agile

Outlines of different agile frameworks on sticky notes Selecting the Right Agile Framework

There are many frameworks available to organizations that are maturing their agile process. However, some frameworks can help reinforce agile behaviors, while others can actually drive an organization to revert to waterfall habits. The right choice should be the methodology that allows teams to deliver their best work.

Alan Crouch's picture
Alan Crouch
Quality engineers working on product quality Quality Engineering in Agile and DevOps

Ensuring that quality is advocated for at every step along the lifecycle can be tough. One easy response is, “Quality is everyone’s job”—after all, whole-team accountability is a key tenet of agile. But what does this really mean in practice? What approaches and roles help us embrace a culture of quality engineering?

Michael Sowers's picture
Michael Sowers
A person sketching on a notepad while looking at designs on a laptop Fueling Innovation through Design Thinking

Organizations must embrace new technologies in their product engineering efforts to stay ahead of the curve. But there is another quality that will be key this decade to giving product teams a proactive advantage: design. Design thinking should be embraced not just by designers, but by everyone involved with a product.

Bharathan Venkateswaran's picture
Bharathan Venka...
Agile team member drawing out a process on a whiteboard Good Process, Bad Process

“Process” is a word that seems to have a lot of baggage. Depending on whom you ask, process is either essential to delivering value, or something that gets in the way. But this is the wrong way to frame the issue. A process is not inherently good or bad; it's how you use it, and whether it's right for your situation.

Steve Berczuk's picture
Steve Berczuk
Code on a computer screen Pros and Cons of Codeless Test Automation

To create automated tests for software applications, testers have historically needed to be able to code in programming languages. Codeless testing eliminates the need for scripting from scratch every time, but in addition to its advantages, there are also some drawbacks. Is codeless automation right for your team?

Kuldeep Rana's picture
Kuldeep Rana
Scrum team with different roles and jobs Scrum Roles, Goals, and You

The Scrum Guide specifies that there are three roles: product owner, developer, and ScrumMaster. It’s essential that a Scrum team have each of these roles to help it work well. But depending on how you implement the roles, you may end up hurting rather than helping your Scrum process. Focus on goals, not job titles.

Steve Berczuk's picture
Steve Berczuk
Agile team in a meeting Does Agile Have Too Many Meetings?

Because agile favors lots of short meetings, it may seem like they take up a lot more time. But when you compare it to time spent meeting in the pre-agile days, it's usually actually less. However, this doesn’t mean all meetings you attend are useful. Here are a few tips for deciding if all your meetings are necessary.

Jeffery Payne's picture
Jeffery Payne
A manager and an employee having a one-on-one meeting One-on-Ones: A Framework for Feedback

Regular one-on-one meetings between a manager and employee are a forum to provide safe, timely feedback. They can be short or longer, but you should discuss successes, challenges, and how to improve. Having a framework for the conversation helps you make sure that the meetings don’t routinely become chat sessions.

Steve Berczuk's picture
Steve Berczuk