Published by Addison-Wesley Professional (May 27, 2021) © 2021

Howard Podeswa
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    ISBN-13: 9780134191171

    Agile Guide to Business Analysis and Planning, The: From Strategic Plan to Continuous Value Delivery ,1st edition

    Language: English

    How Product Owners and Business Analysts can maximize the value delivered to stakeholders by integrating BA competencies with agile methodologies
    "This book will become a staple reference that both product owners and business analysis practitioners should have
    by their side."
    --From the Foreword by Alain Arseneault, former IIBA Acting President & CEO
    "[This book] is well organized in bite-sized chunks and structured for ready access to the essential concepts, terms, and practices that can help any agile team be more successful."
    --Karl Wiegers

    The Agile Guide to Business Analysis and Planning provides practical guidance for eliminating unnecessary errors and delays in agile product development through effective planning, backlog refinement and acceptance criteria specification ---with hard-to-find advice on how and when to analyze the context for complex changes within an agile approach---including when to use Journey Maps, Value Stream Mapping, Personas, Story Maps, BPMN, Use Cases and other UML models. Renowned author and consultant Howard Podeswa teaches best practices drawn from agile and agile-adjacent frameworks, including ATDD, BDD, DevOps, CI/CD, Kanban, Scrum, SAFe, XP, Lean Thinking, Lean Startup, Circumstance-Based Market Segmentation, and theories of disruptive innovation. He offers a comprehensive agile roadmap for analyzing customer needs and planning product development, including discussion of legacy business analysis tools that still offer immense value to agile teams.

    Using a running case study, Podeswa walks through the full agile product lifecycle, from visioning through release and continuous value delivery. You learn how to carry out agile analysis and planning responsibilities more effectively, using tools such as Kano analysis, minimum viable products (MVPs), minimum marketable features (MMFs), story maps, product roadmaps, customer journey mapping, value stream mapping, spikes, and the definition of ready (DoR). Podeswa presents each technique in context: what you need to know and when to apply each tool. Read this book to
    • Master principles, frameworks, concepts, and practices of agile analysis and planning in order to maximize value delivery throughout the product's lifecycle
    • Explore planning and analysis for short-term, long-term, and scaled agile initiatives using MVPs and data-informed learning to test hypotheses and find high-value features
    • Split features into MMFs and small stories that deliver significant value and enable quick wins
    • Refine, estimate, and specify features, stories, and their acceptance criteria, following ATDD/BDD guidance
    • Address the unique analysis and planning challenges of scaled agile organizations
    • Implement 13 practices for optimizing enterprise agility
    Supported by 175+ tools, techniques, examples, diagrams, templates, checklists, and other job aids, this book is a complete toolkit for every practitioner. Whatever your role, you'll find indispensable guidance on agile planning and analysis responsibilities so you can help your organization respond more nimbly to a fast-changing environment.

    Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.
    Foreword xxvii
    Preface xxxi
    About the Author xlvii


    Chapter 1: The Art of Agile Analysis and Planning 1
    1.1 Objectives 1
    1.2 On Art and Agile Analysis 1
    1.3 I Work for a Mainstream Company! What’s This Got to Do with Me? 5
    1.4 Story 1: It’s Not My Problem 8
    1.5 Story 2: The Cantankerous Customer 10
    1.6 Chapter Summary 11
    1.7 What’s Next? 11

    Chapter 2: Agile Analysis and Planning: The Value Proposition 13
    2.1 Objectives 13
    2.2 What Is Agile Analysis and Planning? 13
    2.3 Who Is a Business Analyst? 14
    2.4 Why Agile Analysis and Planning? 15
    2.5 The Parallel Histories of Agile and Business Analysis 16
    2.6 Two Diagnoses for the Same Problem 18
    2.7 The Business Analysis Diagnosis 19
    2.8 The Business Analysis Track Record 19
    2.9 The Agile Diagnosis 22
    2.10 The Agile Track Record 22
    2.11 Why Agile Teams Should Include an Effective BA Competency 24
    2.12 Chapter Summary 25
    2.13 What’s Next? 25

