Page - 225 - in The Future of Software Quality Assurance

The Why, How and What ofAgile Transformations 225 • Step 7—Measure and revise the roadmap. It is crucial to measure progress explicitly, especially the extent to which the actual goal is achieved. In addition, the roadmapwillneedtobeupdatedregularly.This isdoneindetailonaweekly basis (step6)duringtherefinementandplanning,but it isalsoimportanttoadjust the roadmapmore intensivelyonaquarterlybasis andgenerally (step7). • Step 8—Integrate through governance and culture. Changes are immediately anchoredinthenormalwayofworking.Therearetwowaysofdoingthis.Firstly, bymakingthempartof thegovernance—forexample throughpractices,KPIsor procedures. It is muchbetter to anchorchanges throughculture. This is because theyare thendirectly integrated into theactualbehaviourof teamsandpeople. 6 Pitfalls ofAgileTransformations Becoming trulyagile involvesmuchmore than learninga newtrick.Agile working requires the transformation of firmly anchored structures, processes and systems. However, the existing culture, the underlying views, principles, norms and values also shift. This complicates matters, and even with a quick start it can take several years before an agile transformation is fully implemented. Because agile working ismuchbroader than initially imagined, its actual impact isalwaysunderestimated. As a result, many organisations repeatedly make the same mistakes when seeking tobecomeagile.Thesevenmost commonpitfallsare: • Pitfall 1—No focus on interim results. An agile transformation requires agility. That is why it’s important that whatever is changed really is changed. This requiresa continuous focuson the implementationof large ideas throughsmall, noticeable steps during the planning and implementation of the changes. In fact, this is the basis of any form of agile: making things small, following things through and learning by doing. Agile transformations themselves are no exception in this respect. However, in practice we regularly see a detailed scheduleforanagile transformationwithinterimmilestonesandafixedenddate. Themost importantconditionforsuccessfulagiletransformationsisnevertheless agile execution. Step by step, implementing the most valuable change first and makingadjustmentsbasedon learningexperience. • Pitfall 2—The ‘why’ is not measured. Agile is not an end in itself. Introducing it serves a higher purpose. Many organisations do not make that goal explicit. This creates confusion about the motives, and everyone creates their own interpretation. Subsequently, the extent to which the transformation has the desiredeffect isoftennotmeasured.Withoutmeasurableprogress, theusefulness of the investments will sooner or later be called into question. Making the goal explicit andmeasuringwhether it isbeingachievedis thereforevery important. • Pitfall 3—Management support is at a too low level in the organisation. Transformations are often made by one specific manager or director. However, practice shows that the desired changes always have an impact on adjacent