agile

Relentless automation is the sign that your software team has discovered how valuable their time is and how much of their day can be wasted performing trivial tasks. Using Jenkins, an open source tool as an example, Jared Richardson demonstrates how to get started with continuous integration, a powerful automation technique that binds your team together and help ensures that your project runs smoothly and efficiently. The concept is simple-after every code check in, code is compiled and comprehensive automated tests are run. However, like so many great techniques, it’s easy to describe but difficult to master. Jared explains how continuous integration, implemented with the appropriate tools, forces frequent developer integrations, thus eliminating a large amount of uncertainty and project jitter.

Agile transformations for large organizations can have mixed results-and often fail miserably if the goal is to become an "agile organization." Sean Buck shares the story of The Capital Group Companies, a 7,000 person organization, which took a value-based approach to adoption. Rather than attempting a big bang implementation, Sean’s company and its agile transformation team planned for the long "run"-a marathon. Sean explains why organizations which proceed too quickly or take a tools-focused approach usually see their teams slip back to the old ways after initially impressive results. George Schlitz, who participated throughout their transformation, shares specific approaches and tools you should consider for your organization's adoption plans. He describes the staged model they employed for organizational transformation and how their strategies changed during each stage.

Whether it is controlling interplanetary spacecraft, managing medical records, or "merely" staying in business, it seems that more of us are facing the pressure of building and managing mission-critical systems and teams. Although it's tempting to think that reliability is all that matters, we're also forced to adapt to constantly advancing technologies, shifting priorities, and relentless competitive pressures. What can we learn about agility from great inventors like Alexander Graham Bell and the pioneers at NASA who risked everything to change the world? Is it wise to embrace innovation and take risks when so much is at stake? Can you afford to be agile when failure is not an option, or can you afford not to? Jeff Norris explores key principles of agility from a fresh and entertaining perspective by drawing on inspiring stories of people who demonstrated agile work practices long before anyone had heard of a ScrumMaster.

One of the challenges associated with testing in agile projects is selecting test techniques that “fit” the dynamic nature of agile practices. How much functional and non-functional testing should you do? What is the appropriate mix of unit, integration, regression, and system testing? And how do you balance these decisions in an environment that fosters continuous change and shifting priorities? Bob Galen has discovered that session-based exploratory testing (SBET) thrives in agile projects and supports risk-based testing throughout the development project. SBET excels at handling dynamic change while also finding the more significant technical- and business value-impacting defects. Join in and learn how to leverage SBET for test design and as a general purpose agile testing technique.