How to Transfer from Waterfall to Iterative Te Bai, Ji Qi

Content Improvement of iterative How to make a good transition - Four basic steps Real example - Introducing iterative Life-cycle model at Credit Suisse

Advantages It accommodates changing requirements. Integration is not one "big bang" at the end of a project. Early iterations expose risks. Management can make tactical changes to the product. It facilitates reuse. You can find and correct defects over several iterations. It facilitates better use of project personnel. Team members learn along the way. You can refine the development process along the way.

Four steps for a transition  1. Build functional prototypes early.  2. Divide the detailed design, implementation and test phases into iterations.  3. Baseline an executable architecture early on.  4. Adopt an iterative and risk-driven management process.

Step 1: Build functional prototypes early Start: top three technical risks top three functional areas

Step 2: Divide the detailed design, implementation and test phases into iterations. Approach 1: Develop one or more subsystems at a time. fit for: a system with a well-defined architechture Approach 2: Develop the most critical scenarios first. fit for: building complex applications in most projects

Step 3: Baseline an executable architecture early on. Focus on the most important 20 to 30 percent of use cases (complete services the system offers to the end users).

How to determine which use cases are most important. The functionality is the core of the application, or it exercises key interface. Choose use cases describing functionality that must be delivered Choose use cases describing functionality for an area of the architechture not covered by another critical use case.

Step 4: Adopt an iterative and risk- driven management process. Typical phase objectives Inception Elaboration Construction Transition

Apply the steps Wisely

Case study: Introducing an Iterative Life-Cycle Model at Credit Suisse

IT division of Credit Suisse Long-standing waterfall life-cycle management (WLCM) Introducing iterative life-cycle management (ILCM) based on IBM’s rational unified project (RUP) CMMI level 3 3,500 staff 400 projects RUP Adoption Project (RAP) require

Pre-deployment ILCM definition -Adopting standard RUP concepts -Aligning ILCM with existing artifacts Specific activities to foster commitment and collaboration -Review session -Stakeholder-oriented workshops and training -Pilot project and coaching

Organizational deployment Creating awareness, marketing and knowledge management Managing resistance Mindset change and tacit knowledge

Creating awareness, marketing and knowledge management Creating awareness: Workshops Information sessions Short training modules Creating awareness: Workshops Information sessions Short training modules Marketing materials: Posters Presentations Flyers Marketing materials: Posters Presentations Flyers Knowledge management: Integrating the ILCM definition in the Credit Suisse intranet Establishing regular RUP gathering Knowledge management: Integrating the ILCM definition in the Credit Suisse intranet Establishing regular RUP gathering

Managing resistance towards ILCM deployment Limited budget for coaching Requirements engineering required additional coaching to address these ILCM-specific issues. High workloads of process manager Key roles must have a high interest in the new method and sufficient time to successfully introduce it. Personal threat of organizational change Personal threats are significantly harder to discover in large organizations than in small or medium-size organizations.

Mindset change and tacit knowledge Training, coaching, support, positive personal experience and a change of well established habits.

Conclusion Elaborated change management project Time – an important factor Coaching support Current situation of Credit Suisse:  ILCM model as an alternative to WLCM  25 ILCM project totaling 60 million Swiss Francs over past three years

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