Why was the CMMI Appraiser in Hong Kong?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser – What were you doing in Hong Kong last week? I saw some tweets. ~ Brian O.

Hey, Brian, thanks for following us on Twitter. Last week Team Broadsword was “on location” in China to work with one of our great clients, MTR (Hong Kong's national rail company). They brought us halfway around the globe to deliver our CMMI + Scrum Learning Experience and to lead them through an effort to introduce agile methods to their Maturity Level Three-inspired software development team, using our agileCMMI methodology for continuous improvement.

Here is a pic of your CMMI Appraiser in China (that's me in the middle) with our gracious and talented hosts:

By the way, Brian, if you haven’t participated in our workshops yet, you’ll have a chance to do so in Virginia next week. CMMI + Scrum Learning Experience is popular, fun, hands-on working sessions in a structured environment, designed to move you rapidly toward whatever goal you are trying to achieve. Here’s what you'll experience:

• Get educated
• Try it yourself
• Be mentored
• Try it again
• Make breakthrough discoveries

And there's more.  For those who love to learn, Broadsword is offering a full slate of trainings, workshops and webinars … right here in the USA … starting NEXT WEEK:

CMMI Training in Virginia:

SEMINARS:
September 11-13, 2012 in Fairfax, VA – Introduction to CMMI-DEV v1.3 - Fairfax, VA


WEBINAR:
September 28, 2012 – CMMI for Executives: Are you ready to Lead?

Oh, and by the way. Readers of Ask the CMMI Appraiser, like Brian, who are interested in getting a daily dose of short, poignant CMMI news, insights and information from us on Twitter, are invited to follow our tweets @CMMIAppraiser.

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

Will CMMI+Scrum work for us?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser – I have an agile background and am a new partner in a traditional engineering firm in Falls Church, Virginia. My senior partners are interested in your idea of taking an agile approach to CMMI, but there are some fears about Scrum. What’s the best way to evaluate whether CMMI + Scrum will work in our environment? ~ Billy A.

Hey, Billy. Congratulations on being made partner. It reflects well on your senior partners that they chose someone who would champion new ideas like CMMI + Scrum.

You say they have some fears about Scrum? I wonder what you mean by that. Do they think chairs are going to get broken?

It’s true that Scrum Teams can get a little wild and crazy … but so far, to my knowledge, there have been no furniture casualties.

Even so, you ask a great question. Every traditional engineering or software firm needs to ask it from time to time, especially those who have adopted the CMMI:

Will CMMI + Scrum work for you? If it were simply a matter of logic, the answer would be, “Yes, yes, yes!”

Unfortunately, I’ve found that people are not logical when faced with change. Human beings tend to fear new ideas. And CMMI + Scrum is definitely a new idea that a lot of people are uncomfortable with, at first.

You may know from previous posts that this CMMI Appraiser started his career journey as a classical musician, and that my first degree was in music. Hence I use a lot of musical references, including this quote by the pioneering American composer, John Cage:

"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."

Actually, I can understand why people are uncomfortable with Scrum. The first time I worked on a Scrum Team, I was uncomfortable with it. Now I’m such a big fan that many of our PROCESS projects are using Scrum.

So I feel qualified to offer a couple of suggestions for helping your partners get comfortable with CMMI + Scrum.

First, ask them to take a look at the CMMI’s Generic Practices, specifically GP2.8 and GP2.10. These GPs guide us to review data about process performance with higher level management. In other words, let’s have a discussion about the following data:

How happy are our customers?
Do we have a lot of rework here?
How productive are our employees?
What kind of defects do we have?
Do we have over-budget projects or late projects?

The answers may surprise you. They may even frighten you. I was talking with one engineering executive recently who did not even know what the metrics he should be tracking, or even what questions to ask. He was flying blind.  Scary!

Scrum helps us solve some of those problems by building constructs that encourage "information radiation," collaboration, and rapid return on information. Yes, Scrum takes faith and trust to get used to it, but I’d rather do that than continue to do things that haven’t been working. Perhaps your partners would agree that it may be worthwhile to try something a little different.

Feel free to share the Virginia CMMI + Scrum training class we are conducting specifically on this topic. Click the links below for more details and to register for CMMI Training in Virginia:

September 14, 2012 in Fairfax, VA – CMMI + Scrum Learning Experience

Your partners and you will get a lot out of the CMMI + Scrum Learning Experience. In this 1-day workshop, I lead you through a series of games and exercises designed to help you learn how to use CMMI to improve your Scrum or agile implementation, and how to make CMMI work with Scrum.

Thanks for the timely question, Billy! Hope to see you and your partners in September.

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

Can remote workers be in our Daily Stand-up?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser: I am a software executive for a Virginia health products engineering company that is rated CMMI Maturity Level 3. When we have remote team members, can they join the Daily Stand-up, as long everyone is looking at the same lifecycle? ~ Lydia W.

