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Beyond Projects/#NoProjects

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allan kelly
allan kelly

This document discusses problems with traditional project management approaches when applied to software development and proposes alternatives. It argues that projects are not well-suited for software because they are temporary, focus on milestones rather than delivering value, encourage big batches over small increments, and disrupt teams. Instead, it recommends taking a continuous flow approach with stable stream teams, focusing on quickly delivering small amounts of value, and governing based on results and benefits rather than schedules and budgets.

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Beyond Projects Or The End of Projects and what happens next Allan Kelly - allan@allankelly.net http://www.allankelly.net Twitter: @allankellynet TopConf Linz March 2017 #BeyondProjects #NoProjects #ProjectLess
Allan Kelly…  Consulting on software development & strategy  Training for Agile Author – Little Book of Requirements & User Stories (2016) http://www.leanpub.com/userstories – Xanpan: Team Centric Agile Software Development (2014) https://leanpub.com/xanpan – Business Patterns for Software Developers (2012) – Changing Software Development: Learning to be Agile (2008)
What is a “project”?
Taken from http://armstrap-documentation.readthedocs.org/en/latest/getting-started-eclipse- development-tools.html
project noun |ˈprɒdʒɛkt| 1 an individual or collaborative enterprise that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim: a research project | a project to build a new power station. • a piece of research work undertaken by a school or college student: a history project. • a proposed or planned undertaking: the novel undermines its own stated project of telling a story. 2 (also housing project)N. Amer. a government- subsidized housing development with relatively low rents: her family still lives in the projects. From Apple MacOSX dictionary
A project is…. Project Management Institute - http://pm4id.org/1/2/ "PMI defines a project by its two key characteristics: • it is temporary and • undertaken to create a product, service, or result that is unique."
Problem #1 – Success? Project Success Criteria Where’s the value? £ $ € • On Schedule • On Budget • On Quality (Features)
Project Model Assumptions 1. Value is knowable And is known before start 2. There is no value in flexibility i.e. Options are valueless
Requirements change. Compound to ~27% per annum The observed rate of change in the US is about 2% per calendar month Capers Jones, 2008 The world changes Get over it
70% believe they are failing to identify and quantify the benefits adequately Delivering value from IS and IT investments, John Ward, Cranfield School of Management, 2006 – survey of UK & Benelux managers http://www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/dinamic- content/research/documents/deliveringvaluereport.pdf IT/IS & Business Manager survey 38% openly admit they overstate the benefits in order to obtain funding 80% report that the review and evaluation of completed projects is also inadequate due to the focus on [achieving] cost, time and quality objectives and not on whether the intended benefits were realized.
Conflict and…. Goal displacement – Chasing date over benefit – Chasing time over benefit – Chasing cost over benefit – Chasing features over benefit The Project model leads to…
Solution Governance based on actual delivered benefits Iterative portfolio management
Focus on Benefit not The End Ask not, “When will the software be done?” Do ask: “When will the software deliver value next?”
Problem #2 – Projects are Big • Project model is optimized for big • Used on small pieces of work it inefficient • Projects push big decisions up – to big men – with big cheque books – top-down authority
Milk is cheapest in BIG cartons Software is cheapest in lots of small cartons And small cartons of software reduce risk
Big increases risk
Consider a large project Against several small projects Project A: Risk = 30% Value at risk = £1m Therefore risk weighted value = £300,000 Prj B: Risk = 15% Value @ risk = £½m Therefore … = £75,000 Prj C: Risk = 15% Value @risk = £½m Therefore … = £75,000 E: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k F: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k G: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k H: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k I: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k
Solution Think small Get good at small
