Beyond Projects/#NoProjects
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This document discusses problems with traditional project management approaches when applied to software development and proposes alternatives. It argues that projects are not well-suited for software because they are temporary, focus on milestones rather than delivering value, encourage big batches over small increments, and disrupt teams. Instead, it recommends taking a continuous flow approach with stable stream teams, focusing on quickly delivering small amounts of value, and governing based on results and benefits rather than schedules and budgets.
![70% believe they are failing
to identify and quantify the
benefits adequately
Delivering value from IS and IT investments, John Ward, Cranfield School of Management,
2006 – survey of UK & Benelux managers http://www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/dinamic-
content/research/documents/deliveringvaluereport.pdf
IT/IS & Business Manager survey
38% openly admit they
overstate the benefits in
order to obtain funding
80% report that the review and evaluation of
completed projects is also inadequate
due to the focus on [achieving] cost, time
and quality objectives and not on whether
the intended benefits were realized.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/beyondnoprojects-170510144105/85/Beyond-Projects-NoProjects-10-320.jpg)
Beyond Projects/#NoProjects
- 1. Beyond Projects Or The End of Projects and what happens next Allan Kelly - allan@allankelly.net http://www.allankelly.net Twitter: @allankellynet TopConf Linz March 2017 #BeyondProjects #NoProjects #ProjectLess
- 2. Allan Kelly… Consulting on software development & strategy Training for Agile Author – Little Book of Requirements & User Stories (2016) http://www.leanpub.com/userstories – Xanpan: Team Centric Agile Software Development (2014) https://leanpub.com/xanpan – Business Patterns for Software Developers (2012) – Changing Software Development: Learning to be Agile (2008)
- 3. What is a “project”?
- 5. project noun |ˈprɒdʒɛkt| 1 an individual or collaborative enterprise that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim: a research project | a project to build a new power station. • a piece of research work undertaken by a school or college student: a history project. • a proposed or planned undertaking: the novel undermines its own stated project of telling a story. 2 (also housing project)N. Amer. a government- subsidized housing development with relatively low rents: her family still lives in the projects. From Apple MacOSX dictionary
- 6. A project is…. Project Management Institute - http://pm4id.org/1/2/ "PMI defines a project by its two key characteristics: • it is temporary and • undertaken to create a product, service, or result that is unique."
- 7. Problem #1 – Success? Project Success Criteria Where’s the value? £ $ € • On Schedule • On Budget • On Quality (Features)
- 8. Project Model Assumptions 1. Value is knowable And is known before start 2. There is no value in flexibility i.e. Options are valueless
- 9. Requirements change. Compound to ~27% per annum The observed rate of change in the US is about 2% per calendar month Capers Jones, 2008 The world changes Get over it
- 10. 70% believe they are failing to identify and quantify the benefits adequately Delivering value from IS and IT investments, John Ward, Cranfield School of Management, 2006 – survey of UK & Benelux managers http://www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/dinamic- content/research/documents/deliveringvaluereport.pdf IT/IS & Business Manager survey 38% openly admit they overstate the benefits in order to obtain funding 80% report that the review and evaluation of completed projects is also inadequate due to the focus on [achieving] cost, time and quality objectives and not on whether the intended benefits were realized.
- 11. Conflict and…. Goal displacement – Chasing date over benefit – Chasing time over benefit – Chasing cost over benefit – Chasing features over benefit The Project model leads to…
- 12. Solution Governance based on actual delivered benefits Iterative portfolio management
- 13. Focus on Benefit not The End Ask not, “When will the software be done?” Do ask: “When will the software deliver value next?”
