Agile Estimating and Planning
by
Mike Cohn
Praise for Agile Estimating and Planning "Traditional, deterministic approaches to planning and estimating simply don''t cut it on the slippery slopes of today''s dynamic, change-driven projects. Mike Cohn''s breakthrough book gives us not only the philosophy, but also the guidelines and a proven set of tools that we need to succeed in planning, estimating, and scheduling projects with a high uncertainty factor. At the same time, the author never loses sight of the need to deliver business value to the customer each step of the way." --Doug DeCarlo, author of eXtreme Project Management: Using Leadership, Principles and Tools to Deliver Value in the Face of Volatility (Jossey-Bass, 2004) "We know how to build predictive plans and manage them. But building plans that only estimate the future and then embrace change, challenge most of our training and skills. In Agile Estimating and Planning , Mike Cohn once again fills a hole in the Agile practices, this time by showing us a workable approach to Agile estimating and planning. Mike delves into the nooks and crannies of the subject and anticipates many of the questions and nuances of this topic. Students of Agile processes will recognize that this book is truly about agility, bridging many of the practices between Scrum and ExtremeProgramming." --Ken Schwaber, Scrum evangelist, Agile Alliance cofounder, and signatory to the Agile Manifesto "In Agile Estimating and Planning , Mike Cohn has, for the first time, brought together most everything that the Agile community has learned about the subject. The book is clear, well organized, and a pleasant and valuable read. It goes into all the necessary detail, and at the same time keeps the reader''s burden low. We can dig in as deeply as we need to, without too much detail before we need it. The book really brings together everything we have learned about Agile estimation and planning over the past decade. It will serve its readers well." --Ron Jeffries, www.XProgramming.com, author of Extreme Programming Installed (Addison-Wesley, 2001) and Extreme Programming Adventures in C# (Microsoft Press, 2004) " Agile Estimating and Planning provides a view of planning that''s balanced between theory and practice, and it is supported by enough concrete experiences to lend it credibility. I particularly like the quote ''planning is a quest for value.'' It points to a new, more positive attitude toward planning that goes beyond the ''necessary evil'' view that I sometimes hold." --Kent Beck, author of Extreme Programming Explained, Second Edition (Addison-Wesley, 2005) "Up-front planning is still the most critical part of software development. Agile software development requires Agile planning techniques. This book shows you how to employ Agile planning in a succinct, practical, and easy-to-follow manner." --Adam Rogers, Ultimate Software "Mike does a great follow-up to User Stories Applied by continuing to provide Agile teams with the practical approaches and techniques to increase agility. In this book, Mike provides time-proven and well-tested methods for being successful with the multiple levels of planning and estimating required by Agile. This book is the first to detail the disciplines of Agile estimating and planning, in ways that rival my 1980 civil engineering texts on CPM Planning and Estimating." --Ryan Martens, President and Founder, Rally Software Development Corporation "With insight and clarity, Mike Cohn shows how to effectively produce software of high business value. With Agile estimation and planning, you focus effort where it really counts, and continue to do so as circumstances change." --Rick Mugridge, Rimu Research Ltd., and lead author, Fit for Developing Software (Prentice Hall, 2005) "Finally! The groundbreaking book my clients have been clamoring for! Agile Estimating and Planning demystifies the process of defining, driving, and delivering great software that matters to the business. Mike''s clarity, insight, and experience leap out through every page of this book, offering an approach that is relevant and immediately useful to all members of an Agile project." --Kert D. Peterson, President, Enterprise Agile Group, LLC "This isn''t yet another generic book on Agile software development. Agile Estimating and Planning fills a gap left by most of the other books and gives you important, practical, down-to-earth techniques needed to be successful on Agile development projects." --Steve Tockey, Principal Consultant, Construx Software "Estimation, planning, and tracking is a trinity. If you don''t do one of them, you don''t need the other two. This book provides very practical knowledge for estimation, planning, prioritizing, and tracking. It should be compulsory subject matter for project managers and their teams, even if they hesitate to call themselves Agile." --Niels Malotaux, Project Coach "Effective planning is an important, but