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Entries Tagged as 'Agility'

When Documentation is More Valuable than Working Software

November 24th, 2016 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Working software is more valuable than documentation—except when it isn’t. And we have Dwayne’s Declaration. Part of the Agile Manifesto states: We…value working software over comprehensive documentation Some of us are old enough to have known this years before the manifesto was manifest. Of course we wanted working software, except when we […]

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Tags: Agility · Analysis · Authentic · Communication · Engineering · Management · Thinking · Work

Agile Lite

November 17th, 2016 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Government contractors use a new form of the Agile methods. I have met an ever increasing government contractors who claim to use a method they call Agile Lite. This is quite simple. The government official who directs the contractor tells them: (1) Tell everyone that you are doing Agile. (2) Every day, […]

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Tags: Agility · Government

The Cheapest Part

August 8th, 2016 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes the cheapest and simplest part of a system is the one that fails and you may have to buy half a dozen of them to find one that works. I had a bad experience repairing that large appliance in the bathroom. Did you know that you can crawl under a toilet? […]

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Tags: Adapting · Agility · Analysis · Systems

Agile Development and Being a Victim

June 30th, 2016 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips A major part of the agile methods is that we refuse to be victims. In agile development, persons talk face to face and speak candidly. There are no bureaucratic victims. There is no, “Look, I know doing X this way doesn’t make sense, but we are required to do so by some […]

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Tags: Adults · Agility

Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan (even in Agile)

May 26th, 2016 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I emphasize fundamentals in my work. One such fundamental is the old cliche about planning and working (see title). I find it still applies—even with “new” methods like Agile. Plan your work, work your plan I heard that a lot in the 1980s. I find it to be one of those things […]

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Tags: Agility · Culture · Lifecycle · Management

The Kids can See

August 3rd, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Kids today are anxious to move one to something better. That frustrates us old folks. We have a solution, if we choose it. This is one of things that bothers us old people about young adults: They want to move up and move on and do something else (too quickly) They haven’t […]

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Tags: Adapting · Adults · Agility

The Death of Agile

July 9th, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips The Federal government is using agile development (or so they claim). Agile will be dead and gone in ten years. Agile development is hot. Everyone is using it. The Federal (state and local) government is using it now. At least government agencies say they are using it, but anyone who can tell […]

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Tags: Agility · Government

Why Innovation Doesn’t Occur in Government

October 9th, 2014 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Here is a brief explanation of why innovation doesn’t work in government. Too bad as there are clever, innovative people in government. I worked several decades inside the US Federal government. There are plenty of dedicated, smart people working inside government. They often have good ideas for things and gadgets the government […]

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Tags: Agility · Competence · Government

Agile Development and Risk

August 22nd, 2013 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Agile development can reduce risk, but not every kind of risk. Agile development does reduce risk. Agile is a form of the spiral development created by Barry Boehm (okay, scream now). Spiral was created to reduce risk and, if used properly (loaded words), it does reduce risk. So, let’s consider Agile: Agile […]

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Tags: Agility · Management · Risk

Governments, Companies, and Agility

December 27th, 2012 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Companies are far more agile than governments. I hope that one day governments will accept this and work with companies instead of against them. A few recent stories have appeared about companies moving money to countries with lower tax rates. Some people are outraged about it. Governments will see what the companies […]

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Tags: Adapting · Agility · Government · Greed