Pathways#Innovative Planning#Level1#2 - Evaluation & Feedback - Being Agile

 

Being Agile

Good evening toastmaster of the evening & audience.  How many of you are using software’s daily? Software`s have become inseparable part of daily life. Starting from the time of daily from mobile phone to the time to sleep we are using software applications without which we can`t survive in the modern world. Today I am going to share info about the agile practices in software development which is the progressing trend now. I am also started working on the agile projects.

All major organizations have started adapting to Agile methodologies. Some of the familiar organizations are

1.       Apple

2.       Microsoft

3.       IBM

4.       Amazon

5.       Google

6.       Cisco

7.       Etc

The traditional way of developing any software is to follow a waterfall model. Below are the process followed in the Waterfall model. Here the scope is fixed, Cost & schedule are variables. Strict processes is to be adhered. Comprehensive documentation has to be maintained for all the processes.

1.       Requirements – We should gather all the requirements with the details in this stage

2.       Design – We should do design to cater the requirements.

3.       Development – We should do the development against the requirements

4.       Testing – All the developed components will be tested.

5.       Release – Post testing, software will be released to production

The activities should be followed in sequence. If there are any changes in the requirements the change management process has to be followed. In the traditional model, the changes are not welcomed. Below are the difficulties identified in the traditional model.

1.       Customers can touch the software only at the end of the project.

2.       If the project duration is long & in the course of the time if the technology & requirement changed, it becomes very difficult to accommodate it in the same project. Sometimes after years of work, projects are getting scrapped.

To address this issues, agile practices in software development are introduced. Below are the key principles of Agile manifesto.

1.       Individuals & interactions over processes & tools.

2.       Working software over comprehensive documentation.

3.       Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

4.       Responding to change over following a plan.

 

There are many methodologies in Agile practices. Some of the key methods are

1.       Scrum

2.       Kanban –(Todo/WIP/Done) got familiar from Toyota

3.       Xtreme Programming(XP)

4.       Crystal

5.       Etc

The most popular is Scrum. Below are the roles available in the Scrum methodology of software development.

1.       Product owner – Who owns the product & he will be the chief steward officer who will determine the priority of the items in the product backlog.

2.       Scrum master – It is equivalent to the project manager role in the traditional method but here the role is of servant leader role where he has to serve the team & try to resolve for any impediments.

3.       Development/Testing team – In scrum, the general expectation of the team is T shaped skills, meaning members should have a general understanding of wide variety of skills & a deep understanding of one skill.

A scrum team can be of 3 to nine members. For bigger teams, there will be scrum of scrums.

Scrum can be of iterative cum incremental. A typical iteration duration is 2-4 weeks. At the end of an iteration depending upon the understanding a release can be done in the production or till the UAT(User acceptance test)

Below is the flow in the Scrum.

1.       Product backlog – Which contains the requirements in the form of user stories

2.       Sprint planning – Product owner & the team will do the planning for the number of sprints.

3.       Sprint backlog - Product owner & the team will prioritize the back log for that particular sprint.

4.       Sprint execution/Daily standup(15 min meeting-What done yesterday, what will be done today, impediments)

5.       Sprint Review

6.       Release(Depends on iterative/incremental)

7.       Sprint Retrospective

From step#2 to sprint#7 will be called as an iteration. Iteration will be repeated till all the requirements are done.  The main philosophy of Agile is that changes are welcome even at the end. In agile, Scope is variable, Cost & schedule are fixed.

It is difficult for the organizations to directly switch over to agile from traditional methodologies. So organizations are using hybrid methodologies which is a combination of traditional & agile practices. Eg. Till design it can be waterfall, then agile practices can be followed for development till release.

 

Agile practices in software development are causing major disruptions in software development. The release are made incremental by which time to reach the market is reduced. The next time if you are using any software application, just think whether it might be developed in agile or traditional. Over to the TMOE.

Pathways#Innovative Planning#Level1#1 - Ice breaker - Start to be great

 

Good evening Toastmasters of the evening & audience. Today I am going to introduce myself to the club. I am Thanigeaswara Anbarasu Kalappan. One of my early mentor DTM Sarovelrajan usually refer Zig Ziglar quotes “you need not be great to start but you have to start to be great”.

 I was born & brought up in south India from a place called Pondicherry. My father name is Anbarasu Kalappan who is a retired teacher & my mother is a house wife. I have one younger sister.

My father always says that Education is the true way of life. He ensured that that his kids got good education. I am an average student. I did Mathematics & Computer applications as my under graduation & post-graduation respectively. It took nearly 2 years for me to land into a moderate job & in the course of time have moved to major companies.

Still I remember one instance, during job search times, my father asked me to apply for a job advertised in the daily newspaper. I applied it & awaiting for acknowledgement from the recruiter. After 2 days, the postman knocked the door & I was very eager hoping some positive reply from the recruiter. When I opened the door I was shocked to see the postman having the same letter posted by me. He told me that I have to pay fine as the correct stamp was not pasted. I was still curious how the letter has bounced back. When I looked the letter, I have wrote From address in the place of To Address & vice versa. I was ashamed. My father came out of his room and understood what happened. He looked at me and said Son Now you know why no one is giving you job.

I am having 15+ years of experience in the IT industry. Currently my role is project/program management where I have to execute the projects. Out of which 6+ years is spent in japan. This 6 years is spared across decades where I have worked in Tokyo for couple of years & moved back to India. My latest stint is from 2019 & I am continuing now. My previous stint was in 2015 where I worked 1 year here where I was also a member of this club.

Currently I am working in a US based IT company Cognizant Technology solutions serving an Insurance client. Currently my goal is to learn Japanese, professional certification & pursue higher studies & role-up in my career. My hobbies are reading books, watching cricket. My favorite book is pushing to the front by Orisson Swet Marden. 

Toastmasters introduced me many mentors through I have gained immensely. Due to Procrastination, after 2-3 years I am giving this speech, thanks to my current mentor VPE Masako san who encouraged me to give the speech.  

Other than my Toastmasters mentors, I would like to thank my online mentor Jim Rohn whose words sculpted me a lot. From him I learned a lot like

1.       For things to change you have to change

2.       For things to be better you have to be better.

3.       What you are becoming is more important than what you are earning.

I am the incoming VPM for this club.  I have to promote the club & manage the process of bringing in guests and converting them into members.

 I am married & my wife name is Gomathi. We were blessed with two kids. My son name is Devaprasanna & he is 8 years old & my daughter name is Khavipriya & she is 6 years old. They are going to school in Tokyo.

I am juggling my life between the job/personal development/family. What I discovered in my career was the quote from Ben Franklin that “For the best return on your money, pour your purse into your head”.

 I know my mountain hill might be a mole hill to others but I will try to push myself to reach the hill. Because you need not be great to start but you have to start to be great.

Toastmaster of the evening!