often misunderstood, part of any successful Agile project. With Agile Estimating and Planning , Mike Cohn has given us a definitive guide to a wide range of Agile estimating and planning practices. With his clear and practical style, Mike not only explains how to successfully get started planning an Agile project, but also provides a wealth of tips and advice for improving any team''s Agile planning process. This book is a must-read for managers, coaches, and members of Agile teams." --Paul Hodgetts, Agile coach and CEO, Agile Logic "Mike''s writing style captures the essence of agility-just the right amount of information to bring clarity to the reader. This book provides an excellent guide for all Agile practitioners, both seasoned and novice." --Robert Holler, President and CEO, VersionOne, LLC "It is as if Mike took the distilled knowledge regarding planning and estimation of a great Agile developer (which he is) and laid out all he knows in an easily understandable manner. More importantly, he has a great mix of concepts with real-world examples finished off with a case study so the reader can relate the information to their own situation. Unless you are already an expert Agile planner and estimator, this book is for you." --Alan Shalloway, CEO, Senior Consultant, Net Objectives, and coauthor of Design Patterns Explained, Second Edition (Addison-Wesley, 2005) "Although I had plenty of XP experience before trying out Mike Cohn''s Agile planning practices, the effectiveness of the practical and proven techniques in this book blew me away! The book recognizes that people, not tools or processes, produce great software, and that teams benefit most by learning about their project and their product as they go. The examples in the book are concrete, easily grasped, and simply reek of common sense. This book will help teams (whether Agile or not) deliver more value, more often, and have fun doing it! Whether you''re a manager or a programmer, a tester or a CEO, part of an Agile team, or just looking for a way to stamp out chaos and death marches, this book will guide you." --Lisa Crispin, coauthor of Testing Extreme Programming (Addison-Wesley, 2003) "Mike Cohn does an excellent job demonstrating how an Agile approach can address issues of risk and uncertainty in order to provide more meaningful estimates and plans for software projects." --Todd Little, Senior Development Manager, Landmark Graphics "Mike Cohn explains his approach to Agile planning, and shows how ''critical chain'' thinking can be used to effectively buffer both schedule and features. As with User Stories Applied, this book is easy to read and grounded in real-world experience." --Bill Wake, author of Refactoring Workbook (Addison-Wesley, 2003) "Mike brings this book to life with real-world examples that help reveal how and why an Agile approach works for planning software development projects. This book has great breadth, ranging from the fundamentals of release planning to advanced topics such as financial aspects of prioritization. I can see this book becoming an invaluable aid to Agile project managers, as it provides a wealth of practical tips such as how to set iteration length and boot-strap velocity, and communicate progress." --Rachel Davies, Independent Consultant "There has been a need for a solid, pragmatic book on the long-term vision of an Agile Project for project managers. Agile Estimating and Planning addresses this need. It''s not theory--this book contains project-tested practices that have been used on Agile projects. As Mike''s test subjects, we applied these practices to the development of video games (one of the most unpredictable project environments you can imagine) with success." --Clinton Keith, Chief Technical Officer, High Moon Studios "When I first heard Mike Cohn speak, I was impressed by a rare combination of qualities: deep experience and understanding in modern iterative and Agile methods; a drive to find and validate easy, high-impact solutions beyond the status quo of traditional (usually ineffective) methods; and the passion and clarity of a natural coach. These qualities are evident in this wonderful, practical guide. I estimate you won''t be disappointed in studying and applying his advice." --Craig Larman, Chief Scientist, Valtech, and author of Applying UML and Patterns, Third Edition (Prentice Hall, 2005) and Agile and Iterative Development (Addison-Wesley, 2004) " Agile Estimating and Planning is a critical guide on how to successfully provide value to customers of IT services. This book is filled w
ISBN: 0131479415
Publication Date: 2005-11-01
Agile Estimating and Planning
by
