Why a Product Owner Team?
Improve and Accelerate your Agile Transformation
and Product Delivery.
Provide support, guidance and coaching for Agile Teams
to get the job done.
Agile Teams:Keys to Success
Backlog
Team
Database
Report
Screen
Clarity Accountability Measureable Progress
Product Owner Team:Key Objectives
Product Owner Team
Feature
Agile Team
PortfolioManagement
• Provide Clarity through a well defined Feature Backlog
• Hold Agile Teams Accountable to make and meet commitments
• Demonstrate Measurable Progress by facilitating demonstration of integrated features
• Provide timely information to Portfolio Management for investment decisions
Portfolio Management:Key Investment Questions
• Will this Epic drive business results identified in Investment Themes?
• Is this Epic ordered relative to the other Epics? Is this prioritization reflected on the Epic Backlog?
• Are we meeting allocation by channel in alignment with our agreements? Is this reflected in the Epic Backlog?
• How big is this Epic? Should be less than 3 months so we can plan and “see” progress.
• Do we need all the Features to meet the business goal? Start thinking MVP.
• Is the forecasted date acceptable? Should we reprioritize?
• Start thinking Cost of Delay
• Which Epics go into the next release? Establish release objectives.
• Are the Epics ready for Release Planning?
• Have Epic owners considered MVP?
• What is the confidence
in the release plan?
• Do we have credible release plans documented?
Strategic Alignment Detailed PlanningDemand Planning Execution Governance
• Is the software demoed? • Have we solved the
business problem identified in the Epic Brief?
• Should we stop building and get market feedback to validate our assumptions?
• Are we making progress on the epics?
• Are the stories ordered by cost of delay?
PortfolioManagement
Product Owner Team Roles Brief Description
Product Manager (PROD) Support the valuable solution and ensure features are ordered considering epic priorities; usually the leader of the PO Team
Solution Architect (SA) Support the technically viable solution; provide support and guidance to Tech Leads and other technology personnel
Release Manager (RM) Support an achievable solution ensuring demand is balanced with capacity and dependencies; facilitate release planning and protect the release plans
QA Management (QA) Provide support and guidance for the quality of the solution; ensure quality is considered and coordinated early
Project Manager (PM) Foster effective collaboration of the PO Team to shepherd Features through the Kanban and ensure effective communication with the portfolio team; AKA Scrum Master of the PO Team
Product Owner (PO) Serves as Product Owner on a team; often a Business Analyst
Product Owner Team Roles
Release PlanningRelease Planning
Story Mapping
Story Mapping
Solution Vision
Solution Vision
Release Targeting
Investment Validation
DeliveryTeams
Product OwnerTeam
Detailed Planning(Clarity)
Execution Governance(Accountability)
Accountability
Demand Planning
StrategicAlignment
Investment Prioritization
Investment Alignment
Epic Intake
PortfolioTeam
Product Owner Teams
DeliveryTeams
Product/Strategy
SprintDone
SprintDoneStory DemoStory Demo Daily Review Daily ReviewSprint
PlanningSprint
PlanningStory
RefinementStory
Refinement
Thre
e Ti
er M
odel
Te
ams
and
Colla
bora
tions
Conti
nuou
sIm
prov
emen
t
Production ReadyRelease
Execution Governance
(Accountability)
Execution Governance
(Accountability)
BuildReady To Build
Release Viability
Maximize Strategic AlignmentIncrease Transparency
Increase Predictability Reduce Time to ROI
Improve QualityReduce Rework
Minimize Delivery Risk
Production Ready Release
Production Ready Release
Integration Integration Developand TestDevelopand Test
• Pick a Role• PO Team Member• Agile Team Member• Portfolio Stakeholder
• What are some challenges/concerns based on your role?
