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Just another Agile weblog, mainly focussed on my own experiences with Lean/Agile/Scrum/XP

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Scrum for value generation

1 February, 2011 (13:02) | Courses, Scrum | By: Jurgen

We see many teams starting to implement Scrum in one way or another but a lot of them seem to forget that Agile is about delivering “VALUE”! You can also see this in the certification track where focus is put on CSM training, not necessarily by the CST’s around but due to the business demand. This is a huge pitty for Scrum as a whole since this might enforce the idea that Scrum is something for the technical people and project managers and nothing for the business.

If you want to be better equipped to meet the business and by doing so make your implementation of Scrum a bit easier come to our upcoming CSPO course in Ghent, Feb 21/22nd!

You’ll learn some technique’s on how to manage your PO work (personal kanban for example) and how to maximize “value” for your customer and company, which will support you better to change your whole organization instead of a single team. We will give you some tools to support your customers better in optimizing their needs (lean technique’s for example) resulting in a more appropriate solution/delivery at the end.

Subscribe here: http://www.scrumtraining.com/upcoming-events/
!!! Early bird pricing still open for 3 more days so be fast !!!

PS: also a more popular CSM is scheduled in Februari.

Grtz

Certified Scrum Product Owner Course – 21/22 Feb Ghent Belgium

29 December, 2010 (17:10) | Courses, Scrum | By: Jurgen

Through simulations, workshops and exercises, you will learn how you
can leverage Scrum to optimize value creation and customer
satisfaction. You will learn how to create a product vision, create
and manage the product backlog, prioritize the product backlog,
create a realistic release plan, and progressively refine
requirements. As a Product Owner, your responsibility is to ensure
value is delivered early and often. This course will provide you the
knowledge and understanding to support, advocate and implement
incremental product delivery.

Avoid traffic jams in Brussels or Antwerp and come to beautifull Ghent, subscribe here: http://www.scrumtraining.com/register/?event=1298268000-csm

Certified Scrum Master Course – 17/18 Feb Ghent Belgium

29 December, 2010 (17:10) | Courses, Scrum | By: Jurgen

Leading a Scrum team is radically different than traditional project management. Rather than plan, instruct, and direct, the leader of a Scrum team (called a ScrumMaster) facilitates, coaches, and leads.

The 2-day Certified ScrumMaster training provides you with the learning and experience required to lead, participate in, or sponsor Scrum initiatives in your organization. We supply individuals a set of tools and techniques to aid them in becoming effective Scrum Masters, help teams become high performing, and deal with the change management associated with implementing Scrum in their organization. This is your opportunity to learn about Scrum, in the real world, from industry experts. Come prepared to challenge old beliefs and be open to new ways of thinking about how you approach work in the future.

Avoid traffic jams in Brussels or Antwerp and come to beautifull Ghent, subscribe here: http://www.scrumtraining.com/register/?event=1297922400-csm

Limited WIP and Scrum

15 November, 2010 (11:27) | General | By: Jurgen

I’m speaking at Agile 2010

4 August, 2010 (14:15) | Agile, Conferences, General, Lean, Scrum | By: Jurgen

August 10
Talk on Large Scale & Distributed Agile with Robin Dymond
Agile 2010 Conference, Orlando, FL

Cooking the Product Stew

agile2010 webbadges speaker What is a stew? A stew is made from various ingredients you have around, left overs, new ingredients that go together well, and others that are filling but need lots of sauce. The enterprise software market is made up of products that are a stew of software on many legacy platforms that have evolved over a long period by many hands. Taking an enterprise software product to Agile methods is a challenge. In a uniquely European context, this presentation will draw from the ongoing agile adoption in a multi-location multi-team enterprise product with 460 staff in 4 countries and 5 locations.

Speaking @ Agile Eastern Europe 2009

12 June, 2009 (00:22) | Agile, Conferences, Lean, Scrum | By: Jurgen

I’m happy to announce I’ll be presenting a main stage session at Agile Eastern Europe this year! This together with Robin Dymond from Innovel.net who’s been a great help all the way. The presentation is depending on our work in progress and will be adjusted throughout the year representing product owner and backlog scaling related results, patterns, anti-patterns… in a mixed Agile/Scrum & waterfall organization.

