S2V Experience

The Speed to Value (S2V) Experience

Pillar is committed to making your transition to S2V practices and disciplines as easy and enjoyable as possible. But the fact is, any type of change involves challenges. Keeping these tips in mind can help your development team resolve challenges and turn them into opportunities for success:

• Remember that estimates are just that. Accurate reporting of actual effort is far more important than actual effort matching estimated effort. Effort reporting helps to determine the validity of estimates—not the other way around.
• S2V demands more discipline than other non-agile SDLC methodologies. But in the end, it really pays for off. For example, it might seem like the waterfall methodology provides more “wiggle room” for managing day-to-day tasks—but fewer public milestones and infrequent commitment checks might mean the problems aren’t recognized until it’s too late to correct them. On the other hand, S2V is like a synchronized swimming team: if any one participant fails to meet commitments, the whole team can get out of rhythm in an immediately obvious way.
• S2V demands accountability and truth—and will call you on it at very frequent intervals.
• It will feel like you have less control over managing your time because you are solely accountable to the IRP(Iteration Release Plan). If your time is consumed by a task not listed on the IRP, it steals your focus from tasks you should be completing. What’s more, it can impact your velocity and the perception others have of your ability/effort.
• Make sure that unknowns and extraneous activities are publicized to your team lead so that they can be reflected in the IRP. That way, you can get credit for all work you complete.
• The purpose of S2V is not to overload or expose you. Rather, it seeks to objectively determine your abilities in order to accurately estimate and commit your time, ultimately ensuring each project’s success.
• S2V looks to challenge you. But it does so in realistic and achievable ways based on data and metrics of your previously demonstrated performance.
• The sooner you embrace the cadence and find a rhythm, the sooner you will be productive and ultimately successful. Each of the elements of the cadence was included based on proven past performance and value. We strive to do only that which works and provides value to the process, no more. (Note: not sure I understand the point of the bullet)
• Test-driven development (TDD) is as much art as science—it’s as much about how you design software as how you test it. It takes time and experience to develop your craft. However, by testing first, you’ll always be designing solutions with testability, and (as obvious as it sounds) requiremnts, in mind.