Table Talk
Strategic Alignment
Purpos
e
• Strategic alignment and prioritization of Epics• Shared understanding and agreement with portfolio
stakeholders
Activities
• Describe Value and Features• Consider constraints
Artifact
• Epic Brief• Strategically aligned Epics in Portfolio Backlog
StrategicAlignment
Investment Prioritization
Investment Alignment
Epic Intake
Epic Brief
• Epic Title/ Product Manager• Investment Theme (and Capability if known)• Value StatementDescription
• Features/Benefits• PersonasScope• Dependencies• Risks• AssumptionsConstraints
• Opportunity CasePlanning
PROD articulates the Description & ScopePROD and SA identify ConstraintsPortfolio Mgmt. validates alignment to strategy & priority
Demand Planning
Purpos
e
• Validate Investment and Roadmap • Provide Clarity through a well defined Feature Backlog
Activities
• Define and validate Features• Initial planning for risks and dependencies • Balance demand to demonstrated capacity
Artifact
s
• Epic Brief Refined• Epic Roadmap / Timeline• Epic Risk Report
Solution Vision
Solution Vision
Release Targeting
Investment Validation
Demand Planning(Clarity)
Epic Roadmap
PO Team defines FeaturesPO Team explores planning options RM forecasts Epics on the Epic RoadmapPortfolio Management validates Roadmap
Execution Detailed Planning Demand Planning
Program Increment N Program increment N+1 Program Increment N+2
Epic 2 Epic 3 Epic 3
Epic 2 Epic 4 Epic 4
Epic 3 Epic 4 Epic 5
Agile Epic Roadmap
Expected Kanban State
Agile Delivery Team
UI A
UI B
Shared Services
Epic Risk Report
PM leads PO Team to assess risksPO Team works to address and mitigate significant risks Epics start at red; PO Team and Agile Team earns greenPortfolio Team ensures significant risks are addressed
Detailed Planning
Purpos
e
• Explore and identify “steel thread”, MVP and other options• Provide clarity by supporting backlog refinement and planning
Activities
• Story Writing and Mapping• Release Planning Event• Backlog Refinement
Artifact
s
• Story Map with release options• Release Plans• Story Backlog
Release PlanningRelease Planning
Story Mapping
Story Mapping
Ready To Build
Release Viability
Detailed Planning(Clarity)
Release Plans
Agile Teams write and estimate storiesPO Team facilitates Release Planning EventPO Team provides support and guidancePortfolio Team validates sufficient planning
• Test Approach• Technical Approach • Environments & coordination Technical
• Release Management Impacts• Production Services Impacts• Security Impacts• Dependency Coordination
Logistics
• Features & Stories Planned• Go to Market PlanBusiness
Execution Governance
Purpos
e
• Provide support and guidance to Agile Teams to build and test Stories
• Deliver integrated Features that solve the business problems
Activities
• Release Coordination Meeting• Hold Agile Teams accountable to make and meet commitments• Measurable Progress by facilitating demo of integrated Features
Artifact
s
• Integrated Features
Production Ready Release
Production Ready ReleaseIntegration
TestingIntegration
TestingDevelopand TestDevelopand Test
Build
Execution Governance(Accountability)
• Facilitate coordination of cross team concerns
• Cultivate and consider options
• Make continue, change, kill decisions with Portfolio Team
• Provide support, coaching and guidance to Agile Teams
Execution Governance
Product Owner Team:Key Objectives
Product Owner Team
Feature
Agile Team
PortfolioManagement
• Provide Clarity through a well defined Feature Backlog
• Hold Agile Teams Accountable to make and meet commitments
• Demonstrate Measurable Progress by facilitating demonstration of integrated features
• Provide timely information to Portfolio Management for investment decisions
Strategic Alignment
State Leads Activity APM Tool Artifact
Epic Intake PROD Completes the Description section of the Epic Brief and finds a Portfolio Team member to sponsor the Epic
Creates Epic Initiate Epic Brief
Investment Alignment
PORT Validates alignment with Portfolio Roadmap and Investment Themes
Facilitator updates Epic state
Investment Prioritization
PROD Completes and validates the Features & Benefits section Create Features Epic Brief
Investment Prioritization
PROD & SA
Completes the Constraints section; action to address any significant blockers (Requires high level modeling of candidate architecture)
Create Spikes as needed Epic Brief
Investment Prioritization
PO Team Figures Priority Score Record
Investment Prioritization
PORT Prioritizes Epic in Epic Backlog for Investment Validation Facilitator updates Epic State
StrategicAlignment
Investment Prioritization
Investment Alignment
Epic Intake
Demand Planning
State Leads Activity APM Tool Artifact
Investment Validation
PROD Validate features leveraging visual specification and prototypes Visual Specification
Solution Vision
PO Team
Define Features (Feature Acceptance Criteria, Visual Specification, NFR)
Update Features
Solution Vision
PROD Update Capability Catalog to identify and align new features to current capabilities
Capability Catalog
Solution Vision
PO Team
Identify and initiate planning for risks and dependencies (Look Ahead Planning)
Risk Dashboard
Solution Vision
RM & SA
Identify Agile Teams to own Features Update Feature Owner
Release Targeting
RM With PROD and SA, size features and mock plan into Sprints Record Refined Estimate for Feature
Release Targeting
RM Updates Epic Roadmap and summarize in Epic Timeline Epic Roadmap
Release Targeting
PM Moves feature through to Epic Breakdown done Update Feature state
Release Targeting
RM Identifies Release Objectives for the next Release. Communicates and validates with PORT & PO Team
Create or update Release Release Objectives
Release Targeting
PORT Decides whether to authorizes Epic for further investment for Agile Teams to perform Detailed Planning
Facilitator updates Epic State
Solution Vision
Solution Vision
Release Targeting
Investment Validation
Demand Planning
Detailed Planning
State Leads Activity APM Tool Artifact
Story Mapping
PO Team
Introduce Epic to Agile Teams who own the Features; generally a kick off presenting Epic Brief, candidate architecture, UI mocks, and other feature modeling
Meeting Agenda
Story Mapping
Agile Team
Assesses whether Features are Ready for Detailed Planning; pulls into Story Mapping when ready
Update Feature state
Story Mapping
Agile Team
Write Stories and build the story map Create stories Story Map
Story Mapping
Agile Team
Collaborating with PROD, elicit acceptance criteria Update stories
Story Mapping
Agile Team
Sufficient technical design and estimate stories Update stories with estimates
Technical Spikes
Story Mapping
Agile Team
Identify the “steel thread”, thin slice that follows happy path from end to end. Determine scope options for MMF, MVP and candidate functional releases.