Product Stew we are working with:

  • 1 very large customer with many needs and a strong tendency to waterfall
  • 1 sales team that is not held accountable in any way for the promises made
  • +/-10 analysts trying to figure out what is needed and each is telling the teams what to do.
  • 26 product teams in 5 locations/countries
  • about 430 developers
  • confused priorities
  • large requirements documentation expectations
  • tight budget and process

By the time of the conference lots of things will be changed compared to todays workings, things are already changing by using some of the Lean principles, Agile work methods & scrum practices. We can assure you to bring some very nice insights into the subject in September.

If you’re not there you’ll be missing out on quit some nice topics and this is not only about our session but all others that are scheduled, go and subscribe: http://www.agileee.org/

See you there

/J

2009 Belgian Scrum Certification Courses by Innovel.net & iLean!!!

7 June, 2009 (14:29) | Agile, Scrum | By: Jurgen

Innovel.net and iLean are happy to announce their cooperation on a Scrum Certification Course Track for 2009!

Currently we have the following dates and locations set, even though locations & trainers might change during the year:

  • 8th & 9th of June – Certified Scrum Product Owner in Antwerp by Robin Dymond & Jürgen De Smet
  • 11th & 12th of June – Certified Scrum Master in Antwerp by Robin Dymond & Jürgen De Smet
  • 10th & 11th of September – Certified Scrum Master in Ghent by Robin Dymond & Jürgen De Smet
  • 14th & 15th of September – Certified Scrum Master in Leuven by Robin Dymond & Jürgen De Smet
  • 5th & 6th of October – Certified Scrum Master in Antwerp by Robin Dymond & Jürgen De Smet
  • 8th & 8th of October – Certified Scrum Product Owner in Antwerp by Robin Dymond & Jürgen De Smet
  • 3rd & 4th of November – Certified Scrum Master in Ghent by Robin Dymond & Jürgen De Smet
  • 5th & 6th of November – Certified Scrum Master in Mechelen by Robin Dymond & Jürgen De Smet
  • 30th of November & 1st of December – Certified Scrum Master in Antwerp by Robin Dymond & Jürgen De Smet
  • 3rd & 4th of December – Certified Scrum Product Owner in Antwerp by Robin Dymond & Jürgen De Smet

To register go to http://www.scrumtraining.com/upcoming-events/

What is a Certified Scrum Master course?

What is a Certified Scrum Product Owner course?

Greetings & see you there ;)


Certified Scrum Master Training

Learn the essentials of working as a ScrumMaster or Scrum team member in this course. While the Scrum Alliance provides a list of core concepts that must be covered in the class, each instructor creates his or her own material, allowing courses to differ based on the strengths, interests, and experiences of the instructor.

Purpose of the Course

Leading a Scrum team is radically different than traditional project management. Rather than plan, instruct, and direct, the leader of a Scrum team (called a ScrumMaster) facilitates, coaches, and leads.

The 2-day Certified ScrumMaster training provides you with the learning and experience required to lead, participate in, or sponsor Scrum initiatives in your organization.  We supply individuals a set of tools and techniques to aid them in becoming effective Scrum Masters, help teams become high performing, and deal with the change management associated with implementing Scrum in their organization. This is your opportunity to learn about Scrum, in the real world, from industry experts. Come prepared to challenge old beliefs and be open to new ways of thinking about how you approach work in the future.

Objectives

At the successful completion of the workshop, you will be certified as a ScrumMaster and have an understanding of how the various roles and responsibilities can be applied in the real world to your current and future projects. You will receive a one year membership to the Scrum Alliance.

Agenda

Through a combination of immersive team-based learning, exercises, and real-world case studies, you will learn how to:

  • Plan, initiate, and lead a Scrum project
  • Establish a shared vision for the entire team
  • Generate an agile release plan utilizing user stories and story point estimation
  • Lead your Scrum team through planning, review, and retrospective sessions
  • Create an environment in which self-managing teams can flourish
  • Identify, enroll, and engage business stakeholders in your project

ScrumMaster training provides an applied understanding of the Scrum process and helps participants begin to develop the tools, insights, and skills required to apply Scrum on their projects and across their organizations.

Who Should Attend?

ScrumMaster training designed for the members of an organization who will lead, support, or participate in Scrum-driven projects; this includes:

  • Project leaders
  • Development managers
  • Team members
  • Product managers

Certified Scrum Product Owner Training

Learn the essentials of working as a Product Owner in this two-day class.

How do you go from the product vision to a product backlog? This
interactive course teaches you the essential knowledge to work as a
Product Owner in Scrum.

