One of the phrases I hate seeing in a SOW is "Although this project typically follows a Waterfall methodology, we will be using Agile". The first thing that pops into my mind when I read this is: Why set the project up for failure before it has even begun? If it is a Waterfall project, then why would squeezing it into Agile will be a good thing?
Agile projects use sprints of fixed length, and I have seen anything from 2 weeks to 2 months used, depending on how big the project is. Then the sprint is broken down into tasks, which should be completed by the end of the sprint, with any unfinished tasks being put into the backlog for the next sprint. A daily stand-up is always performed, which consists of a brief statement about yesterdays work, and what you hope to do that day. Yes, I have simplified it, but those are the basics.
This means that Agile works really, really, well for software development, where you can focus on a few short tasks during the sprint and display your progress at the end of sprint.
Waterfall projects have milestones, that are the end of natural stages of activities in the project and can be of varied lengths. Multiple activities can exist, with separate milestones for each and they can be dependent on other activities. Tasks for each activity can also be created, with progress monitored by a Project Manager. Again, this is the basics and it is more complex.
IT Infrastructure projects are really well suited to waterfall, because they often have activities that are dependent on other activities, and everything runs according to different schedules.
And that is why I hate reading that phrase. Agile uses sprints with fixed lengths, and Waterfall uses flexible schedules with the length depending on any dependent activities. The two are not interchangeable. You cannot fit a 3-week activity into a 2-week sprint and hope it will turn out well. You also can’t fit a 3-week activity into a 4-week sprint, as you will have people waiting around for a week until the sprint finishes. And both of those do happen with alarming frequency.
So, where is this Radical Thinking? Well, I propose mixing them together.
The parts of Agile that people love are the daily stand-ups and the end-of-sprint meetings, as everyone talks about their part in the project and gets to show off what they have finished, or ask for help if they really need it. So, lets add them to the Waterfall! It is not that hard to do, as you just add a daily and weekly meeting to the communications plan (Project Manager speak for the agreed communications that will happen during a project), and you are done.
Wait, it cannot be that easy, can it?
Well, let me tell you a little secret…. You can use Waterfall, with Agile activities working separately underneath, as each activity is independent until they merge at a milestone. Having the daily and weekly meetings will keep them together, so you have the Agile feeling for the whole project, but you will not hold up Waterfall activities in the Agile sprints, and vice-versa. *Mind blown*
Let us call it Flexible Agile, as Agile is “cool” now, with the plus of adding the flexibility of Waterfall.
And that is some radical thinking.