Agile Portfolio Metrics for your next enterprise roadtrip

JasonTiceAsynchronyLabsWorldWideTechnologyAgileDC–October2015

A portfolio metaphor

What got us here ?

Portfolio Metrics Effective but hard to understand

The power of metaphor

We already do this on agile teams

Let’s go on a road trip

Roadtrip Essentials

•  Havewebroughtalongourmostimportantstuff?•  Howmanytanksofgasdoweneedtomakeit?•  Arewedrivingsafely&followingthelaws?•  IseveryonecontribuJngtothetrip?•  Doweunderstandwhyweareslowingdown?•  HowoKendowecheckthatweareoncourse?•  Dowe(asdrivers/planners)likethejourney?•  DoourpassengerslikethedesJnaJon?

Question: Have we brought along our most important stuff?

Question: Have we brought along our most important stuff?

Por$olioMetric:Rela/veValue•  What-DeterminetherelaJvevalueoftheepics/projects

inyourporQoliobycomparingtoeachother–  Yourtrunk&yourporQoliodonothaveinfinitecapacity!

•  Why-Directfocustoepics/projectswiththegreatestvalue

•  Why–LimitWork-In-Progress-Projectsthatonlyreceivea10%focusnevergetdone

Techniquesrecommended:•  BusinessValueGame(visualprioriJzaJon)•  Buy-A-Feature(collaboraJveprioriJzaJon)

Question: How many tanks of gas do we need to make it?

Question: How many tanks of gas do we need to make it?

Por$olioMetric:Plannedvs.actualinvestment•  What–AninformedguessontheJmeneededtocomplete

anepic/projectmadebyinformedpeopleusingavisualmockup(orprototype)–  Allowsforsimplereleasescheduling

•  Why–Usetocreateasimplescheduletoremindustoask“isitgoodenough,wehadplannedtomoveon”–  IfmoreJmeisneeded,that’sOK,butthenweareforcedtoadjustthe

plan-#LearningisencouragedTechniquesrecommended:•  Screen/Appmockups/wireframespriortodevelopment•  Epic/FeaturebudgeJng(fast–ask#ofweekstobuildthat?)

Question: Are we driving safely & following the laws?

Question: Are we driving safely & following the laws?

Por$olioMetric:PercentComplete&Accurate•  What–numberofepics/projectsconsideredbothdone&correct

–  Leadershipmustunderstand“it’sOKtonotbeperfect”•  Why–measurecompleJonandqualityinacombinedmetric

–  EncouragesgoodpracJcestoinsJllqualityincludingwriJngclearacceptancecriteria&definiJonofdone

–  Promotesmastery&learning–makesimprovementopportuniJestransparentsoyoucanfocusonthem

Techniquesrecommended:•  OperaJonsReview(usingactualepic/projectdata)•  Learningwall/OSHAsigns(#ofdayswithoutanincident)•  A3worksheets/Cross-teamretrospecJves/post-mortems

Question: Is everyone contributing to the trip?

Question: Is everyone contributing to the trip?

Por$olioMetric:Wholeteamcontribu/on•  What–howmanypeoplecontributedtoeachepic/project?•  Why–encouragesharedworktoavoidsinglepointsoffailure–

reduceoperaJonalrisk–  Makeepics/projectsthatareonlysupportedby1or2individuals

transparenttoenablelearning&sharing–  Allow/encouragestaffmemberstolearnnewskillstopromote

engagement–engagement=happypeople(HBR)

Techniquesrecommended:•  Names/picturesonworkitems(cardpunching/tagging)•  Whole-teamdemos(everyoneabletodemoepic/project)•  Validatedlearningstatsreviewedbyleadership(arewe

learningconJnuouslyasateam?)

Question: Do we understand why we are slowing down?

Question: Do we understand why we are slowing down?

Por$olioMetric:BlockerClustering&CostofDelay•  What–whattypesofincidentsarecausingustoslowdown,arethey

acceptable,howwilltheyimpactus•  Why–understandcommonsourceofdelay,providesupporttoteams

toaddress,and/orleadership/investmenttoaddresscommonavoidabledelays–  Enableleadershiptoserveteamsandmeasuretheimpactofwhat

leadershipdoes

Techniquesrecommended:•  Blockerboards(withcategories/taxonomy)•  OperaJonsReview/ScrumofScrums•  NEW–MiJgaJonMarketplace(teammembersareinvestorsusinga

Buy-A-Featuremodel)

Question: How often do we check that we are on course?

Question: How often do we check that we are on course?

Por$olioMetric:ReleaseFrequency•  What–howfrequentlydoyouget“realfeedback”onyoursoKware/project

from“realusers”–ideallytrackedindays,ornumberofdailyreleases•  Why–encouragemorefrequentfeedbackbylinkingJme/investmentto

eventsthatprovidegenuinefeedback–  Reducerisk–“we’veinvested$$$sinceourlastrelease,areweOKwriJngthatoff?”–  ProvidesaddiJonalbenefitofteam/customerengagement–  PromotesdeploymentautomaJontofreeupinvestmentforinnovaJonandother

value-addprojects

Techniquesrecommended:•  Teamuserfeedbackreviewsessions•  Postnumberofdays/hourssincelastrelease•  Postinvestment/burnin$$$sincelastrelease

Question: Do we like the journey & our passengers the destination?

Question: Do we like the journey & our passengers the destination?

Por$olioMetric:NetPromoterScore•  What–twomeasurements:

–  Wouldteammembersrecommendtheprojecttoacolleague?–  Wouldusersrecommendtheepic/projecttootherusers?

•  Why–receivetrueconfirmaJonwearebuildingthe“right”thinganditisbeingbuiltina“sustainable”manner

Techniquesrecommended:•  Solicituserfeedbackattheepic/projectlevel

–  Rateaepicwithinanapp(designpanernw/featuretoggles)•  Transparentteam/projectassessment

–  Project/teamreviews(5-star)–teamhappiness

Your Roadmap

•  Havewebroughtalongourmostimportantstuff?–  Metric:Rela/vevalueofepics/projects

•  Howmanytanksofgasdoweneedtomakeit?–  Metric:Plannedvs.actualinvestment

•  Arewedrivingsafely&followingthelaws?–  Metric:PercentComplete&Accurate

•  IseveryonecontribuJngtothetrip?–  Metric:Wholeteamcontribu/on

•  Doweunderstandwhyweareslowingdown?–  Metric:BlockerClustering&CostofDelay

•  HowoKendowecheckthatweareoncourse?–  Metric:ReleaseFrequency

•  Dowelikethejourney&ourpassengersthedesJnaJon?–  Metric:NetPromoterScore(5-star)

Contact

JasonTiceAsynchronyLabs–WorldWideTechnology

LocaJon:St.Louis,MO,USAEmail:jason@theagilefactor.comTwiner:@theagilefactorPodcast:www.thisagilelife.comWeb:www.theagilefactor.comThanksforanending–stayintouch...