Software development… • Does NOT have economies of Scale • Development has DISECONOMIES of scale Therefore • Stop thinking BIG • Start thinking SMALL
Projects are big batch Small batches best for software Small batches reduce risk Regular delivery increases ROI
Problem #3 – The End Software isn’t temporary
Successful software doesn’t stop Successful software continues to change Only dead software has an end-date
Successful software? Moodle Weekly downloads: 23,239 Last update: 3 days (16 Jan) Web Torrent Weekly downloads: 0 Last update: 17 April 2013 (9mths) PerlLORD Weekly downloads: 0 Last update: 25 May 2013 (8mths) 1) If they use it, it will change 2) Only Dead Software Stops changing Data from SourceForge search for “WebBrowser” 19 Jan 2014
End dates damage quality • Short term thinking leads to… – Corner cutting – Known & unfixed bugs – Residual technical debt – Knowledge lost
A Project is… “A temporary organization that is needed to produce a unique and predefined outcome or result at a pre-specified time using predetermined resources.” PRINCE2 definition of project
Continuous not Temporary Continuous flow Continuous improvement Continuous delivery Continuous benefit
A Match Made in Hell Software Development Project Management Software is forever Projects are TEMPORARY
Problem #4 - Temporary Organizations
Temporary Team? • Forming • Storming • Norming • Performing • Destroying }Takes time & money! Why destroy performing teams? Why spend that money? Why loose knowledge?
Temporary organizations Disbanding teams destroys – Knowledge – Capability – Performance The most destructive idea known to software development
Solution Base work around stable stream teams Aim for continuity
Beyond Projects/#NoProjects
What to do about it… • Keep teams together • Flow work to the teams • Work in the small • Work continually • Demonstrate value
The End of Projects • Projects are accounting codes • Finished Software is Dead Software – Living software changes – Dead software doesn’t – Living software doesn’t end • Project thinking kills software
Beyond Projects A new model….
Waterfall 2.0 Jonathon’s Run Fall, Pennsylvania by Hubert Stoffels (http://flickr.com/photos/22195940@N00) Creative Commons License Continuous Flow
Get good at small Optimize & Organize for lots of small Deliver small increments of value And evaluate results
Stream Teams Continuity in teams Align with business Product Service Business Line Devolve authority: Efficiency in making lots of small decisions
Value seeking & delivering Value seeking Identify Deliver And EVALUATE Governance of teams Repeat, don’t stop
Could this ever work? • Governance by results? • Fail fast, fail cheap? Seems to work well on Sand Hill Road …
Feedback Option A Option B
#NoProjects / #ProjectLess • It ain’t ever over allan kelly - allan@allankelly.net Twitter: @allankellynet #NoProjects LeanPub https://leanpub.com/noprojects
Appendix
End Date considered harmful Late requirements considered inferior
Change Governance Base Governance on actual delivered benefits Not milestones completed Not documents Not budgets Picture from Picasa - Creative Commons License http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:House_of_Parliment_6_2012-07- 08.jpg What have you delivered for me lately?
Governance based on results • Experiment friendly – Failure tolerant – Fail fast, fail cheap (salvage) • Align with strategy • Governance through Iterative Portfolio Management
Iterative Portfolio Management • Fixed schedule for gate reviews • Review what is ready on a date – Benefit delivered to date – Potential benefit if continued
Rational end dates? In the US more than half of the large projects … predetermined end date is selected, and it is forced on the project by arbitrary decree. Capers Jones, 2008
Solution Work to the business deadline Do what you can in the time Do good work
Corporate Psychopathy Process by which corporations disband performing teams and release staff
Solution Organize work around that which is stable
Organize by business stream & team • Aim for stable teams & continuity • Close to business • Manage queues within capacity Stream #1 Dev Team
Deadlines Good End dates Bad
Big Batch Size Make lots of this!Build this! Deliver this! Wait Wait
Small Batch Size … and keep going
Project Manager Not fair! You misrepresent us!
Wait a minute…. Project Manager So what is “A project”? We don’t Break up teams, or Stick doggedly to requirements We do - Allow change - Consider value - Work continually Why does Prince 2 contain this definition? And what does a “Project Manager” actually Manage?
Problem #5: Language
“False Projects” When the language of projects is used to discuss work which is not a project Confusion! Stop confusing people Stop misleading yourselves

