“reflections on agile transformation of information systems development practice in a telecom...
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“Reflections on Agile Transformation of
Information Systems Development Practice in a
Telecom Company”
Mehmet N. Aydin, Ebru DilanKadir Has Üniversitesi, İstanbul
[email protected]@khas.edu.tr
Motivation
The very idea of agile method appears to be well received in the academic and practioner world. Is it the panacea for a long-standing problem in ISD
(Aydin, 2006) “Lots done, more to do” (Abrahamsson et al., 2009)
This research is concerned with agile transformation of ISD practice by taking into account method adoption and adaption for projects and further examine its relation with the organizational context and perceived benefits relating to the transition.
Research Questions
What is the (rich) context in which agile method use can be best studied as a phenomenon of interest?
How specific elements of an agile method (technical and process fragments) have been adopted in a telecom company?
What can be further identified concerning the interplays between method, context, human in agile method use.
Research Framework and Method
Interpretative case study, ICT industry Data collection: interviews, project
documents, observation Two projects (P1 and P2)
1• Enterprise
2• Project
3• Individual
Case Analysis and Findings [1/4]
Background for transition to agile approach
Organizational context and method adoption
•Technical and Process fragments
Method adaptation for projects
Agile Solutions Management Team, 2011
Enterprise-wide change CMO
Transformation Office
Transition... or Transformation?
Project categories
Agile Studio @Academy, HR Agile Solutions @Technology
9 agile teams non-IT functions (Sales,
Marketing, Finance, HR)
Case Analysis and Findings [2/4]
Background for transition to agile approach
Organizational context and method adoption
•Technical and Process fragments
Method adaptation for projects
PMO
Agile Studio
Technical Method Fragments
Case Analysis and Findings [3/4]
Background for transition to agile approach
Organizational context and method adoption
• Technical & Process fragments
Method adaptation for projects
Process Fragments Roles and Responsibilities – combined roles
Major Activities The organization’s practice is subject to variation
P2; Periodically required functional operations interrupt regular activities
cancelled daily scrum & sprint review meetings P1; upper man.requests an urgent task, team discountinues
scrum Sprint planning, review, and retrospective meetings are hold
together in the same session, non-attendance problems, failures in planned start times
Case Analysis and Findings [4/4]
Background for transition to agile approach
Organizational context and method adoption
• Technical & Process fragments
Method adaptation for projects
Reflections and Conclusions [1/4]
Perceived Improvement / Performance Changes in-house survey – 39 team members, 12
POs a number of factors: motivation, self-
organization, productivity, transparency, adoption to change...
Perception or Reality ? requires further quantitative/qualitative
research
Reflections and Conclusions [2/4]
Incremental approach / pilot (small type) projects Appropriate for the practices in large
scale organizations Limited scope for method adoption Underlying motive: risk driven
approach, quick win, best practice, high resistance?
Tip of iceberg: challenges are on the way to achieve true and complete agile transformation Further investigation, longitudinal study
needed!
Reflections and Conclusions [3/4]
Scrum roles power shift
Role & power drifting due to role merge that may lead to shift into waterfall approach charactersitics Further investigation, comparative, in-depth project
analysis needed!
Reflections and Conclusions [4/4]
Technique By-pass
Intriguing interplays between agent, context, method
Pragmatic Taken for
granted
Agent
(Aydin, 2006)
