Focus on Constraints
Time, Cost and Quality form the iron triangle of delivery as each element may be as important as the other and therefore constrain decision making. Not only are they each as important but they are also linked - it is difficult to gain advantage in one area without sacrificing another.
In a Nutshell
Whilst time, cost and quality are each as important as the other, decisions may need to be made on which is the primary driver for your particular product and customer at this moment in time.
It is necessary to understand and balance stakeholder needs as their demands for quality over time or cost (or vice versa) can be driven by personal preference as much as ‘reality’.
We work with our customers and stakeholders to understand and agree the affect of sacrificing one element for another. For example, increasing quality may have additional cost and time implications.
Any choices we make will have consequences. The extent to which these consequences are discussed and addressed with the customer will positively impact the perceived success of our decisions.
Particular caution should be given to agreeing timescales before cost and quality have been agreed and before we have agreed what ‘done’ looks like. See Focus on Done.
Fixing time locks the iron triangle and consideration should sometimes be given as to whether it is actually feasible to set timescales.
Practices
Product Backlog Refinement is a Scrum activity that is performed on the Product Backlog. The scrum guide defines Product Backlog Refinement as the act of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller more precise items. This is an ongoing activity to add details, such as a description, order, and size. Attributes often vary with the domain of work.
Sprint Planning is a Scrum event that is held before the start of the sprint to establish the scope and priorities of the coming sprint. Its purpose is for the whole team to establish an agreed sprint goal based on the Product Owner’s view of the value that can be created for the customer. To establish a scope of backlog items that can be got to done. For each backlog item the team decides how done will be achieved.
The capacity of the teams delivering a product constrains the rate at which new features can be added and feature improvements delivered. Sustaining capacity relative to demand over time is important because of the high cost of trying to change quickly. The rate of change of capacity is limited by the requirement for teams to adjust to changing membership and for new team members to acquire the ability to deliver.
The Product Backlog is the vehicle by which needs are turned into requirements and requirements are turned into operational features in our product. It is a prioritised list of the work that the team currently intends to deliver in the next period of time. The less imminent a feature is, the less well it will be defined.
The capacity of the teams delivering a product constrains the rate at which new features can be added and feature improvements delivered. Sustaining capacity relative to demand over time is important because of the high cost of trying to change quickly. The rate of change of capacity is limited by the requirement for teams to adjust to changing membership and for new team members to acquire the ability to deliver.
Teams use service measures to understand whether the service they are providing to the customers meets the levels of service they have committed to. With sufficient history of data, we can begin to look at trends to see how quality of service is changing over time. The levels of service and trend information help the team to focus their attention on the improvements they need to make. We prioritise changes that will have the biggest impact on our Quality of Service.
Practices to come:
Quality By Design
Visualise Process