Agile project delivery : a practical approach for corporate environments beyond software development

294 Pages·2020·10.96 MB·English

by  Aaron A. Blair

Agile Project Delivery reviews how diff erent Agile methods can be applied to project delivery in complex
corporate environments beyond the Agile Manifesto’s original scope of software development. Taking read-
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ers through a typical project lifecycle, the text demonstrates how Agile techniques can be applied to each
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phase of a project using valuable tools and examples. Agile Project Delivery covers various approaches
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that are used across the many methodologies and frameworks that are part of the Agile family, in-
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cluding Scrum, XP, and Crystal, as well as some of Agile’s infl uences, such as Lean and Kanban. R A G L E
Agile Project Delivery also provides readers with advanced instructions for using Atlassian’s
industry-leading Agile software, Jira.
Bridging the gap between Agile methodology and application, this concise guide fea-
tures practical delivery approaches, engaging case studies, useful templates to assist
in Agile application, and chapter discussion questions to reinforce understanding on
how to harness the benefi ts of Agile. With a focus on settings outside of software Project Deliver y
development and an accessible, pragmatic approach, Agile Project Delivery is an
invaluable resource for students in any project management course, as well as for
both aspiring and experienced project practitioners.
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“Aaron A. Blair’s Agile Project Delivery is one of the few books that provides
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the what, where, why, when, and how of Agile delivery. This book off ers a fan- l
e
tastic tool kit for anyone leading a team: from trying new approaches for the

fi rst time to refi ning and improving an existing practice. This comprehensive P
guide to Agile project delivery provides the detail rarely found in a single book. r
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Aaron’s knowledge and in-depth understanding of project delivery is evident.”
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—CONNIE SMITH, MBA, PMP, CSM, SAFe SA, Senior Director, e
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National Operations Shoppers Drug Mart A Practical
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“The author provides great insights and ideas for Agile project team members D Approach
to clearly understand the practical approach of implementing Agile in large e
for Corporate
and complex organizations. He provides helpful illustrations, case studies, l
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and tools to demonstrate the concepts and an example of their implementa- v
Environments
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tion. This is a must-have book for anyone interested in learning about Agile.”
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—JAMAL EL ALI, MBA, PMP, SCT, CSM, Lecturer, Engineering, Beyond Software
y
Architecture and Science, Ryerson University
Development
AARON A. BLAIR, MBA-PM, is a Professor of Project Management at Conestoga
College and an accomplished executive and team builder with over 20 years of experi-
ence. He is a PMI Project Management Professional, a Certifi ed Professional in Health
Information and Management Systems, and a Certifi ed Scrum Master.
A A RO N A . B L A I R

AGILE PROJECT
DELIVERY

AGILE PROJECT
DELIVERY
A Practical Approach for
Corporate Environments Beyond
Software Development
Aaron A. Blair
Agile Project Delivery: A Practical Approach for Corporate Environments Beyond
Software Development
Aaron A. Blair
First published in 2020 by
Canadian Scholars, an imprint of CSP Books Inc.
425 Adelaide Street West, Suite 200
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 3C1
www.canadianscholars.ca
Copyright © 2020 Aaron A. Blair and Canadian Scholars.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of Canadian
Scholars, under licence or terms from the appropriate reproduction rights organization, or as
expressly permitted by law.
Every reasonable effort has been made to identify copyright holders. Canadian Scholars would be
pleased to have any errors or omissions brought to its attention.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Title: Agile project delivery : a practical approach for corporate environments beyond software
development / Aaron A. Blair.
Names: Blair, Aaron A., 1974- author.
Description: Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 2020033896X | Canadiana (ebook) 20200339001 | ISBN
9781773382142 (softcover) | ISBN 9781773382159 (PDF) | ISBN 9781773382166 (EPUB)
Subjects: LCSH: Agile project management. | LCSH: Success in business.
Classification: LCC HD69.P75 B53 2020 | DDC 658.4/06—dc23
Cover design by Rafael Chimicatti
Page layout by S4Carlisle Publishing Services
Screenshots of Jira, copyright to Atlassian, are reproduced with permission.
20    21    22    23    24                5    4    3    2    1
Printed and bound in Ontario, Canada
For: Sarah, Nathan, and Miranda
Special thanks to my fellow Conestoga faculty and leadership for their insights, encouragement,
and support and Atlassian for allowing their software to be featured in this text.
Special acknowledgement to June and Bob for their patience and feedback and whose support
over the years have helped shape my writing and resilience.

Contents
Lists of Figures and Tables xiii
Preface xvii
About This Book xix
PART I • WHAT IS AGILE? 1
Chapter 1 • Agile’s Lean Foundations 3
Chapter Overview 3
What Is a Project? 3
Lean Overview 4
A Summary of the History of Agile 7
The Birth of the Agile Manifesto 9
The Similar Beginnings of Agile and the Project
Management Institute 11
When Is Agile Used? 13
Summary 15
Key Terms 15
Discussion Questions 16
Notes 16
Chapter 2 • Agile Overview 17
Chapter Overview 17
Agile Scrum Framework: Roles, Events, and Artifacts 17
Agile = Iterative 18
The Scrum Project Team 29
Scrum Phases Overview 30
Summary 39
Key Terms 39
Discussion Questions 41
Notes 41
viii Contents
PART II • AGILE PROJECT INITIATION 43
Chapter 3 • Understanding Corporate Environments 45
Chapter Overview 45
The Composition of Corporations 45
Agile Tools: Introduction 54
Summary 62
Key Terms 63
Discussion Questions 64
Notes 64
Chapter 4 • Capturing and Prioritizing User Stories through
the Value Stream 65
Chapter Overview 65
What Is Value Stream Mapping? 65
Creating Value Streams 67
Combining Value Stream Mapping with Agile Principles 68
User Stories 70
User Stories Supporting Procurement Processes 75
Agile Tools: User Stories 77
Summary 89
Key Terms 90
Discussion Questions 91
Notes 91
PART III • AGILE PROJECT PLANNING 93
Chapter 5 • Building the Agile Team 95
Chapter Overview 95
Agile at Scale 95
Matrix- Managed versus Dedicated Teams 97
Distributed versus Co- Located Teams 100
Scrum Master as a Servant Leader 104
Development Team Composition 105
The Vendor Product Owner 106
Agile Tools: Adding Users 106