Praise for Agile Estimating and Planning "Traditional, deterministic approaches to planning and estimating simply don''t cut it on the slippery slopes of today''s dynamic, change-driven projects. Mike Cohn''s breakthrough book gives us not only the philosophy, but also the guidelines and a proven set of tools that we need to succeed in planning, estimating, and scheduling projects with a high uncertainty factor. At the same time, the author never loses sight of the need to deliver business value to the customer each step of the way." --Doug DeCarlo, author of eXtreme Project Management: Using Leadership, Principles and Tools to Deliver Value in the Face of Volatility (Jossey-Bass, 2004) "We know how to build predictive plans and manage them. But building plans that only estimate the future and then embrace change, challenge most of our training and skills. In Agile Estimating and Planning , Mike Cohn once again fills a hole in the Agile practices, this time by showing us a workable approach to Agile estimating and planning. Mike delves into the nooks and crannies of the subject and anticipates many of the questions and nuances of this topic. Students of Agile processes will recognize that this book is truly about agility, bridging many of the practices between Scrum and ExtremeProgramming." --Ken Schwaber, Scrum evangelist, Agile Alliance cofounder, and signatory to the Agile Manifesto "In Agile Estimating and Planning , Mike Cohn has, for the first time, brought together most everything that the Agile community has learned about the subject. The book is clear, well organized, and a pleasant and valuable read. It goes into all the necessary detail, and at the same time keeps the reader''s burden low. We can dig in as deeply as we need to, without too much detail before we need it. The book really brings together everything we have learned about Agile estimation and planning over the past decade. It will serve its readers well." --Ron Jeffries, www.XProgramming.com, author of Extreme Programming Installed (Addison-Wesley, 2001) and Extreme Programming Adventures in C# (Microsoft Press, 2004) " Agile Estimating and Planning provides a view of planning that''s balanced between theory and practice, and it is supported by enough concrete experiences to lend it credibility. I particularly like the quote ''planning is a quest for value.'' It points to a new, more positive attitude toward planning that goes beyond the ''necessary evil'' view that I sometimes hold." --Kent Beck, author of Extreme Programming Explained, Second Edition (Addison-Wesley, 2005) "Up-front planning is still the most critical part of software development. Agile software development requires Agile planning techniques. This book shows you how to employ Agile planning in a succinct, practical, and easy-to-follow manner." --Adam Rogers, Ultimate Software "Mike does a great follow-up to User Stories Applied by continuing to provide Agile teams with the practical approaches and techniques to increase agility. In this book, Mike provides time-proven and well-tested methods for being successful with the multiple levels of planning and estimating required by Agile. This book is the first to detail the disciplines of Agile estimating and planning, in ways that rival my 1980 civil engineering texts on CPM Planning and Estimating." --Ryan Martens, President and Founder, Rally Software Development Corporation "With insight and clarity, Mike Cohn shows how to effectively produce software of high business value. With Agile estimation and planning, you focus effort where it really counts, and continue to do so as circumstances change." --Rick Mugridge, Rimu Research Ltd., and lead author, Fit for Developing Software (Prentice Hall, 2005) "Finally! The groundbreaking book my clients have been clamoring for! Agile Estimating and Planning demystifies the process of defining, driving, and delivering great software that matters to the business. Mike''s clarity, insight, and experience leap out through every page of this book, offering an approach that is relevant and immediately useful to all members of an Agile project." --Kert D. Peterson, President, Enterprise Agile Group, LLC "This isn''t yet another generic book on Agile software development. Agile Estimating and Planning fills a gap left by most of the other books and gives you important, practical, down-to-earth techniques needed to be successful on Agile development projects." --Steve Tockey, Principal Consultant, Construx Software "Estimation, planning, and tracking is a trinity. If you don''t do one of them, you don''t need the other two. This book provides very practical knowledge for estimation, planning, prioritizing, and tracking. It should be compulsory subject matter for project managers and their teams, even if they hesitate to call themselves Agile." --Niels Malotaux, Project Coach "Effective planning is an important, but often misunderstood, part of any successful Agile project. With Agile Estimating and Planning , Mike Cohn has given us a definitive guide to a wide range of Agile estimating and planning practices. With his clear and practical style, Mike not only explains how to successfully get started planning an Agile project, but also