improvements


Can help achieve intent of QPM/CAR

Will an agile approach provide all you need for CMMI Level 5? NoBut it can help achieve intent; Real performance improvement

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Guidance to Help You Move Your OwnAgile CMMI Integration Forward

If you are an agile expert, learn about the CMMI and talk to the CMMI people in your organization explaining how these initiatives can work together

If you are a CMMI expert, learn about the latest changes in the CMMI V1.3 and learn about the agile options that can help your organization

If you are a manager seek to understand the forces holding back your Agile CMMI integration and combat misperceptions


Even if you can’t fully employ the techniques LACM used, consider building relationships with technical experts looking for measurable improvement opportunities (small changes help)

CMMI and Agile proponents should recognize both striving for common goals and can help each other

WaterfallBacklog driven/Iterative

Lessons Beyond CMMI: Relevant to any High Process Compliance Situation

Transparency (daily standup meetings)Architect Requirementsy

Mega-l Project

Architect, Requirements Analyst, Test CollaboratingProduct Owner Role (grooming product backlog, working stakeholders to attend key demonstrations)Project Manager role changes to “hybridha

nge

Is N

ever

Eas

y


Committedto change

changes to hybrid ScrumMaster” (style issues)Functional Managers focus more on career growth of people

Ch

None counter to CMMI

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Summary of MisperceptionsTo Seek Out and Combat!

The CMMI is a set of dictated practices You need to collect data related to every CMMI process area

The CMMI should only be used for formal appraisalsThe CMMI requires a heavyweight process repository superstructure


You need distinct processes for each process area in the CMMI modelCMMI maturity level 5 means you are perfect and you don’t need to keep improving

Questions and Contact Information

Questions???

Contact Information [email protected]


Technology

CMMI® to Agile: Options and Consequences