Table of Contents
Hitoshi Goto
Ukihiko Takagi
In the previous article, we covered the keys to succeeding in multi-vendor global projects. This time, we will look at key points for agile development in global projects.
Agile Development: Difficult to Manage Even Domestically
When agile development is executed well, it not only enables early and phased system releases but also avoids cost increases from rework. In reality, however, it is a methodology that is quite difficult to manage.
Since it is difficult even within Japan, it becomes even more difficult in global projects.
However, in the large-scale global projects we are involved in (with total budgets in the tens of billions of yen), there are successful cases despite participants being of various nationalities, so let us share that know-how.
First, similar to general agile development, we took the following measures:
Organized multiple small teams under excellent managers
- Formed agile teams that can respond quickly
- Assigned highly autonomous members who take responsibility for their own tasks
Set schedules that prioritize development cycles
- Set one agile development cycle (specification confirmation, development, testing, functional review, update & re-review) at 3 weeks
- Advanced the project with functionality that can be addressed in 3 weeks as the review target
- Pre-planned review scheduled dates with schedule as the priority
Timely sharing of progress status and issues
- Shared information on progress results, planned tasks, issues, etc. in 30-minute morning meetings every day
– Enabled timely work follow-up by managers
Utilized web tools since face-to-face confirmation is not possible
Furthermore, we took measures unique to global projects that differ from general agile development.
Generally, stakeholders such as users, consultants, and developers are gathered in one place so that daily minor adjustments and specification confirmations can be done immediately. In global projects, this is not possible. Therefore, we took the following measures:
Progress and Issue Management Using Web Tools and Language Unification
- Used web tools for progress management and issue management
- Automatically sent notifications to stakeholders whenever tasks or issues arose, personnel changes occurred, or progress was updated
– All stakeholders always shared the same information - Unified the documentation language as well
As mentioned earlier, tool utilization is preferred in overseas project management, and in agile development, it becomes an even more effective measure.
