Agile estimating and planning / Mike Cohn

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cohn, Mike, 1962- author.

Series:

Robert C. Martin series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Computer software--Development.

Computer software.

Agile software development.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (365 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Boston : Addison-Wesley, [2006]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This is the eBook version of the printed book.Detailed, Proven Techniques for Estimating and Planning Any Agile ProjectAgile Estimating and Planning is the definitive, practical guide to estimating and planning agile projects. In this book, Agile Alliance cofounder Mike Cohn discusses the philosophy of agile estimating and planning and shows you exactly how to get the job done, with real-world examples and case studies. Concepts are clearly illustrated and readers are guided, step by step, toward how to answer the following questions: What will we build? How big will it be? When must it be done? How much can I really complete by then? You will first learn what makes a good plan-and then what makes it agile.Using the techniques in Agile Estimating and Planning, you can stay agile from start to finish, saving time, conserving resources, and accomplishing more. Highlights include: Why conventional prescriptive planning fails and why agile planning works How to estimate feature size using story points and ideal days-and when to use each How and when to re-estimate How to prioritize features using both financial and nonfinancial approaches How to split large features into smaller, more manageable ones How to plan iterations and predict your team's initial rate of progress How to schedule projects that have unusually high uncertainty or schedule-related risk How to estimate projects that will be worked on by multiple teamsAgile Estimating and Planning supports any agile, semiagile, or iterative process, including Scrum, XP, Feature-Driven Development, Crystal, Adaptive Software Development, DSDM, Unified Process, and many more. It will be an indispensable resource for every development manager, team leader, and team member.

Contents:

Contents

About the Author

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I: The Problem and the Goal

Chapter 1: The Purpose of Planning

Why Do It?

What Makes a Good Plan?

What Makes Planning Agile?

Summary

Discussion Questions

Chapter 2: Why Planning Fails

Planning Is by Activity Rather Than Feature

Multitasking Causes Further Delays

Features Are Not Developed by Priority

We Ignore Uncertainty

Estimates Become Commitments

Chapter 3: An Agile Approach

An Agile Approach to Projects

An Agile Approach to Planning

Part II: Estimating Size

Chapter 4: Estimating Size with Story Points

Story Points Are Relative

Velocity

Chapter 5: Estimating in Ideal Days

Ideal Time and Software Development

Ideal Days as a Measure of Size

One Estimate, Not Many

Chapter 6: Techniques for Estimating

Estimates Are Shared

The Estimation Scale

Deriving an Estimate

Planning Poker

Why Planning Poker Works

Chapter 7: Re-Estimating

Introducing the SwimStats Website

When Not to Re-Estimate

When to Re-Estimate

Re-Estimating Partially Completed Stories

The Purpose of Re-Estimating

Chapter 8: Choosing between Story Points and Ideal Days

Considerations Favoring Story Points

Considerations Favoring Ideal Days

Recommendation

Part III: Planning for Value

Chapter 9: Prioritizing Themes

Factors in Prioritization

Combining the Four Factors

Some Examples

Chapter 10: Financial Prioritization

Sources of Return

An Example: WebPayroll.

Financial Measures

Comparing Returns

Chapter 11: Prioritizing Desirability

Kano Model of Customer Satisfaction

Relative Weighting: Another Approach

Chapter 12: Splitting User Stories

When to Split a User Story

Splitting across Data Boundaries

Splitting on Operational Boundaries

Removing Cross-Cutting Concerns

Don't Meet Performance Constraints

Split Stories of Mixed Priority

Don't Split a Story into Tasks

Avoid the Temptation of Related Changes

Combining Stories

Part IV: Scheduling

Chapter 13: Release Planning Essentials

The Release Plan

Updating the Release Plan

An Example

Chapter 14: Iteration Planning

Tasks Are Not Allocated During Iteration Planning

How Iteration and Release Planning Differ

Velocity-Driven Iteration Planning

Commitment-Driven Iteration Planning

My Recommendation

Relating Task Estimates to Story Points

Chapter 15: Selecting an Iteration Length

Factors in Selecting an Iteration Length

Making a Decision

Two Case Studies

Chapter 16: Estimating Velocity

Use Historical Values

Run an Iteration

Make a Forecast

Which Approach Should I Use?

Chapter 17: Buffering Plans for Uncertainty

Feature Buffers

Schedule Buffers

Combining Buffers

A Schedule Buffer Is Not Padding

Some Caveats

Chapter 18: Planning the Multiple-Team Project

Establishing a Common Basis for Estimates

Adding Detail to User Stories Sooner

Lookahead Planning

Incorporating Feeding Buffers into the Plan

But This Is So Much Work

Discussion Questions.

Part V: Tracking and Communicating

Chapter 19: Monitoring the Release Plan

Tracking the Release

Release Burndown Charts

A Parking-Lot Chart

Chapter 20: Monitoring the Iteration Plan

The Task Board

Iteration Burndown Charts

Tracking Effort Expended

Individual Velocity

Chapter 21: Communicating about Plans

Communicating the Plan

Communicating Progress

An End-of-Iteration Summary

Part VI: Why Agile Planning Works

Chapter 22: Why Agile Planning Works

Replanning Occurs Frequently

Estimates of Size and Duration Are Separated

Plans Are Made at Different Levels

Plans Are Based on Features, Not Tasks

Small Stories Keep Work Flowing

Work in Process Is Eliminated Every Iteration

Tracking Is at the Team Level

Uncertainty Is Acknowledged and Planned For

A Dozen Guidelines for Agile Estimating and Planning

Part VII: A Case Study

Chapter 23: A Case Study: Bomb Shelter Studios

Day 1-Monday Morning

Estimating the User Stories

Preparing for Product Research

Iteration and Release Planning, Round 1

Two Weeks Later

Planning the Second Iteration

Revising the Release Plan

Presenting the Revised Plan to Phil

Eighteen Weeks Later

Reference List

Index.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 313-318) and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9786612646898

9780132703109

0132703106

9781282646896

1282646893

9780132364355

0132364352

OCLC:

1027204653