Case Study: Creating an Information Radiator


Back in Chapter 3, “Project Initiation,” you met a project manager named Chase who was planning a development project for a new automobile insurance application code-named “Gimli.” The project is now underway, and the first iteration has just wrapped up. Chase asked another project manager, Sue, to facilitate a retrospective meeting for the iteration. Having participated in many retrospective meetings and even led a few, she eagerly accepted the invitation because she knows that these meetings are not only worthwhile but they can be fun, too. Sue schedules a two-hour meeting and invites the entire team. She starts the meeting by explaining that the purpose of the retrospective is to constructively evaluate the team’s process and look for ways to improve it. She sets some ground rules to keep the discussion constructive and to make sure everyone gets a chance to participate. Next, Sue goes to the whiteboard and draws two columns, one for things that went well and one for things that didn’t go so well. She then asks the team, “If you could do this iteration all over again, what changes would you make?” A lively discussion ensues, and soon both columns are filled. The group takes a few moments to consider this information, and then Sue moves into the next phase of the meeting: brainstorming improvement ideas. She goes around the room and asks for one idea from each person, writing all the ideas on the whiteboard. She continues to solicit ideas until everyone passes. Next she gives everyone five votes that they can use to vote for the ideas they like the best. Before voting begins, though, Sue invites the group to ask questions about any of the ideas listed. Chase is intrigued by an idea listed as Information Radiator, but he’s not sure what it is so he asks for clarification.

Mark, the software developer, contributed the idea. He explained that he read about the concept in a book by Alister Cockburn ( Agile Software Development: The Cooperative Game, 2nd Edition, Addison Wesley Professional, 2006). The term comes from the idea that the flow of information is analogous to the swirl and flow of convection currents in gas or heat. An Information Radiator is a source of information positioned so that the information flows freely to those who need it. Just as a heat radiator in a building is designed to keep people warm, an Information Radiator is designed to keep people informed. In the case of software projects, an Information Radiator is typically a bulletin board or display set up in a high-traffic area such as a hallway where people notice it as they pass by. The Information Radiator should be set up in such a way that a passerby can see at a glance what is going on-the information flows as a convection current.

The project team finds the idea of an Information Radiator appealing. Sue calls for a vote, and the Information Radiator tops the list. Mark is put in charge of setting it up. The first thing Mark does is consult with Chase on what information should be included in the Information Radiator. They look over the reports available in their Team Project, which was created using the MSF for Agile Development process template. They then decide to start with two reports: the Work Remaining chart and the Quality Indicators report. Mark decides to start with a lowtech approach for the next iteration, printing the two reports and posting them on the bulletin board in the hallway daily. The Information Radiator is an instant hit. Every time a project team member passes by, he or she looks at the reports to see how things are progressing. But what’s even better is that people outside the project team notice the Information Radiator and stop to have a look. Some folks are just curious, but others are managers and marketing professionals who have a vested interest in the project. You can spot the latter type because they stop and study the report a bit longer than the average passerby, and they come back regularly.

At the end of the iteration, the team discusses the Information Radiator. The comments are all favorable. The feedback and visibility provided by the Information Radiator has had a positive effect on team performance and morale. The only negative comment came from Mark, who was getting tired of having to print out and post updates to the Information Radiator every day. The team discusses alternatives and decides to allocate some time in the next iteration to go high tech by replacing the bulletin board with a large video display that shows the reports. Mark will program the display to update periodically so that it automatically shows up-to-date information.




Managing Projects with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team System
Managing Projects with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team System
ISBN: 735622167
EAN: N/A
Year: 2007
Pages: 93

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net