A Practical Approach to Large-Scale Agile Development: How HP Transformed LaserJet FutureSmart Firmware

Chapter 5. The Real Secret to Success in Large-Scale Agile

So, we have a business plan. We have a great architecture. And we have the agile principles squarely in our sights. In Chapters 6 and 7, we’ll get into the nuts and bolts of the day-to-day agile development machine (the continuous integration capabilities and quality systems, and the streamlined planning focused on maximizing throughput vs. optimizing predictability). But first we want to describe the hardest and most important part: how to make large-scale agile real. To roll it out, do we take a top-down approach? Or bottom-up? We’ve tried both on their own quite unsuccessfully. The top-down approach was first tried several years ago—kind of a “mandated agile.” We started with the metrics ...