- 14. Problem #2 – Projects are Big • Project model is optimized for big • Used on small pieces of work it inefficient • Projects push big decisions up – to big men – with big cheque books – top-down authority
- 15. Milk is cheapest in BIG cartons Software is cheapest in lots of small cartons And small cartons of software reduce risk
- 17. Consider a large project Against several small projects Project A: Risk = 30% Value at risk = £1m Therefore risk weighted value = £300,000 Prj B: Risk = 15% Value @ risk = £½m Therefore … = £75,000 Prj C: Risk = 15% Value @risk = £½m Therefore … = £75,000 E: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k F: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k G: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k H: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k I: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k
- 18. Solution Think small Get good at small
- 19. Software development… • Does NOT have economies of Scale • Development has DISECONOMIES of scale Therefore • Stop thinking BIG • Start thinking SMALL
- 20. Projects are big batch Small batches best for software Small batches reduce risk Regular delivery increases ROI
- 21. Problem #3 – The End Software isn’t temporary
- 22. Successful software doesn’t stop Successful software continues to change Only dead software has an end-date
- 23. Successful software? Moodle Weekly downloads: 23,239 Last update: 3 days (16 Jan) Web Torrent Weekly downloads: 0 Last update: 17 April 2013 (9mths) PerlLORD Weekly downloads: 0 Last update: 25 May 2013 (8mths) 1) If they use it, it will change 2) Only Dead Software Stops changing Data from SourceForge search for “WebBrowser” 19 Jan 2014
- 24. End dates damage quality • Short term thinking leads to… – Corner cutting – Known & unfixed bugs – Residual technical debt – Knowledge lost
- 25. A Project is… “A temporary organization that is needed to produce a unique and predefined outcome or result at a pre-specified time using predetermined resources.” PRINCE2 definition of project
- 26. Continuous not Temporary Continuous flow Continuous improvement Continuous delivery Continuous benefit
- 27. A Match Made in Hell Software Development Project Management Software is forever Projects are TEMPORARY
- 28. Problem #4 - Temporary Organizations
- 29. Temporary Team? • Forming • Storming • Norming • Performing • Destroying }Takes time & money! Why destroy performing teams? Why spend that money? Why loose knowledge?
- 30. Temporary organizations Disbanding teams destroys – Knowledge – Capability – Performance The most destructive idea known to software development
- 31. Solution Base work around stable stream teams Aim for continuity
- 33. What to do about it… • Keep teams together • Flow work to the teams • Work in the small • Work continually • Demonstrate value
- 34. The End of Projects • Projects are accounting codes • Finished Software is Dead Software – Living software changes – Dead software doesn’t – Living software doesn’t end • Project thinking kills software
- 35. Beyond Projects A new model….
- 36. Waterfall 2.0 Jonathon’s Run Fall, Pennsylvania by Hubert Stoffels (http://flickr.com/photos/22195940@N00) Creative Commons License Continuous Flow
- 37. Get good at small Optimize & Organize for lots of small Deliver small increments of value And evaluate results
- 38. Stream Teams Continuity in teams Align with business Product Service Business Line Devolve authority: Efficiency in making lots of small decisions
- 39. Value seeking & delivering Value seeking Identify Deliver And EVALUATE Governance of teams Repeat, don’t stop
- 40. Could this ever work? • Governance by results? • Fail fast, fail cheap? Seems to work well on Sand Hill Road …
- 41. Feedback Option A Option B
- 42. #NoProjects / #ProjectLess • It ain’t ever over allan kelly - allan@allankelly.net Twitter: @allankellynet #NoProjects LeanPub https://leanpub.com/noprojects
- 43. Appendix
- 44. End Date considered harmful Late requirements considered inferior
- 45. Change Governance Base Governance on actual delivered benefits Not milestones completed Not documents Not budgets Picture from Picasa - Creative Commons License http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:House_of_Parliment_6_2012-07- 08.jpg What have you delivered for me lately?
- 46. Governance based on results • Experiment friendly – Failure tolerant – Fail fast, fail cheap (salvage) • Align with strategy • Governance through Iterative Portfolio Management
- 47. Iterative Portfolio Management • Fixed schedule for gate reviews • Review what is ready on a date – Benefit delivered to date – Potential benefit if continued
- 48. Rational end dates? In the US more than half of the large projects … predetermined end date is selected, and it is forced on the project by arbitrary decree. Capers Jones, 2008
- 49. Solution Work to the business deadline Do what you can in the time Do good work
- 50. Corporate Psychopathy Process by which corporations disband performing teams and release staff
- 51. Solution Organize work around that which is stable
- 52. Organize by business stream & team • Aim for stable teams & continuity • Close to business • Manage queues within capacity Stream #1 Dev Team
- 53. Deadlines Good End dates Bad
- 54. Big Batch Size Make lots of this!Build this! Deliver this! Wait Wait
- 55. Small Batch Size … and keep going
- 56. Project Manager Not fair! You misrepresent us!
- 57. Wait a minute…. Project Manager So what is “A project”? We don’t Break up teams, or Stick doggedly to requirements We do - Allow change - Consider value - Work continually Why does Prince 2 contain this definition? And what does a “Project Manager” actually Manage?
- 59. “False Projects” When the language of projects is used to discuss work which is not a project Confusion! Stop confusing people Stop misleading yourselves
Editor's Notes
- #37: Public domain image, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sausage_making-H-3.JPG