SE 470 - Crystal1 Crystal Methodology Helaine McFerron Cristina Fhied SE 470 Presentation.

SE 470 - Crystal 1

Crystal Methodology

Helaine McFerronCristina FhiedSE 470 Presentation

SE 470 - Crystal 2

History of Crystal

Step by step organizations are designed to bottle the inherent individuality of each employee.Strength based organizations are designed to capitalize on it.Alistair Cockburn spent the 1970’s and 1980’s in computer graphics but was chased out by standards regulations. He transferred to Object Oriented Programming.The turbulent 1990’s allowed Agile methods to dominate software development, although it was always present. In the early 1990’s Alister was hired at IBM to add an object oriented arm to IBM’s consulting programming services methodology.Alistair had no idea on how to create a methodology, so he interviewed successful teams in order to learn.

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Results of interviewsFrom 1991-1994…Present: ~40 interviews with project teams.Result of Research: People don’t do what their book says to do, nor

do they do what they say they did. They can’t keep the documentation in sync with

the code. People like working together. People are not always disciplined. In 1992, the first draft of Crystal Orange became

the first object oriented arm of IBM’s methodology.

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Introducing Crystal

The crystal metaphor. Crystals have different hardness and color Software projects have size and criticality

Crystal is a family of methodologies with a copy and alter paradigm versus a kit paradigm.Three levels of listening and learning.

Create a script Understand changes Zen master

Apprenticeship is the best way to learn. Software is a finite goal seeking cooperative game of invention and communication.

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Key Success factors

Project Manger, Team Lead, Executive (2 of the 3 must be magical)Communication and CommunityGood people are everythingTeam lead must know how to tweak the methodology for each specific projectPeople trump process, politics trumps people, people working together trumps working aloneGood people must also communicate Citizenship and apprenticeship learning

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Benefits

One methodology does not fit all. There is no one solutionAvoids the RUP marketing problem, that sells one solution to CEO’sCrystal is made for high turbulent environmentsAllows people to be peopleAdequate software production is the goalNot highly disciplined like XP and PSP. This is realistic. Fewest set of rules possibleAdvocates professional social scientists and facilitators to assistAddress communication in detail. Cold vs. hot for different situationsAbsolute communication is impossible. Bottom line: Crystal is realistic

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When to use/When to Avoid

When to Use Anytime you can use Orange, Clear, or Orange Web Up to 60 or so developers Essential, discretionary monies, or loss of comfort Good people

When to Avoid Life critical systems Developers are not co-located More then 60 developers When you can not use Orange, Clear, or Orange Web If you’re a beginner with no real leadership - do XP

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Challenges

Errors on the side of leaving things out that you must addEffective communication is very difficultIn tuning the methodology it is common for project managers to believe they have come up with the one answerTuners tend to embellish methodologies with too many rules, practices, and ideasYou must be able to spend the time in the planning games and/or interviews to understandTuning a methodology to be intolerant of peoples individual stylesNot putting the right personalities in the right rolesRewarding the wrong things and getting behavior you do not desire as a result

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Tuning the Methodology is a requirement in Crystal

Using Crystal you must first have a planning gameFigure out the size of the project and the criticalityTaking the seven principles of methodologies into account copy and alter a Crystal MethodCreate templates of work products and address each of the 13 elements of a methodology. Take personality, communication issues, location, and talents into account. Make sure you have key success factors. Plan for weaknesses and bottlenecks.

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13 Elements of a Methodology

Roles - take personality into account Skills - training, practice, and natural talent Teams - organize the team structure Techniques - not a focus of Crystal Activities - planning games, refactoring Process - how the activities fit together Work Products - create templates Milestones - where are you on the road Standards - coding standards Quality - how people take pride in work Team Values - how the team works together Tools - not a focus of Crystal Personality - effects everything

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Seven Principles

Face-to-faceWeight is costlyHeavier methodologies for larger teamsMore ceremony for criticalityMore feedback and communicationFewer intermediate deliverablesDiscipline, skills, documentation

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Principle 1:People communicate best interactively face to face

Richness (“temperature”) of communication channel “cold” “hot”

2 people atwhiteboard

2 people on phone

2 peopleon email

Videotape

PaperAudiotape

(No Question-Answer)

(Questio

n-and-Answer)

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Adding people is expensive.(Methodology grows with number of roles.)