More Related Content

Beyond Projects/#NoProjects

  • 1. Beyond Projects Or The End of Projects and what happens next Allan Kelly - allan@allankelly.net http://www.allankelly.net Twitter: @allankellynet TopConf Linz March 2017 #BeyondProjects #NoProjects #ProjectLess
  • 2. Allan Kelly…  Consulting on software development & strategy  Training for Agile Author – Little Book of Requirements & User Stories (2016) http://www.leanpub.com/userstories – Xanpan: Team Centric Agile Software Development (2014) https://leanpub.com/xanpan – Business Patterns for Software Developers (2012) – Changing Software Development: Learning to be Agile (2008)
  • 3. What is a “project”?
  • 5. project noun |ˈprɒdʒɛkt| 1 an individual or collaborative enterprise that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim: a research project | a project to build a new power station. • a piece of research work undertaken by a school or college student: a history project. • a proposed or planned undertaking: the novel undermines its own stated project of telling a story. 2 (also housing project)N. Amer. a government- subsidized housing development with relatively low rents: her family still lives in the projects. From Apple MacOSX dictionary
  • 6. A project is…. Project Management Institute - http://pm4id.org/1/2/ "PMI defines a project by its two key characteristics: • it is temporary and • undertaken to create a product, service, or result that is unique."
  • 7. Problem #1 – Success? Project Success Criteria Where’s the value? £ $ € • On Schedule • On Budget • On Quality (Features)
  • 8. Project Model Assumptions 1. Value is knowable And is known before start 2. There is no value in flexibility i.e. Options are valueless
  • 9. Requirements change. Compound to ~27% per annum The observed rate of change in the US is about 2% per calendar month Capers Jones, 2008 The world changes Get over it
  • 10. 70% believe they are failing to identify and quantify the benefits adequately Delivering value from IS and IT investments, John Ward, Cranfield School of Management, 2006 – survey of UK & Benelux managers http://www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/dinamic- content/research/documents/deliveringvaluereport.pdf IT/IS & Business Manager survey 38% openly admit they overstate the benefits in order to obtain funding 80% report that the review and evaluation of completed projects is also inadequate due to the focus on [achieving] cost, time and quality objectives and not on whether the intended benefits were realized.
  • 11. Conflict and…. Goal displacement – Chasing date over benefit – Chasing time over benefit – Chasing cost over benefit – Chasing features over benefit The Project model leads to…
  • 12. Solution Governance based on actual delivered benefits Iterative portfolio management
  • 13. Focus on Benefit not The End Ask not, “When will the software be done?” Do ask: “When will the software deliver value next?”
  • 14. Problem #2 – Projects are Big • Project model is optimized for big • Used on small pieces of work it inefficient • Projects push big decisions up – to big men – with big cheque books – top-down authority
  • 15. Milk is cheapest in BIG cartons Software is cheapest in lots of small cartons And small cartons of software reduce risk
  • 17. Consider a large project Against several small projects Project A: Risk = 30% Value at risk = £1m Therefore risk weighted value = £300,000 Prj B: Risk = 15% Value @ risk = £½m Therefore … = £75,000 Prj C: Risk = 15% Value @risk = £½m Therefore … = £75,000 E: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k F: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k G: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k H: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k I: Risk = 6% @risk = £200k Therefore = £12k
  • 19. Software development… • Does NOT have economies of Scale • Development has DISECONOMIES of scale Therefore • Stop thinking BIG • Start thinking SMALL
  • 20. Projects are big batch Small batches best for software Small batches reduce risk Regular delivery increases ROI
  • 21. Problem #3 – The End Software isn’t temporary
  • 22. Successful software doesn’t stop Successful software continues to change Only dead software has an end-date