Hey, Lydia,

We've had a ton of questions about getting CMMI and Scrum to work together -- and that's good! People are curious about Daily Stand-ups (sometimes called "Daily Scrums"), although some of their questions can be pretty zany. Just the other day, somebody said, “Hey, CMMI Appraiser. If I work from home, do I have to be standing up during the daily standup?”  uhhh . . . .

This CMMI Appraiser will leave that one to the Agile Puristas to decide.

Besides, I am more interested in your question, Lydia. What you are really asking is how do you figure out who should be involved during your Scrum ceremonies.

As a company that has put itself on the path to greatness by adopting the CMMI, you can – and should – apply Generic Practice 2.7 to every aspect of your business, including building behaviors for Scrum Teams.  In fact, GP 2.7 is a great guide for figuring out who our stakeholders should be.  Use it to identify which people have direct, daily impact and direct involvement with the project.  Those are the ones that belong on your Scrum Teams.  It just so happens that it is usually THE Scrum team, with potentially some special guests (yes, yes, purists, I said it...send your complaints to getalife@hotmail.com).

In other words, yes, you can have remote people on Scrum Teams.

So who should be invited to your Daily Stand-ups, anyway?

Some Scrum Teams will insist that only the core team be invited. Some Scrum Teams will want product managers involved. And others may want the pizza guy.  Actually, the pizza guy might be a higher priority than the Product Manager, but I digress.

Who’s in and who’s out?

To help you decide, there’s a playful concept in Scrum called the chickens and the pigs. The story of the chickens and pigs is as old as farm life itself. It goes like this:

A chicken and a pig are walking down the street. The chicken says, “Hey, Pig, I’ve been thinking. Let’s create a breakfast restaurant.”

“What will we call it?” said the pig.

“How about Ham and Eggs?”

And the pig looks disdainfully at the chicken and says, “No, thanks. I’d be committed, but you’d only be involved!”

That’s how it is in every company, regardless of methodology.  You have chickens and pigs, and all too often, the pork is in the meeting, sucking up air and filling time, but is not fully committed  People who are directly involved, and those who have direct impact, are the best bet for the attendees. Both are important stakeholders, but in different ways.  You decide what works and what doesn't.

By the way, Lydia, are you registered for our CMMI + Scrum Learning Experience workshop?   It's September 14, 2012 in Fairfax, VA.  We'd love to help you and your team cone out and practice Scrum approaches to problem solving within the CMMI.

Details here:  CMMI + Scrum Learning Experience

Hope to see you there!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

Register now for Virginia CMMI Training Classes

Hey, CMMI Appraiser – my business partner was one of the 100+ people who attended your CMMI + Scrum Learning Experience workshop at SEPG North America in Albuquerque last March. She loved it! Are you planning to do any CMMI training in Virginia any time soon, so that we can all attend? ~ Crystal B.

Hi, Crystal – I’m glad to hear that our CMMI+Scrum workshop was useful to your business partner. Yes, the CMMI Appraiser will be conducting Virginia CMMI training classes very soon. In fact, we’ll be "on location" in Virginia next month (details below). Are you ready to learn?

That's right!  In September, we are hosting a 3-day CMMI training class in Fairfax, VA, Introduction to CMMI-DEV v1.3, with an optional 4th day event if you sign on for the CMMI + Scrum Learning Experience that your partner enjoyed so much.

Click the links below for more details and to register for Virginia CMMI training classes:

CMMI Training in Virginia:

September 11-13, 2012 in Fairfax, VA – Introduction to CMMI-DEV v1.3 - Fairfax, VA
September 14, 2012 in Fairfax, VA – CMMI + Scrum Learning Experience

I really appreciate that you are thinking of bringing others from your firm to the Virginia CMMI training classes. Everyone who touches the process in your company is encouraged to join us.

And please feel free to invite colleagues from other companies. Whether they are an Agile shop, still seeking the kind of results they’ve been hoping for, or a CMMI-focused organization, looking for guidance on being lighter and more flexible, these practical, relevant CMMI training classes will give them new insights into addressing persistent problems, and help them improve upon what they are ALREADY doing. So share the news!

As you may know from your business partner, Broadsword is a different kind of organizational performance improvement company. We are the world leader in using Agile and Lean methods to drive high performance engineering, using our AgileCMMI methodology and collaborative CMMI consulting, CMMI training and CMMI coaching solutions. Executives, engineers, and business professionals (like your partner) have given us high marks for our training classes in cities all around the world. We’re looking forward to bringing our CMMI training back to Virginia.

See you there soon! 

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

Are retrospectives really necessary for piloting processes?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser – we are a parts manufacturing company in Virginia that is working toward a CMMI Appraisal. As CEO, I need to make sure that we are using our resources wisely. Are retrospectives really necessary when piloting processes, or can we skip it? ~ John L. 