Number of people

Communications Load (Methodology Cost)Effectiveness

per person

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Methodology weight is costlyLarger teams need more…diminishing returns

large team

Pro

blem

Siz

e

small team

Methodology Weight

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Different methodologies are possible and needed(project size, system criticality, priorities, fears)

Number of people involved

C

riti

cali

ty(d

efec

ts c

ause

loss

of.

..)

Comfort(C)

Essentialmoney

(E)

Life(L)

+20%

. . . Prioritized for Legal Liability

1 - 6 - 20 - 40 - 100 - 200 - 500 - 1,000

C6 C20 C40 C100 C200 C500 C1000

D6 D20 D40 D100 D200 D500 D1000

E6 E20 E40 E100 E200 E500 E1000

L6 L20 L40 L100 L200 L500 L1000

Prioritized for Productivity & Tolerance

Discretionarymoney

(D)

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Starting point for Crystal:interviews, workshop, feedbackBuild the control system first.

Settle increment size, Hold interview and workshop before/after each.

Preload the system. Interview projects to learn key issues, hazards,

tricks. Ask what they did, liked, didn’t, would change

or keep. Identify fears, priorities, success factors,

haards.

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Starting point for Crystal:interviews, workshop, feedback

Ask the group. Let the group influence first

increment’s methodology.

Use your feedback. Check mid-and post-increment

opinion. Update your principles, fears,

strategies.

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Crystal Samples

&Specifics

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Crystal separates –improve individual skills and improve team

Individual track: Becoming a better <designer,

manager…> Qualities and standards for <use

cases…> Techniques for <facilitating, getting

use cases, scheduling, resolving conflicts>

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Crystal separates –improve individual skills and improve team

Team Track: Big-M methodology for <6 people, 15

people, 40, …> Techniques for <improving

collaboration,…>

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Crystal separates –improve individual skills and improve team

Non-jealous methodology set Improve people, and improve team Whichever you need next, whatever

you can manage.

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Crystal Orange: scope

For D40 projects: Up to 40 people, same building. Loss of discretionary moneys. May extend to E50.

Not for very large products. Insufficient sub teaming

Not for life-critical projects. Insufficient verification

AmberC6 C20 C40 C80

D6 D20 D40 D80

E6 E20 E40 E80

L6 L20 L40 L80

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Crystal Orange: roles

Roles: (examples) Sponsor Business expert Usage expert UI designer Designer/programmer Project Manager Lead Designer/programmer

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Crystal Orange: Teams

Teams: (example) System Planning Project monitoring Architecture Technology Infrastructure Functions External Test

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Crystal Orange: activities and milestones

Workshop mid and post-increment methodology review

Publish Each work product Iteration and increment deliveries

Review Each work product, iteration deliveries, test cases

Declare Each work product stable enough to review Application correct enough to deliver

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Crystal Clear: scope

For D6 projects: 3-6 people, close or in same room Loss of discretionary moneys

Not for large projects Insufficient group coordination

Not for life-critical projects Insufficient verification

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Crystal Clear: roles and teams

Must have: sponsor, senior designer, designer/programmerCombined roles: coordinator, business expert, requirements gathererSeating: single big room, or adjacent offices

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Crystal Clear: products and milestones

Products Release sequence, schedule of user

viewings, deliveries Actors-goals list and annotated use cases Design sketches and notes as needed Common object model Running code, Migration code, test cases User manual

Publish: each

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Crystal Clear: products and milestones

Review: each. Methodology (pre and mid

increment).

Declare: Requirements stable enough to

design to, UI stable enough to document to, Application correct enough to deliver.

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Crystal Clear: Standards

Policy: Delivery increments every 2 to 1 months Tracking by milestones, not by work

products Requirements in annotated usage scenarios

(use-cases) Peer code reviews Direct user involvement Ownership model for work products

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Crystal Clear: tolerance

Policy standards are mandatory, but equivalent substitution are permitted(e.g. “Scrum”).Full tolerance on techniques: any technique allowed.Quite wide tolerance on work products.Assess the quality of the communication, not the quality of the work products(except test cases).

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What is Crystal?

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Crystal is a set of rulesfor constructing an agile methodology…

…Specific to your project…adapting to your project

..within the project timeline.http://allstair.cockburn.us/crystal