provides a wealth of tips and advice for improving any team''s Agile planning process. This book is a must-read for managers, coaches, and members of Agile teams." --Paul Hodgetts, Agile coach and CEO, Agile Logic "Mike''s writing style captures the essence of agility-just the right amount of information to bring clarity to the reader. This book provides an excellent guide for all Agile practitioners, both seasoned and novice." --Robert Holler, President and CEO, VersionOne, LLC "It is as if Mike took the distilled knowledge regarding planning and estimation of a great Agile developer (which he is) and laid out all he knows in an easily understandable manner. More importantly, he has a great mix of concepts with real-world examples finished off with a case study so the reader can relate the information to their own situation. Unless you are already an expert Agile planner and estimator, this book is for you." --Alan Shalloway, CEO, Senior Consultant, Net Objectives, and coauthor of Design Patterns Explained, Second Edition (Addison-Wesley, 2005) "Although I had plenty of XP experience before trying out Mike Cohn''s Agile planning practices, the effectiveness of the practical and proven techniques in this book blew me away! The book recognizes that people, not tools or processes, produce great software, and that teams benefit most by learning about their project and their product as they go. The examples in the book are concrete, easily grasped, and simply reek of common sense. This book will help teams (whether Agile or not) deliver more value, more often, and have fun doing it! Whether you''re a manager or a programmer, a tester or a CEO, part of an Agile team, or just looking for a way to stamp out chaos and death marches, this book will guide you." --Lisa Crispin, coauthor of Testing Extreme Programming (Addison-Wesley, 2003) "Mike Cohn does an excellent job demonstrating how an Agile approach can address issues of risk and uncertainty in order to provide more meaningful estimates and plans for software projects." --Todd Little, Senior Development Manager, Landmark Graphics "Mike Cohn explains his approach to Agile planning, and shows how ''critical chain'' thinking can be used to effectively buffer both schedule and features. As with User Stories Applied, this book is easy to read and grounded in real-world experience." --Bill Wake, author of Refactoring Workbook (Addison-Wesley, 2003) "Mike brings this book to life with real-world examples that help reveal how and why an Agile approach works for planning software development projects. This book has great breadth, ranging from the fundamentals of release planning to advanced topics such as financial aspects of prioritization. I can see this book becoming an invaluable aid to Agile project managers, as it provides a wealth of practical tips such as how to set iteration length and boot-strap velocity, and communicate progress." --Rachel Davies, Independent Consultant "There has been a need for a solid, pragmatic book on the long-term vision of an Agile Project for project managers. Agile Estimating and Planning addresses this need. It''s not theory--this book contains project-tested practices that have been used on Agile projects. As Mike''s test subjects, we applied these practices to the development of video games (one of the most unpredictable project environments you can imagine) with success." --Clinton Keith, Chief Technical Officer, High Moon Studios "When I first heard Mike Cohn speak, I was impressed by a rare combination of qualities: deep experience and understanding in modern iterative and Agile methods; a drive to find and validate easy, high-impact solutions beyond the status quo of traditional (usually ineffective) methods; and the passion and clarity of a natural coach. These qualities are evident in this wonderful, practical guide. I estimate you won''t be disappointed in studying and applying his advice." --Craig Larman, Chief Scientist, Valtech, and author of Applying UML and Patterns, Third Edition (Prentice Hall, 2005) and Agile and Iterative Development (Addison-Wesley, 2004) " Agile Estimating and Planning is a critical guide on how to successfully provide value to customers of IT services. This book is filled w
Object-Oriented Analysis and Design with Applications
by
