distributed agile by rini van solingen

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Rini van Solingen

Research on globally distributed software engineering

Who am I?

• Rini van Solingen, 38 years old, married to Patricia, 2 kids (Bo en Bas), lives in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands

• Technical informatics – TU-Delft (MSc)Technology Management – TU-Eindhoven (PhD)

• Head in the clouds, feet in the dirt (industry-science)• Schlumberger, Fraunhofer IESE, CMG/Logica, Mavim, iSense

Prowareness, TUDelft, TUEindhoven, Stenden University

• Loves to lead, investigate, teach, publish and coach

• 20% TU-Delft, 80% iSense ProwarenessApril 11, 2023

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Scrum Management BookJanuary 2011 (expected)

The Power of ScrumAn inspiring story about a revolutionary project

management approachAuthors:• Jeff Sutherland• Rini van Solingen• Eelco Rustenburg

April 11, 2023

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The Delft Software Engineering Research Group (http://www.se.ewi.tudelft.nl/)Group size:• ~25 fte, including ~15 full

time researchers (PhD candidates, postdocs).

Teaching: • Programming and project

skills of Delft computer science students

• ~20 MSc projects p/y in software engineering

Research:• Software evolution• Reverse engineering• Software testing• Services• Model-driven engineering• Web engineering• Embedded systems• Globally distributed SEClose collaboration with

industry

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Adding a global perspective to SE

Source: Carmel & Agarwal, IEEE Software 2001

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Four Types of Distance

Geographical (Kilometers, or door-to-door travel time)

Temporal (Timezone-distance, or % overlapping hours)

Language (Language distance, native vs. non-native)

Cultural (Cultural distance e.g. Hofstede dimensions)

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On Culture….

Geert Hofstede (www.geert-hofstede.com)• Power Distance Index (PDI) • Individualism (IDV)• Masculinity (MAS) • Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)• Long-Term Orientation (LTO)

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Allen Curve – 30 meter principle

Probability of Communication

0

1

2

3

4

5

0 20 40 60 80 100

Distance (meters)

Wee

ly C

om

mu

nic

atio

n

Source: TJ Allen, The Organization and Architecture of Innovation, 2007

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The Research Challenge for GDSE

• Our Quest for GDSE research:“Creating the virtual 30 meters”

• Deep understanding of GDSE issues• Both theoretical and practical• Real versus perceived distance• Technological solutions are available and still

sufficient additions feasible and required• The virtual project space as “dot-on-the-

horizon”

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Although: the Virtual 30-meters….

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Although: the Virtual 30-meters….

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…for Software Engineers

My tasks

Product featuresTask

status

Source code

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…Virtual 30-meters: Traceability

Requirements

Task status

Source code related to task

Test cases related to requirements

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The TU-Delft GDSE Research Agenda• Successfully deploying GDSE in practice

Best-practices of companies, success-factors and fail-factors from practice are an important focus in my research

• Technological support for distributed sw-developmentTechnology to support a decreased perception of distance and increased transparency

• Distributed agile developmentAgile methods increase the level of informal communication, coordination and control; Agile might solve many issues in distributed development

• Follow-the-Sun software developmentThe GDSE ‘stress-test’; if tools and technology work for FtS, they are likely to be applicable elsewhere too

• Teaching GDSE dynamicsPrepare our current student population for a career in which GDSE plays a roleApril 11, 2023 15

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Best-practices for Distributed Scrum

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Best-practice 0:

If Single Roof is Possible: Do It!

Don’t distributed if not necessary

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Best-practice 1:

First deploy Scrum locally before working distributed

Deploy “by the book”: inspect and adapt empirically

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Best-practice 2:

Assign Scrum roles explicitly, define proxies and ensure alignment between these

PO-role even more critical and crucial

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Best-practice 3:

One team in one rhythmTeam members are located on all locations and work in same sprints

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Best-practice 4:

MeetTeams are not build up by themselves: actively establish personal relations

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Best-practice 5:

Impediment resolution and Retrospective effectiveness remains crucial

Meet for retrospectives

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Best-practice 6:

Work at customer location at least between 10-20% of the time

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Best-practice 7:

Personal mindset is crucial:

“what did I do wrong?”“what can I do different?”

“what can I do to help?”24

Best-practice 8:

Don’t focus on tools: discussion and interaction is more important

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Best-practice 9:

Communication & Awareness is no Automatism

On this issue tools do help

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Best-practice 10:

Fail fast: improve empirically

Both successes and failures are sources for learning

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The TU-Delft GDSE Research Agenda• Successfully deploying GDSE in practice

Best-practices of companies, success-factors and fail-factors from practice are an important focus in my research

• Technological support for distributed sw-developmentTechnology to support a decreased perception of distance and increased transparency

• Distributed agile developmentAgile methods increase the level of informal communication, coordination and control; Agile might solve many issues in distributed development

• Follow-the-Sun software developmentThe GDSE ‘stress-test’; if tools and technology work for FtS, they are likely to be applicable elsewhere too

• Teaching GDSE dynamicsPrepare our current student population for a career in which GDSE plays a roleApril 11, 2023 28

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Example 1: Technological Support for distributed agile

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Example 2: experiment FtS development

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Example 3: Routing for FtS

Http://www.follow-the-sun.org

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Example 4: GDSE Game

• Running GDSE company• Deciding Lab locations• Defining Strategy• Customer focus• Projects vs Products• Advance decision making• Teaching GDSE dynamics

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The TU-Delft GDSE Research Agenda• Successfully deploying GDSE in practice

• Technological support for distributed sw-development

• Distributed agile development

• Follow-the-Sun software development

• Teaching GDSE dynamics

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Thank you for allowing me to talk about my passion!

Questions?

D.M.vanSolingen@tudelft.nlR.vanSolingen@prowareness.nl

www.rinivansolingen.nl

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