Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Building a system to support our collaborative approach gives us the flexibil-
ity to pull work in, if the customer decides something is more important, as
long as we can find other work that we can push off of equal value—and as
long as it is within the overall agreed to project scope.
INSIGHT
Yo u c a n u s e a f o r m a l E a r n e d Va l u e M a n a g e m e n t S y s t e m
(EVMS) effectively with an Agile approach, but to do so requires proper
planning, guidance, rules, and training.
CAUTION
Because it is easy to abuse flexibility, clear rules and training must be
established before using an EVMS with the Push-Pull technique. Push-Pull
must be closely monitored, especially when first implemented.
Unfortunately, too often when Agile approaches are first introduced in orga-
nizations (often in a “stealth” way), the consequences on the financial side of
the house are not well understood,
and therefore the required planning
and ground rules are not set up
appropriately.
Pause, Reflect, and Glance Forward
Have you observed within your orga-
nization any of the common repeating
specific weaknesses discussed?
•
Example rules that need to be clear
include: If you push off work, never
take earned value for that work
unless you pull in work of equal
earned value that is within the scope
of the baseline effort. Also never take
earned value unless the work is
done and value is actually earned.
These are actually nothing special to
“Agile” practices. They are funda-
mental earned value principles.
However, sometimes when we
move in an Agile direction it
becomes more tempting to “break
the fundamental rules.”
A mistake we made on DART was that work Al was doing wasn't pulled for-
ward from the agreed-to Scope document. He was pulling it forward directly
Misunderstanding collaboration as
working long hours to please a closely
interacting customer?
•
Failing to involve the full team in
assessing work left to do?
•
Pushing work out without properly
accounting for it on the schedule?
In Part V, you will see criteria to help
locate your own repeating specific
weaknesses.