    Chapter 3: Fundamentals of Agile Analysis and Planning 27
    3.1 Objectives 27
    3.2 What the Agile Manifesto Means for Business Analysis 28
    3.3 What the Twelve Principles Mean for Business Analysis 29
    3.4 Practices, Standards, and Frameworks 31
    3.5 Overview of Agile Roles and the Business Analyst 58
    3.6 Soft Skills of the Agile Business Analyst 63
    3.7 13 Key Practices of Agile Analysis and How They Differ from Waterfall 65
    3.8 Agile Business Analysis Rules of Thumb 68
    3.9 Chapter Summary 68
    3.10 What’s Next? 68

    Chapter 4: Analysis and Planning Activities across the Agile Development Lifecycle 69
    4.1 Objectives 69
    4.2 Overview of the Agile Analysis and Planning Map 72
    4.3 The Zones 72
    4.4 The Lanes 73
    4.5 A Story in Three Acts 74
    4.6 Act 1: The Short Lane 74
    4.7 Act 2: The Long Lane 79
    4.8 Act 3: The Grand Lane 79
    4.9 Chapter Summary 81
    4.10 What’s Next? 81

    Chapter 5: Preparing the Organization 83
    5.1 Objectives 83
    5.2 This Chapter on the Map 86
    5.3 What Is Initiation and Planning? 86
    5.4 How Long Should You Spend Up Front on Initiation and Planning? 87
    5.5 The Purpose Alignment Model 88
    5.6 Preparing the Infrastructure 90
    5.7 Organizing Development Teams 93
    5.8 Managing Stakeholder Expectations about Agile Development 99
    5.9 Preparing the Customer–Developer Relationship 101
    5.10 Agile Financial Planning 102
    5.11 Preparing the Marketing and Distribution Teams 103
    5.12 Preparing Channels and Supply Chains 104
    5.13 Preparing Governance and Compliance 104
    5.14 Preparing for Increased Demand on Resources 106
    5.15 Preparing an Enterprise for Agile Development 107
    5.16 Determine Organizational Readiness 112
    5.17 Chapter Summary 113
    5.18 What’s Next? 114

    Chapter 6: Preparing the Process 115
    6.1 Objectives 115
    6.2 This Chapter on the Map 115
    6.3 Process Preparation 118
    6.4 Tailoring the Agile Practice to the Context 118
    6.5 Tuning the Process 122
    6.6 Optimizing the Process Using Value Stream Mapping 145
    6.7 Determining Process Readiness 145
    6.8 Chapter Summary 146
    6.9 What’s Next? 146

    Chapter 7: Visioning 147
    7.1 Objectives 150
    7.2 This Chapter on the Map 150
    7.3 Overview of Product Visioning and Epic Preparation 150
    7.4 Root-Cause Analysis 152
    7.5 Specifying a Product or Epic 166
    7.6 The Problem or Opportunity Statement 167
    7.7 The Product Portrait 169
    7.8 Crafting the Product and Epic Vision Statements 172
    7.9 Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement 175
    7.10 Analyzing Goals and Objectives 182
    7.11 Analyze Leap of Faith Hypotheses 185
    7.12 Chapter Summary 192
    7.13 What’s Next? 192

    Chapter 8: Seeding the Backlog—Discovering and Grading Features 193
    8.1 Objectives 193
    8.2 This Chapter on the Map 196
    8.3 Overview: Seeding the Backlog 196
    8.4 Circumstance-Based Market Segmentation for Feature Discovery 198
    8.5 Other Ways to Discover Initial Features 198
    8.6 Feature Independence 199
    8.7 Using the Role-Feature-Reason Template to Represent Epics and Features 199
    8.8 Specifying Emergent Features 200
    8.9 Physical Representation of Features 200
    8.10 Feature Attributes 201
    8.11 Determining Customer and User Value with Kano Analysis 202
    8.12 Sequencing Epics and Features in the Backlog 212
    8.13 Writing Feature Acceptance Criteria 215
    8.14 Analyzing Nonfunctional Requirements and Constraints 216
    8.15 Chapter Summary 220
    8.16 What’s Next? 220

