Introduction to Agile Training Course

2 days.

Learn how to

1. Understand Agile principles and how to build the discipline to support those principles in your everyday practice.
2. Appreciate the history of Agile and how the collection of principles and practices came together to enable customer success.
3. Examine Agile methodologies, including: Scrum, Extreme Programming, AgileUP,, Feature Driven Development, Lean Development, DSDM
4. Draw best practices from the various methodologies that will contribute to your team success
5. Talk the talk: learning the Agile terminology, roles and forums with their context
6. Walk, but not run; walk through the processes that support Agile principles to enable the delivery of great products
7. Begin to map the transition of your existing or enterprise-level processes, artifacts and forums to Agile
8. Discover the power of Agile teams through communication, collaboration and cadence
9. Uncover the pitfalls that teams will encounter in an Agile transition and understand how to overcome those challenges.
10. Lay the foundation upon which you can build a learning team and organization.

Immediate Benefits of Attending This Class

1. Gain a solid understanding of Agile principles and why they are important
2. Understand the iterative approach and it’s benefits
3. Apply relative estimating to communicate more effectively with your customers what to expect.
4. Establish a firm understanding of what it takes to make a transition to Agile
5. Incorporate retrospectives into your team processes to promote continuous improvement
6. Apply principles and practices of technical excellence to enhance your agility
7. Learn how requirements emerge during development and practice how to successfully prioritize and collaborate these
8. Understand Agile planning at all levels of execution from Vision down to Daily
9. Know what to do next in your current situation to apply these principles and practices for your team
10. Examine Agile processes including; Scrum, Extreme Programming, AgileUP, Feature Drive Development, Lean Development, and Dynamic Systems Development Model

This course is designed for anyone who is considering the use of an Agile methodology for software development, including:

• Project Managers
• Analysts
• Developers
• Programmers
• Testers
• IT Manager/Directors
• Software Engineers
• Software Architects
• Customers

I. Agile Overview

In this section we will explore the motivating factors for teams adopting Agile practices. Further we will examine the various Agile methods and the principles and practices they embrace. Agile success with real-world examples across many industries will be shared to highlight the benefits that Agile can bring to teams. Finally, we will explore the power behind Agile teams and how they differ from traditional project teams.

• Why Agile?
• Agile Methods — Principles and Practices
• Agile Benefits — what you can expect
• Agile Teams

Exercise

Forming the Agile Team — in this exercise we will explore the unique factors of Agile teams and recognize the key factors for successful Agile teams.

II. Agile Basics

In this section we will establish a foundation of the basic artifacts and forums utilized by Agile teams. Agile terminology will be reviewed and understood.

• User Roles and Personas
• User Stories
• Acceptance Criteria
• Prioritization techniques
• Relative Estimating
• Iterative approach – thin slices

Exercise

Transition to an iterative approach — teams will engage in a fun exercise that will highlight the benefits behind why iterations work.

III. Agile Process Framework

In this section, we will review the complete process framework Agile teams should utilize to achieve success. For many, Agile merely means Iterations and Daily Scrum, but that will not suffice! Again, real-world examples provided by the instructor will give you context for why each level of planning and execution is important. Forums and artifacts necessary for Agile success will also be discussed and practiced.

• Vision
• Roadmap
• Release
• Iteration
• Daily

Exercise

Building cadence — As with any process, the process should not be a distraction. In order to achieve that desired state, cadence is needed, team members must know what to expect repeatedly and consistently. This exercise will help reinforce the need for and power that comes with cadence.

IV. Communication

Because communication and collaboration are at the heart of Agile success, we will explore in more detail what teams can do to get it right!

• Transparency — establish and maintain
• Main path communication
• Creating Collaboration
• Beyond the team

V. Agile Approach

In this section we will communicate clearly the path taken by many teams to achieve success as well as what pitfalls Agile teams should avoid — and how to avoid them.

• What to watch for — barriers to success
• Agile best practices
• Agile Tools
• Next steps — specific to your situation!

Exercise

At this point it is time to determine what is next for you! Teams and individuals will collaborate with each other and with the instructor to determine what you can do to build upon the foundation established during the course.