Getting GIS Done Using the Scrum Methodology

What was our problem?

• Frustrated customers • Reactive staff • Requests getting lost • Little to no visibility into what staff

was working on

What was the cause?

• Work lacked prioritization • Lack of resources (time, people,

money) • Not resolving the root of the problem

What is Scrum?

Scrum

• Scrum is an iterative and incremental agile software development framework for managing software projects and product or application development.

Scrum Characteristics

• Agile process • Self-organizing teams • Projects progress in a series of sprints • Requirements are captured as items in a product

backlog

Roles

Roles • Product Owner

• Represents or is the user or customer • 1 voice, even if representing more than 1

person • Scrum Master

• Represents management to the project • Enforces Scrum values and practices • Removes impediments to the team progress

• Scrum Team • Commits to doing the work

Product Owner Needs…

• A understanding of business goals • To have a vision on how tools support

business goals • To be able to coordinate priorities

amongst all users/departments • Authority to make decisions on what

is being implemented and when

Product Owner Responsibilities

• Manage the ROI • Measure the project against ROI • Prioritize product backlog to maximize ROI

• Calls for release • Decides when to call for an official release • Can shift a release forwards or backwards to

maximize ROI • Establish a shared vision

Scrum Master

• Removes the barriers between development and the product owner

• Educates Product Owner about Scrum • To maximize ROI and meet project

objectives • Improve productivity in any way

possible

Scrum Team

• Typically 5-9 people • Ideally cross functional • Ideally full time

Scrum Process

Release Planning

• First meeting held by the Scrum Team • Responsible for determining what work

needs to be accomplished for the project to be successful.

• Determine level of effort

Product Backlog

Product Backlog

• Scrum’s version of a requirements document

• List of desired work • Combination of…

• Story based work • The user can search…

• Task based work • Improve exception handling on…

Product Backlog Example

• Contains • General priorities • Ranking 1 through X • Estimates – imprecise

and rough, used for assigning into sprints

• Allowed to grow and change as more is learned

• Prioritized by Product Owner

Sprint Planning

Sprint planning meeting • Purpose of the Sprint Planning meeting

is to determine what work will be done in the upcoming sprint

• 2 parts • Prioritization and Planning

• For two week sprints • no longer than 1/2 day for 2 week sprints

• Participants: • Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Team

Team Commitment

• The team selects the work to be accomplished in a sprint • Which items • How many items

• This is a team commitment, not an individual commitment

Business Commitment

• Business Commitment • To leave priorities alone during a sprint

Sprints

Sprints • In Scrum, projects make progress with Sprints • Sprint are a set amount of time (2 week at DW) • Work is managed through the Sprint Backlog • Progress is tracked through the use of a burn

down chart • During sprints, the team performs

• Analysis • Design • Code • Test

• Project is potentially releasable after every sprint

Example of a Sprint Burndown Chart

Daily Scrum meetings

• Parameters • Daily • 15 minutes • Answers

• What I did yesterday? • What I plan to do today? • Do I have any impediments?

• Many times results in follow-up conversation among the team

Sprint Review Meeting

• Team presents what it accomplished in the sprint

• Usually in the form of a demo • Informal meeting • Participants

• Users, Management, Product Owner, Other Developers, Scrum Master, Scrum Team

Sprint Retrospective

• Review of what is or is not working in the process

• Important when starting scrum • Participants

• Scrum Master • Product Owner • Team

GIS and Scrum

How does this fits with GIS?

• GIS work is iterative • GIS is strong linked with technology • A GIS project is just that….a project

Contact

Jonathan Spitze Manager of IT Geospatial Asset Management Denver Water 303-628-6050 jonathan.spitze@denverwater.org