    Chapter 9: Long-Term Agile Planning 221
    9.1 Objectives 221
    9.2 This Chapter on the Map 224
    9.3 Overview of Long-Term Planning, Epic Planning, and MVP 224
    9.4 The Full-Potential Plan 225
    9.5 Using MVPs to Validate the Assumptions behind the Plan 228
    9.6 Capabilities for Effective MVP Implementation 231
    9.7 Overview of the Product Roadmap 240
    9.8 Planning the Interim Periods 241
    9.9 Using the Product Roadmap for Shorter Planning Horizons 248
    9.10 Chapter Summary 248
    9.11 What’s Next? 249

    Chapter 10: Quarterly and Feature Preparation 251
    10.1 Objectives 251
    10.2 This Chapter on the Map 254
    10.3 Overview of Features 254
    10.4 Benefits of Feature Preparation 256
    10.5 Feature Preparation Activities 256
    10.6 Timing of Feature Preparation 257
    10.7 Assessing Readiness 258
    10.8 Accounting for Preparation Work: Tasks and Spikes 258
    10.9 Specifying Features and Their Acceptance Criteria 259
    10.10 Context Analysis 263
    10.11 Stakeholder Analysis 264
    10.12 Persona Analysis 264
    10.13 Overview of Journey, Process, and Value Stream Maps 272
    10.14 Journey Mapping 272
    10.15 Value Stream Mapping 283
    10.16 Business Process Modeling 285
    10.17 Use-Case Modeling 298
    10.18 User-Role Modeling Workshops 300
    10.19 Review the Architecture 307
    10.20 Chapter Summary 312
    10.21 What’s Next? 313

    Chapter 11: Quarterly and Feature Planning 315
    11.1 Objectives 315
    11.2 This Chapter on the Map 318
    11.3 Overview of Quarterly Planning 318
    11.4 Overview of Flow-Based Feature Planning 318
    11.5 When Is Planning at This Level Advised and Not Advised? 319
    11.6 When to Use Quarterly Planning versus Flow-Based Feature Planning 319
    11.7 How to Conduct Quarterly Planning with Agility 320
    11.8 XP’s Planning Game Guidelines 322
    11.9 Quarterly Planning: Timing Considerations 325
    11.10 Preparing for the Planning Event 325
    11.11 Planning Topics (Agenda) 328
    11.12 Reviewing the Quarterly Plan, Once the Quarter Is Underway 351
    11.13 Chapter Summary 352
    11.14 What’s Next? 352

    Chapter 12: MVPs and Story Maps 353
    12.1 Objectives 353
    12.2 This Chapter on the Map 356
    12.3 MVPs and Story Mapping: How the Tools Complement Each Other 356
    12.4 MVP Planning 356
    12.5 Story Mapping 366
    12.6 Chapter Summary 388
    12.7 What’s Next? 388

    Chapter 13: Story Preparation 391
    13.1 Objectives 391
    13.2 This Chapter on the Map 394
    13.3 Overview of Story Preparation 394
    13.4 Story Fundamentals 394
    13.5 The Three Cs of Stories 397
    13.6 Who Is Responsible for User Stories? 398
    13.7 Physical versus Electronic Stories 403
    13.8 Specifying Values for Story Attributes 404
    13.9 Writing the Story Description 404
    13.10 Specifying Story Acceptance Criteria 407
    13.11 Stories That Aren’t User Stories 414
    13.12 Guidelines for Writing High-Quality Stories 420
    13.13 Patterns for Splitting Stories 422
    13.14 Analyzing Business Rules and AC with Decision Tables 433
    13.15 Chapter Summary 440
    13.16 What’s Next? 440

    Chapter 14: Iteration and Story Planning 441
    14.1 Objectives 441
    14.2 This Chapter on the Map 444
    14.3 Overview of Iteration and Story Planning 444
    14.4 Attendees 445
    14.5 Duration 445
    14.6 Inputs for Iteration Planning 445
    14.7 Deliverables of Iteration Planning 446
    14.8 Planning Rules 447
    14.9 Part 1: Forecast What Will Be Accomplished 447
    14.10 Part 2: Plan the Implementation 451
    14.11 Setting Up the Kanban Board 458
    14.12 Scaling Iteration Planning 462
    14.13 Feature Preview Meeting 462
    14.14 Chapter Summary 463
    14.15 What’s Next? 463

