R: Waterfall and Dr. Winston Royce

Ken,

this is a concrete example of what I mean for "agile".

In my opinion, agile means not only small releases and timeboxing, not only
frequent feedback, not only creativity and self organization.
Yes, in most cases direct communication is better than documentation (to
simplify a complex problem).

But the core of agility is: given a concrete situation, with concrete
constraints (as the presence of existing management reporting practices in
an organization), which is the best way to effectiveness, to achieve the
success of the project? How to overcome those constraints?

We are seldom in ideal situations, where all the agile practices can be used
without any constraint (Paul's is certainly one of these non ideal
situations). But we must deal with them, in the best realistic way.

I think most of "agile" comes simply after "experience". Of what works, of
what does not work.
Waterfall is simple, and sounds effective to those who have not had the
experience of its drawbacks. Now we know it's not effective, after
experience. After the experience of 32 years of software development, and of
waterfall problems, I guess Winston Royce in 2002 would not write the same
paper. (You are anyway right, it's nonsense to say that the 1970 paper from
Royce "contained many of the elements and, perhaps, even the essence of
agility").

Adriano Comai
www.analisi-disegno.com

> -----Messaggio originale-----
> Da: Ken Schwaber [mailto:ken.schwaber@xxxxxxxxxxx]
> Inviato: venerdi 13 dicembre 2002 1.30
> A: scrumdevelopment@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Oggetto: RE: [scrumdevelopment] Waterfall and Dr. Winston Royce

[...]
> minimize the disruption. For instance, management
> reporting. Absolutely a difficult item to tackle. I usually recommend that
> existing management reporting be kept totally intact, overhead
> and all, and
> that Scrum reporting be added to it. During review meetings, review the
> "real" progress on the Scrum reports. Eventually, management gets
> comfortable with these reports AND the actual progress demonstrated at the
> Sprint reviews. But this is a "win them over" not "kill them with
> how right
> I am" approach. Management is threatened enough by ScrumMaster and them
> "helping" the teams rather than telling the teams what to do. And then we
> turn them out of their offices and turn the office into a team
> design room.
> Wow! That's difficult change!
> Ken



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