The Product Owner creates the product vision, sets the product goal
and leads the effort to transform the vision into a successful
product. The Product Owner steers and guides the Scrum team, bridges
the gap between customers, business and development, and is
responsible for reaching the product goal and return on investment
(ROI).

Through simulations, workshops and exercises, you will learn how you
can leverage Scrum to optimize value creation and customer
satisfaction. You will learn how to create a product vision, create
and manage the product backlog, prioritize the product backlog,
create a realistic release plan, and progressively refine
requirements. As a Product Owner, your responsibility is to ensure
value is delivered early and often. This course will provide you the
knowledge and understanding to support, advocate and implement
incremental product delivery.

Scrum transforms the way work gets done, and the Product Owner plays
a key role in transforming the business to support regular delivery
of value to your customers.

Agenda:

Overview

  • Lean Agile and Scrum
  • Lean Overview
  • Agile Principles
  • What is Scrum?

Business Case to Product Backlog

  • Creating Product Goals
  • Case study and simulation
  • Writing User Stories
  • Estimation and planning
  • Paper Prototyping and User Interaction
  • Prioritization Techniques
  • Organization & Delivery Models
  • Getting to Done

Who Should Attend?

Professionals interested in Agile prioritizing, planning and estimating techniques, including:

  • Product Owners
  • Product Managers
  • Scrum Masters
  • Business Analysts

Agile Acceptance Testing with Fit/Fitnesse – Retrospective

7 June, 2009 (13:44) | Agile, Conferences | By: Jurgen

The 4th of June we had an interesting Agile Belgium session, a hands-on session of Fitnesse by

See http://agilefun.com/?p=244 for more details on the content.

I liked the session because of…

  • the fun way the use case was presented (see pic)
  • the well thought scenario used in the exercise
  • the way developers were encouraged to make sure you saw who was who (hats, see pic)
  • the possibility to get the latest version from the presenters laptop to make sure people are right on top of the session and not left behind
  • the given information sheet on where to get the workshop materials and contact the presenters

To make the session perfect I would…

  • include the audience in the presentation by means of pair-programming at the presenters desktops
  • ask the audience what is in for the different roles within a team instead of presenting them
  • think about a way to scale it for a bigger group as preparation for XP Days
200906AgileBelgium-1.jpg [singlepic id="184" w="250" h="" mode="" float="right" ]

Agile Acceptance Testing with Fit/Fitnesse

19 May, 2009 (19:06) | General | By: Jurgen

Yet another “Agile Belgium” session organized within the offices of IHC Infohos, Legeweg 157/E,  8020 Oostkamp.

When?

4th of June
Welcome @ 18.30h
Start @ 19.00h

Subscribe by mail to jurgen@agilefun.com with subjec: “Agile Belgium 4th of June – Agile Acceptance Testing”

Presenters:

Michel Grootjans, iLean, http://www.linkedin.com/in/michelgrootjans
Pascal Mestdach, Ihc Group, http://www.linkedin.com/in/pascalmestdach

Objective(s) of the session:

Participants will experience how to set up a Fitnesse environment from scratch. They will also have hands on experience in specifying acceptance tests and writing ‘glue’ code (.Net) with the 4 basic Fit fixture types. Not in a simple hello world or calculator example, but in a more real life application.

Content:

An introduction to the concept of Agile Acceptance testing. In a Specification Workshop, participants (in groups of 3) will think about how to specify acceptance criteria, followed by a little debriefing. Then participants will set up Fitnesse from scratch. In 2 small iterations we will deliver a Snack-ordering application. In those iterations the participants implement prepared acceptance tests in Fitnesse, write glue code in .Net and run the tests against the prepared Snack ordering application. By implementing the acceptance tests, the 4 basic fixtures get illustrated. We also integrate Fitnesse in an automated build and cover a possible way to structure tests in Fitnesse. Participants who do not code along with us, can pair with those who do, or just watch us doing it on the projection screen.

Format and length:

An interactive mostly technical workshop.

Length: 1 hour 30 minutes, max 30 participants.

