Re: Anybody working in "Agile" ecosystems?

[John Cornellier <t_w -at- cornellier -dot- com>]

I've just finished a software project where we informally implemented a lot these currently fashionable ideas like extreme 
programming, agile, and pair programming.

We were a team of five - three programmers, plus a tester and me (tech writer). We took over one of the meeting rooms in the 
building as our project room. The tester and I were about half time. Each of the programmers was specialized: UI/workflow, data 
interface, and project managmement.

We set the room up with the five desks in a ring, but not facing each other, as is usually the case. Instead, we formed a 
circle with the computer screens facing in and an open, uncluttered, area in the middle. That way, if I wanted to talk with 
someone, I just spun my chair or wheeled over to his workstation.

So virtually all the information exchanged between the developers and me was in face to face conversation. I would then tweak 
afterwards.

Note that this was a collaborative workspace, or project room, and not what I would consider "open plan". Although there was 
noise, it was all project-related. When the tester and I were working on other projects, we went back to our old offices.

I was submitting new versions to the configuration management system regularly, so the current baseline always had current 
documentation. I found frequent, small, iterations very helpful for helping to focus on the main objective - creating content - 
and being more relaxed about editing and layout issues, on which I knew I had time to work at the end.

Compared to traditional software methods (rigorous specification/planning before coding/building, long iterations, formalized 
collaboration, etc.) it was a much more efficient and satisfying way to work. Morale and productivity have both been very good 
on the project.

We discovered that we changed our working styles while working in the project room. For example although there are more 
interruptions and apparent "unproductive time" actual total productivity is higher.

John Cornellier

2003-01-15 16:39:20, "Karen E. Black" <kblack_text -at- hotmail -dot- com> wrote:
>Are any TWs working with "lean" methodologies? Any thoughts?




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