    Chapter 15: Rolling Analysis and Preparation—Day-to-Day Activities 465
    15.1 Objectives 465
    15.2 This Chapter on the Map 468
    15.3 Overview of Rolling Analysis 468
    15.4 Updating Task Progress 470
    15.5 Triad Guideline 470
    15.6 Actions That May Be Taken against a Developer Task 471
    15.7 Monitoring Progress 471
    15.8 Story Testing and Inspection (Analyze-Code-Build-Test) 490
    15.9 Managing Scope Change during the Iteration 495
    15.10 Updating Business Analysis Documentation 496
    15.11 Ongoing Analysis of Upcoming Epics, Features, and Stories 509
    15.12 Accounting for Progress at the End of the Iteration 513
    15.13 The Iteration Review 514
    15.14 The Iteration Retrospective 517
    15.15 Chapter Summary 524
    15.16 What’s Next? 525

    Chapter 16: Releasing the Product 527
    16.1 Objectives 527
    16.2 This Chapter on the Map 530
    16.3 Getting Stories to Done 530
    16.4 Releasing to the Market: Timing Considerations 530
    16.5 Staging the Release 532
    16.6 Quarterly (Release) Retrospective 539
    16.7 Pivot-or-Persevere Meeting 544
    16.8 Chapter Summary 547
    16.9 What’s Next? 548

    Chapter 17: Scaling Agility 549
    17.1 Objectives 552
    17.2 This Chapter on the Map 552
    17.3 Why Do We Need a Scaled Agile Approach? 552
    17.4 Planning: Choosing an Approach That Supports Inter-team Collaboration 554
    17.5 Continuous Delivery: Delivering Software Continuously, Safely, and Sustainably at Scale 558
    17.6 Scaled Agile Culture: Creating a Culture That Supports Innovation at Scale 564
    17.7 Scaling the Backlog 566
    17.8 Scaling the Agile Organization 570
    17.9 Scaling the Agile Process 581
    17.10 Agile Requirements Management Software Tools 615
    17.11 Lightweight Tools for Supporting Inter-team Collaboration 615
    17.12 Potential Issues and Challenges in Scaling Agility 617
    17.13 Chapter Summary 622
    17.14 What’s Next? 622

    Chapter 18: Achieving Enterprise Agility 623
    18.1 Objectives 623
    18.2 This Chapter on the Map 626
    18.3 Overview of Enterprise Agility 627
    18.4 Foundational Practices 629
    18.5 Overview of the Agile Process for Developing Innovative Products 631
    18.6 Agile Corporate Culture 632
    18.7 Overview of Principles and Practices for an Agile Corporate Culture 634
    18.8 Three Principles for Applying Agile Practices 635
    18.9 The Thirteen Practices for an Agile Corporate Culture 650
    18.10 Agile Financial Planning 675
    18.11 Chapter Summary 676

    Appendix A: Additional Resources and Checklists 677
    A.1 Mapping of Book Chapters to IIBA and PMI Guides 677
    A.2 Rules of Thumb in Agile Analysis and Planning 682
    A.3 Facilitation Tips 684
    A.4 Visioning Checklist 686
    A.5 Stakeholder Checklist 687
    A.6 NFRs and Constraints Checklist 689
    A.7 Readiness Checklist for Quarterly Planning 690
    A.8 Checklist of Invitees for Quarterly Planning 692
    A.9 Checklist of Quarterly and Feature Planning Inputs 693
    A.10 Checklist of Quarterly and Feature Planning Deliverables 694
    A.11 Checklist of Quarterly (Release) Retrospective Questions 695
    A.12 Checklist of Invitees for Scaled Quarterly and Feature Planning 698
    A.13 Overview of Agile Requirements Management Tools 699

    Appendix B: Discovery-Driven Planning Case Study: BestBots 701
    B.1 Background: BestBots Case Study 701
    B.2 Initial Market Analysis 702
    B.3 Determine Constraints (Required Outcomes) 703
    B.4 Create Draft of Reverse Income Statement 705
    B.5 Create Pro Forma Operations Specifications 706
    B.6 Create Assumptions Checklist 708
    B.7 Revise Reverse Income Statement 709
    B.8 Create Milestone Planning Chart 710

    Bibliography 713
    Index 715