Process and timetable:

* 00:00 – 00:10 – Introduction & illustration of the snack ordering application we are going to specify.
* 00:10 – 00:20 – Specification workshop: nail down the scope of a given user story with real world examples
* 00:20 – 00:25 – Debriefing: what did you experience?
* 00:25 – 00:40 – Participants setup Fitnesse on their PCs following the detailed instructions (a backup plan allows simple copying of files to achieve the same result)
* 00:40 – 00:60 – Iteration 1: Implement a bare bones ordering service & automate the build to include acceptance tests
* 00:60 – 00:80 – Iteration 2: Credit management & structuring Fitnesse.
* 00:80 – 00:85 – What’s in it for you?
* 00:85 – 00:90 – Closing

Intended audience and prerequisites:

* Who will benefit from this session?
o Product owners, Agile Coaches,… will see a way how the communication gap between customers and developers can be narrowed down.
o Java developers, testers will have hands-on experience in writing executable specifications in Fitnesse
o .Net developers will also have a first experience in writing the Fit glue code

* Do you expect them to have certain knowledge or experience?
o We expect that the audience knows why acceptance tests are important.
o For the .Net developers who will code along with us, we expect them to have Visual Studio 2008 on their machines.
o We expect everyone to open their pc and participate actively.

BRING YOUR LAPTOP WITH YOU!!!

CSM & CSPO Courses in May

12 April, 2009 (15:09) | Scrum | By: Jurgen

Hi,

May I point out to you that we have some interesting Certified Scrum courses coming to Belgium! Subscribed now to improve your Agile skills, find out how things can work out differently, enable effective software development and much more.


Certified Scrum Product Owner 2 day class @ 11 & 12 May in Ghent

Learn the essentials of working as a Product Owner in this two-day class.

How do you go from the product vision to a product backlog? This
interactive course teaches you the essential knowledge to work as a
Product Owner in Scrum.

The Product Owner creates the product vision, sets the product goal
and leads the effort to transform the vision into a successful
product. The Product Owner steers and guides the Scrum team, bridges
the gap between customers, business and development, and is
responsible for reaching the product goal and return on investment
(ROI).

Through simulations, workshops and exercises, you will learn how you
can leverage Scrum to optimize value creation and customer
satisfaction. You will learn how to create a product vision, create
and manage the product backlog, prioritize the product backlog,
create a realistic release plan, and progressively refine
requirements. As a Product Owner, your responsibility is to ensure
value is delivered early and often. This course will provide you the
knowledge and understanding to support, advocate and implement
incremental product delivery.

Scrum transforms the way work gets done, and the Product Owner plays
a key role in transforming the business to support regular delivery
of value to your customers.

You will receive a one year membership to the Scrum Alliance

Who should attend?

Professionals interested in Agile prioritizing, planning and estimating technisques, including:
Product owners, Product Managers, Scrum Masters, Business Analysts

Subscribe here: http://www.scrumtraining.com/upcoming-events/


Certified Scrum Master 2 day class @ 14 & 15 May in Ghent

Learn the essentials of working as a ScrumMaster or Scrum team member in this course. While the Scrum Alliance provides a list of core concepts that must be covered in the class, each instructor creates his or her own material, allowing courses to differ based on the strengths, interests, and experiences of the instructor.

Leading a Scrum team is radically different than traditional project management. Rather than plan, instruct, and direct, the leader of a Scrum team (called a ScrumMaster) facilitates, coaches, and leads.

The 2-day Certified ScrumMaster training provides you with the learning and experience required to lead, participate in, or sponsor Scrum initiatives in your organization.  We supply individuals a set of tools and techniques to aid them in becoming effective Scrum Masters, help teams become high performing, and deal with the change management associated with implementing Scrum in their organization. This is your opportunity to learn about Scrum, in the real world, from industry experts. Come prepared to challenge old beliefs and be open to new ways of thinking about how you approach work in the future.

Through a combination of immersive team-based learning, exercises, and real-world case studies, you will learn how to:

  • Plan, initiate, and lead a Scrum project
  • Establish a shared vision for the entire team
  • Generate an agile release plan utilizing user stories and story point estimation
  • Lead your Scrum team through planning, review, and retrospective sessions
  • Create an environment in which self-managing teams can flourish
  • Identify, enroll, and engage business stakeholders in your project

ScrumMaster training provides an applied understanding of the Scrum process and helps participants begin to develop the tools, insights, and skills required to apply Scrum on their projects and across their organizations.

At the successful completion of the workshop, you will be certified as a ScrumMaster and have an understanding of how the various roles and responsibilities can be applied in the real world to your current and future projects. You will receive a one year membership to the Scrum Alliance.

Who should attend?

ScrumMaster training designed for the members of an organization who will lead, support, or participate in Scrum-driven projects; this includes:
Project Leaders, Development Managers, Team Members, Product Managers

Subscribe here: http://www.scrumtraining.com/upcoming-events/