How do you present the Cost benefit of using Agile in your Product lifecycle

[Sai Hegde]

I have been using Agile programming methodologies for a while, and more recently switched to a newer organization.
As you say this is one of those 'stable' companies very reluctant of any change... How would you go present a cost benefit effectively using agile through the product lifecycle.

[Tim Ottinger]

Sai Hegde wrote:I have been using Agile programming methodologies for a while, and more recently switched to a newer organization.
As you say this is one of those 'stable' companies very reluctant of any change... How would you go present a cost benefit effectively using agile through the product lifecycle.

I tend not to. Mind you, I'm usually called after the decision is made. I'm not primarily a salesman by nature.

But maybe this is one of those martial arts moments. Maybe look at the problems they actually have, and start bringing in the practices and values that will help them address those problems. Quality low? More pairing, TDD, automated testing. Hard to get releases out? Continuous Integration, whole team practices. Predictability of releases? Iterations and velocity tracking w/ burn-up (or burn-down). Specification? Collocated customer, ATDD, iteration demos. Stressed out and nothing getting done? Reduced WIP and the kanban board.

I can't say too much about how to sell them, but I suspect that meeting their needs might earn you more political coin than presenting an argument to the PTB.

OTOH, Esther Schindler and others have done this very thing and written about it. http://www.softwarequalityconnection.com/2011/01/selling-agile-to-the-cfo-a-guide-for-development-teams/

Best Wishes,
Tim Ottinger

[Sai Hegde]

Thanks Tim, that was quite an interesting read.

Tim Ottinger wrote: I'm not primarily a salesman by nature.

Neither am I and I just wish at times I didn't have to

[Jeff Langr]

Sai Hegde wrote:Thanks Tim, that was quite an interesting read.

Tim Ottinger wrote: I'm not primarily a salesman by nature.

Neither am I and I just wish at times I didn't have to

Ditto. Unfortunately, different people are swayed by different things.

There are some statistical-based stats that demonstrate that agile has a better chance of success than a non-agile effort, if that's any help. I take little stock in statistics, myself.

Good luck in selling it. Success is often a good salesman (but you can't just say, "look, we were successful, so you will be too..." I saw JB talk about failed sales pitches to team members--not CFOs et al-- at Agile 2007, was very entertaining: http://agile2007.agilealliance.org/downloads/handouts/Rainsberger_414.pdf).

Regards,
Jeff