  • 23. Successful software? Moodle Weekly downloads: 23,239 Last update: 3 days (16 Jan) Web Torrent Weekly downloads: 0 Last update: 17 April 2013 (9mths) PerlLORD Weekly downloads: 0 Last update: 25 May 2013 (8mths) 1) If they use it, it will change 2) Only Dead Software Stops changing Data from SourceForge search for “WebBrowser” 19 Jan 2014
  • 24. End dates damage quality • Short term thinking leads to… – Corner cutting – Known & unfixed bugs – Residual technical debt – Knowledge lost
  • 25. A Project is… “A temporary organization that is needed to produce a unique and predefined outcome or result at a pre-specified time using predetermined resources.” PRINCE2 definition of project
  • 26. Continuous not Temporary Continuous flow Continuous improvement Continuous delivery Continuous benefit
  • 27. A Match Made in Hell Software Development Project Management Software is forever Projects are TEMPORARY
  • 28. Problem #4 - Temporary Organizations
  • 29. Temporary Team? • Forming • Storming • Norming • Performing • Destroying }Takes time & money! Why destroy performing teams? Why spend that money? Why loose knowledge?
  • 30. Temporary organizations Disbanding teams destroys – Knowledge – Capability – Performance The most destructive idea known to software development
  • 31. Solution Base work around stable stream teams Aim for continuity
  • 33. What to do about it… • Keep teams together • Flow work to the teams • Work in the small • Work continually • Demonstrate value
  • 34. The End of Projects • Projects are accounting codes • Finished Software is Dead Software – Living software changes – Dead software doesn’t – Living software doesn’t end • Project thinking kills software
  • 36. Waterfall 2.0 Jonathon’s Run Fall, Pennsylvania by Hubert Stoffels (http://flickr.com/photos/22195940@N00) Creative Commons License Continuous Flow
  • 37. Get good at small Optimize & Organize for lots of small Deliver small increments of value And evaluate results
  • 38. Stream Teams Continuity in teams Align with business Product Service Business Line Devolve authority: Efficiency in making lots of small decisions
  • 39. Value seeking & delivering Value seeking Identify Deliver And EVALUATE Governance of teams Repeat, don’t stop
  • 40. Could this ever work? • Governance by results? • Fail fast, fail cheap? Seems to work well on Sand Hill Road …
  • 42. #NoProjects / #ProjectLess • It ain’t ever over allan kelly - allan@allankelly.net Twitter: @allankellynet #NoProjects LeanPub https://leanpub.com/noprojects
  • 44. End Date considered harmful Late requirements considered inferior
  • 45. Change Governance Base Governance on actual delivered benefits Not milestones completed Not documents Not budgets Picture from Picasa - Creative Commons License http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:House_of_Parliment_6_2012-07- 08.jpg What have you delivered for me lately?
  • 46. Governance based on results • Experiment friendly – Failure tolerant – Fail fast, fail cheap (salvage) • Align with strategy • Governance through Iterative Portfolio Management
  • 47. Iterative Portfolio Management • Fixed schedule for gate reviews • Review what is ready on a date – Benefit delivered to date – Potential benefit if continued
  • 48. Rational end dates? In the US more than half of the large projects … predetermined end date is selected, and it is forced on the project by arbitrary decree. Capers Jones, 2008
  • 49. Solution Work to the business deadline Do what you can in the time Do good work
  • 50. Corporate Psychopathy Process by which corporations disband performing teams and release staff
  • 52. Organize by business stream & team • Aim for stable teams & continuity • Close to business • Manage queues within capacity Stream #1 Dev Team
  • 54. Big Batch Size Make lots of this!Build this! Deliver this! Wait Wait
  • 55. Small Batch Size … and keep going
  • 56. Project Manager Not fair! You misrepresent us!
  • 57. Wait a minute…. Project Manager So what is “A project”? We don’t Break up teams, or Stick doggedly to requirements We do - Allow change - Consider value - Work continually Why does Prince 2 contain this definition? And what does a “Project Manager” actually Manage?
  • 59. “False Projects” When the language of projects is used to discuss work which is not a project Confusion! Stop confusing people Stop misleading yourselves

Editor's Notes

  1. Public domain image, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sausage_making-H-3.JPG