Object-Oriented Design with Applications has long been the essential reference to object-oriented technology, which, in turn, has evolved to join the mainstream of industrial-strength software development. In this third edition--the first revision in 13 years--readers can learn to apply object-oriented methods using new paradigms such as Java, the Unified Modeling Language (UML) 2.0, and .NET. The authors draw upon their rich and varied experience to offer improved methods for object development and numerous examples that tackle the complex problems faced by software engineers, including systems architecture, data acquisition, cryptoanalysis, control systems, and Web development. They illustrate essential concepts, explain the method, and show successful applications in a variety of fields. You'll also find pragmatic advice on a host of issues, including classification, implementation strategies, and cost-effective project management. New to this new edition are An introduction to the new UML 2.0, from the notation's most fundamental and advanced elements with an emphasis on key changes New domains and contexts A greatly enhanced focus on modeling--as eagerly requested by readers--with five chapters that each delve into one phase of the overall development lifecycle. Fresh approaches to reasoning about complex systems An examination of the conceptual foundation of the widely misunderstood fundamental elements of the object model, such as abstraction, encapsulation, modularity, and hierarchy How to allocate the resources of a team of developers and mange the risks associated with developing complex software systems An appendix on object-oriented programming languages This is the seminal text for anyone who wishes to use object-oriented technology to manage the complexity inherent in many kinds of systems. Sidebars Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors Section I: Concepts Chapter 1: Complexity Chapter 2: The Object Model Chapter 3: Classes and Objects Chapter 4: Classification Section II: Method Chapter 5: Notation Chapter 6: Process Chapter 7: Pragmatics Chapter 8: System Architecture: Satellite-Based Navigation Chapter 9: Control System: Traffic Management Chapter 10: Artificial Intelligence: Cryptanalysis Chapter 11: Data Acquisition: Weather Monitoring Station Chapter 12: Web Application: Vacation Tracking System Appendix A: Object-Oriented Programming Languages Appendix B: Further Reading Notes Glossary Classified Bibliography Index
Specification by Example
by
Summary Specification by Example is an emerging practice for creating software based on realistic examples, bridging the communication gap between business stakeholders and the dev teams building the software. In this book, author Gojko Adzic distills interviews with successful teams worldwide, sharing how they specify, develop, and deliver software, without defects, in short iterative delivery cycles. About the Technology Specification by Example is a collaborative method for specifying requirements and tests. Seven patterns, fully explored in this book, are key to making the method effective. The method has four main benefits: it produces living, reliable documentation; it defines expectations clearly and makes validation efficient; it reduces rework; and, above all, it assures delivery teams and business stakeholders that the software that's built is right for its purpose. About the Book This book distills from the experience of leading teams worldwide effective ways to specify, test, and deliver software in short, iterative delivery cycles. Case studies in this book range from small web startups to large financial institutions, working in many processes including XP, Scrum, and Kanban. This book is written for developers, testers, analysts, and business people working together to build great software. Purchase of the print book comes with an offer of a free PDF, ePub, and Kindle eBook from Manning. Also available is all code from the book. What's Inside Common process patterns How to avoid bad practices Fitting SBE in your process 50+ case studies ========================================​======= Table of Contents Part 1 Getting started Key benefits Key process patterns Living documentation Initiating the changes Part 2 Key process patterns Deriving scope from goals Specifying collaboratively Illustrating using examples Refining the specification Automating validation without changing specifications Validating frequently Evolving a documentation system Part 3 Case studies uSwitch RainStor Iowa Student Loan Sabre Airline Solutions ePlan Services Songkick Concluding thoughts
User Story Mapping
by
User story mapping is a valuable tool for software development, once you understand why and how to use it. This insightful book examines how this often misunderstood technique can help your team stay focused on users and their needs without getting lost in the enthusiasm for individual product features. Author Jeff Patton shows you how changeable story maps enable your team to hold better conversations about the project throughout the development process. Your team will learn to come away with a shared understanding of what you're attempting to build and why. Get a high-level view of story mapping, with an exercise to learn key concepts quickly Understand how stories really work, and how they come to life in Agile and Lean projects Dive into a story's lifecycle, starting with opportunities and moving deeper into discovery Prepare your stories, pay attention while they're built, and learn from those you convert to working software
