process improvement

Cursor about to click the word "Security" Shifting Security Left: The Innovation of DevSecOps

The more established a product is when it is first audited for security, the harder it will be to find the time to fix problems and to refactor the software. DevSecOps was created to get application security practices into the development process as early as possible, so we can use them from the beginning of a project.

Tom Stiehm's picture
Tom Stiehm
Computer, cup of coffee, and to-do list 3 Tactics to Stay Productive with an Agile Schedule

The usual productivity tips apply best to those working in a typical office with typical hours. What if you don’t work within a structured schedule? How can you stay productive when work ebbs and flows or occurs outside the typical nine-to-five? Here are three ways to be productive when your schedule is unpredictable.

Beth Romanik's picture
Beth Romanik
Firefighters putting out a fire Stop Fanning the Flames of Constant Firefighting

Continually having to address unexpected problems interrupts your original sprint activities, causing stress on the team members and fanning the flames for future firefights. But with due diligence, you can lessen the need to constantly put out fires. Here are some steps that can break the cycle of work and rework.

Richard Estra's picture
Richard Estra
Person stacking rocks to build a foundation Building Good Scrum Habits

Building good habits is an important part of an effective Scrum team. Habits are a form of automation: The more basic processes we can automate, the more we can focus our energy on hard things. The Scrum process, with its focus on rituals, helps us by providing a framework for collaboration and making it second nature.

Steve Berczuk's picture
Steve Berczuk
Airplane taking off Tips for Getting an Agile Transformation Off the Ground

Many agile transformations are doomed before they even begin. Organizations focus on the wrong things up front, resulting in a poorly planned effort that doesn’t deliver business value. Here are some tips to get things started the right way, including how to communicate well, define roles, and change your culture.

Jeffery Payne's picture
Jeffery Payne
Two identical airplanes performing a stunt in tandem 2 Ways to Standardize QA Practices

Testing can get complicated when each project is using a completely different toolset, language, and reporting status, with different measurements and formats. Testing is a reaction to context and what we encounter, so how we test cannot be standardized. What we can standardize is the stuff that surrounds the testing.

Justin Rohrman's picture
Justin Rohrman
Yellow and gray rulers Rethinking Your Measurement and Metrics for Agile and DevOps

In their transition to agile and DevOps, many teams forget they also need to update their measurement and metrics plan. Some measurements and metrics from the traditional waterfall software development lifecycle may remain useful, but many may not provide value—and some may even adversely impact progress toward goals.

Michael Sowers's picture
Michael Sowers
People practicing in a dojo Agile Dojo: Speed Up Delivery Using Focus

An Agile Dojo is an immersive learning experience where teams bring their work into a collocated space and work together to complete a project, using “hyper-iterations” of two-day sprints, over six weeks. Even distributed teams are able to collaborate, focus, and deliver projects on time and within budget. Here's how.

Christina Ambers's picture
Christina Ambers