Topic

Agile Team Resource Challenges

Response

Agile organisations make number of common resource mistakes. The five key mistakes are:

Agile Team Resource Allocation Rules
Forming Agile Teams Based Around a Projects Core Function or Discipline
Defining a Number of Short-term Goals
Constructing a Minimums Release Strategy
Product Owner Needs to Get Ahead of The Curve

Agile Team Resource Allocation Rules

Monetical recommend the core members of the Agile team; the Product Owner, the Scrum Master and a few of the Subject Matter Experts are assigned to one Agile Team for a minimum of 40% of their time. Therefore, an individual has the ability to support two Agile Teams on a regular basis, and a 3rd on an as-need basis (for example, a couple of iterations or weeks per quarter). By following these rules individuals wont face too much context switching and their Agile Teams will benefit from their persistent engagement, which in turn will increase the Team’s confidence in its schedules and help achieve the following Agile principles.

Our Agile processes promote SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTIVITY that will enable everyone to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.

Forming Agile Teams Based Around a Projects Core Function or Discipline

Following the Monetical Agile Team Design Framework that places greater emphasis on first documenting the overall value chain of the new offering, solutions, service prior to focusing on identifying the required competencies and the allocation of resources should lead to a value chain based life cycle, rather than maintain traditional silod ways of working.

Defining a Number of Short-term Goals

During the initial iteration or month of mobilising a new Agile Team, it is recommended the Agile Team defines a series of achievable quarter one objectives and key results with their Sponsors and Leadership Team. These short-term goals should ensure the Agile Team carries a small number of requirements through the entire life cycle. Analysis, design, construction, test and release. As well as obtaining early customer feedback the Agile Team will be tested to see whether they understand and can apply the new ways of working. Any early success will demonstrate the value of the core lief cycle process, which Agile is based on. The PDCA cycle.

Constructing a Minimums Release Strategy

It is Monetical’s opinion the abbreviation MVP is too course of an instrument. Time and time again, Agile Teams working with their sponsors struggle to reach agreement on the context of their Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and fail to gain customer feedback early enough. It is for these reasons, Monetical promotes the adoption of more enriched minimum strategy. One that commences with a Minimum Testable Release, then a Minimum Releasable Product, and then finally, a Minimum Lovable Product.

Product Owner Needs to Get Ahead of The Curve

Too often Product Owner comes under significant pressure during the initial weeks after launching a new Agile Team. The pressure originates from the broader Agile Team members who are seeking clear and concise requirements. Product Owner’s find they are simultaneously being asked by their stakeholders (including targeted customers) to present a feature roadmap, whilst the core Team demands clarifications on the details of requirements, for example, conditions of acceptance to enable them to accurately size the work. It is for these reasons Monetical recommends the Product Owner is formally appointed to the Agile Team at least 1 month ahead of the core Agile Team, to allow them to get ahead of the curve. Should this option not be possible, Agile Teams should consider scheduling a dedicated Design Sprint or Risk Assessment Sprint.

Discover more

Additional information, including working examples and templates are available in the Monetical knowledge base.