Story Map
Story Mapping
PO Team
Supports Release Planning preparation and provides guidance on scope options
Story Map
Release Planning
Agile Team
Mock plan the next Release Horizon by moving stories into iterations
Add to iterations
Release PlanningRelease Planning
Story Mapping
Story Mapping
Ready To Build
Release Viability
Detailed Planning(Clarity)
Detailed Planning
State Leads Activity APM Tool Artifact
RP Event RM Prepares Agenda and follow up to communicates preparation and participation for Release Planning event
Agenda
RP Event Agile Teams
Plans User Stories for the Release, plan dependencies; organize team risk reporting
Update Release, PTD, Iteration, story dependencies
Initiate Risk Reporting
RP Event RM Captures release scope plans; prepares Release Reports Validates Features and Stories in Release Plan
Release Plan Template
RP Event Build Eng.
Lead source code branching strategies and planning; communicate plans
Branching Plan
RP Event QA Mgr. Lead Test Planning including Integration and Verification of features; communicate plans
Test Plan Template
RP Event Security Lead security planning; communicate plans Security Plan
RP Event SA Define Technical Spikes Create Spikes
RP Event RM & PM
Reports on release planning; Updates Epic Timeline, Epic Roadmap and Portfolio Dashboard
Release Plans
Release Viability
PORT Validates viable release plans to meet release objectives Facilitator updates Epic State
Story Refinement
Agile Team
Begins story refinement Updates stories Specification
Release PlanningRelease Planning
Story Mapping
Story Mapping
Ready To Build
Release Viability
Detailed Planning(Clarity)
Execution Governance
State Leads Activity APM Tool Artifact
Story Refinement
Agile Teams
Leads Story Refinement Updates stories Specification
Develop & Test
PO Team
Provide Agile Teams the environment and support they need to get the job done, support Agile Team activities
Develop & Test
Agile Teams
Build, Test and Demo stories Working Software
Integration RM Coordinates stories to build end to end functionality as identified in Story Mapping; prepares PTD list
Export PTD list Story Map
Integration Build Eng.
Assembles Release Components; Builds Integration environment; Builds Staging & Production environments
Integration QA Mgr. Leads Integration testing for Features
Feature Complete
PROD Reviews and accepts Features
Feature Complete
PO Team
Reviews and accepts release
Production Ready Release
Production Ready Release
Integration Testing
Integration Testing
Developand TestDevelopand Test
Build
Execution Governance(Accountability)
Execution Governance
State Leads Activity APM Tool Artifact
Execution Governance
RM Monitor, coordinate and report on Release Progress. Updates Epic Timeline and Epic Roadmap
Release Burndown, Release Risk,
Release Status Report
Execution Governance
PM Monitor and report on Epic or Milestone Progress. Updates Portfolio Dashboard.
Milestone CFD, Metrics, Operations Review
Epic Status Report; Operations Review
Execution Governance
PORT Monitors key information to support teams, generate options and make investment decisions
Status Reports
Execution Governance
PM Post Launch Hyper-care management; transition to Operations Launch Plans
Production Ready Release
Production Ready Release
Integration Testing
Integration Testing
Developand TestDevelopand Test
Build
Execution Governance(Accountability)
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