Hey, John – great question! Let me pass it along to Laura Adkins, a Senior CMMI Consultant with Broadsword, who does amazing work with companies who are trying to evaluate the validation process as it pertains to the CMMI.  Laura will take good care of you. ~ The CMMI Appraiser

Thanks, CMMI Appraiser!

John, we work with companies using the CMMI as framework for improving processes as complex as designing rockets and as simple as creating reports. In all cases, we encourage them to test their processes and analyze their validation results with, among other things, a retrospective for improvement.  The retrospective is not something you should skip.

In the retrospective, all results should be identified. Examine the data, and decide if the results went as well as you thought. If they did, why did they? If not, why not?

The risk of not doing the retrospective is that you will miss what people are thinking.  Like any relationship, this may alienate them. And you will certainly miss seeing what they see. As a result, you will find that things you thought were safe assumptions weren’t so. The process may fail, and you have to do more rework in the long run, which can destroy profitability.

Retrospectives have an important place in pilot testing. Without the retrospective, companies would keep running the process the same way forever, and never see improvement. Or, more commonly, your people would find that the process did not work, and just avoid or ignore the process, and do it any old way they wanted to.

Don’t skip the retrospective!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Laura Adkins is a Senior CMMI Consultant with Broadsword Solutions Corporation. She has years of real world experience using pilot testing strategies and tactics to help her clients achieve their goals. Laura also uses the CMMI, in partnership with her clients, to set-up, monitor, and sustain process improvement programs.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

We need the CMMI because we need one standard process, right?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser, I am an engineering executive in Virginia serving healthcare organizations. We use Agile methods for most of our internal projects, but we now need to become more disciplined. A Virginia CMMI consultant recently told us that our organization needs one standard process. This sounds correct, but while we evaluate our options, what is your opinion? ~ Douglas F.

Hey, Douglas,

I hear that all the time.  Consultants love talking about the CMMI as being all about everybody doing the same thing every time. According to them, the CMMI is repeatable and predictable, and that means that everybody has to have the same behavior. One size fits all.

It sounds correct. But is it?

Unfortunately, the CMMI says nothing of the kind.  What needs to be repeatable are the OUTCOMES.  Many projects are unique and require there own "way of doing things" (otherwise known as the PROCESS) - even though they will have repeatable outcomes (high quality software, efficient production, happy customers).

This is not to downplay the CMMI’s ability to help you bring more discipline to your Agile methods. It is a terrific tool for that purpose. As a matter of fact, it is THE TOOL for that.  However, it does not say you need a single standard process. The CMMI says you should have a SET of standard processes from which each project can derive their unique process.  A “set” means more than one. And “more than one” means you need some flexibility and agility to decide how you are going to do something.

So, to be successful in adopting the CMMI in your Agile environment, you’ll need to understand what the CMMI says and doesn’t say. You also need to know that, in the CMMI, flexibility and agility outweigh rigid compliance.  See my Agile Process Manifesto....

For example, let’s say your development team has a new project. Do they want to use Planning Poker to estimate? Do they want to use Wideband Delphi or Cocomo? Or do they want to use something else? The answer depends on what they are building and the constraints they are dealing with.

"Constraint-based process."  I like it.  Look for more of that in the future!

The ability to provide flexibility is the most important thing you can do when it comes to improvement and deploying process. Rigid compliance hurts you, it doesn’t help you.

The great thing about the CMMI is that it is extremely agile. It gives you the ability – in fact, it mandates – that you have choices and agility. It's right in the book ("Integrated Project Management").

I’ll say it again. A set means more than one, and more than one means there is room for flexibility and agility.

Now, there are some excellent consultants who specialize in the CMMI out there. But there are also many (too many) who can barely spell “CMMI.”

The adoption of CMMI carries with it many complex emotions. Some software and engineering executives feel strongly that they want to improve organizational performance. Sometimes they covet "CMMI certification" – and sometimes they want both.

Whatever your goals, Douglas, it can be a challenge understand how to interpret the true meaning of the CMMI at first. Turning to a qualified CMMI consultant can help alleviate the pain, remove roadblocks, and set you on the right path. But beware! A person promising to relieve you of the baggage by promising “one standard process” may not have the skills and experience you need - so tread carefully.

Anyone can claim to be a CMMI consultant. But only a small amount of people in the world have the requisite skills, training, experience, and certifications that qualify them for the task - and an even smaller group of them have a proven track record.  Think about it - it's not just "CMMI."  It's organizational change, communications, successfully giving (and getting ) advice.  It's complicated!

Good CMMI consultants have a deep holistic understanding of the entire model, how it works, and useful ideas on how to use it to improve your company. They will recommend an approach that bridges agility and discipline, in a manner that fits the way your organization is already doing things.

Watch out for CMMI consultants tell tell you one size fits all.  Next time, just say, "NO!"

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.