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The Agile Guide to Business Analysis and Planning: From Strategic Plan to Continuous Value Delivery

Release Date: 2021/03/01
ISBN: 9780134191164
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Complete Agile Roadmap for Analyzing Customer Needs and Planning Product Development

“This book will become a staple reference that both product owners and business analysis practitioners should have by their side.”

--From the Foreword by Alain Arseneault, former IIBA Acting President & CEO

The Agile Guide to Business Analysis and Planning presents clear, actionable guidance for every product owner, product and program manager, business analyst, requirements engineer, and project manager seeking to improve agile analysis and planning. Renowned author and consultant Howard Podeswa teaches best practices drawn from agile and agile-adjacent frameworks, including ATDD, BDD, DevOps, CI/CD, Kanban, Scrum, SAFe, XP, Lean Thinking, Lean Startup, Circumstance-Based Market Segmentation, and theories of disruptive innovation. He offers a comprehensive agile roadmap for analyzing customer needs and planning product development, including discussion of legacy business analysis tools that still offer immense value to agile teams.

Using a running case study, Podeswa walks through the full agile product lifecycle, from visioning through release and continuous value delivery. You learn how to carry out agile analysis and planning responsibilities more effectively, using tools such as Kano analysis, minimum viable products (MVPs), minimum marketable features (MMFs), story maps, product roadmaps, customer journey mapping, value stream mapping, spikes, and the definition of ready (DoR). Podeswa presents each technique in context: what you need to know and when to apply each tool. Read this book to

  • Master principles, frameworks, concepts, and practices of agile analysis and planning in order to maximize value delivery throughout the product’s lifecycle

  • Explore planning and analysis for short-term, long-term, and scaled agile initiatives using MVPs and data-informed learning to test hypotheses and find high-value features

  • Split features into MMFs and small stories that deliver significant value and enable quick wins

  • Refine, estimate, and specify features, stories, and their acceptance criteria, following ATDD/BDD guidance

  • Address the unique analysis and planning challenges of scaled agile organizations

  • Implement 13 practices for optimizing enterprise agility

Supported by 175+ tools, techniques, examples, diagrams, templates, checklists, and other job aids, this book is a complete toolkit for every practitioner. Whatever your role, you’ll find indispensable guidance on agile planning and analysis responsibilities so you can help your organization respond more nimbly to a fast-changing environment.

Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. About This eBook
  3. Half Title Page
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Dedication Page
  7. Contents
  8. Foreword
  9. Preface
    1. Why I Wrote This Book
    2. State-of-the-Art Guidance across Agile Frameworks
    3. What Makes This Book Unique?
    4. Why Agile Analysis and Planning Is Important for the Enterprise
    5. Who Should Read This Book
    6. How This Book Works
    7. Repeating Book Features
    8. Introducing the BLInK Case Study
    9. Certification Information
    10. Thanks
  10. About the Author
  11. Chapter 1. The Art of Agile Analysis and Planning
    1. 1.1 Objectives
    2. 1.2 On Art and Agile Analysis
    3. 1.3 I Work for a Mainstream Company! What’s This Got to Do with Me?
    4. 1.4 Story 1: It’s Not My Problem
    5. 1.5 Story 2: The Cantankerous Customer
    6. 1.6 Chapter Summary
    7. 1.7 What’s Next?
  12. Chapter 2. Agile Analysis and Planning: The Value Proposition
    1. 2.1 Objectives
    2. 2.2 What Is Agile Analysis and Planning?
    3. 2.3 Who Is a Business Analyst?
    4. 2.4 Why Agile Analysis and Planning?
    5. 2.5 The Parallel Histories of Agile and Business Analysis
    6. 2.6 Two Diagnoses for the Same Problem
    7. 2.7 The Business Analysis Diagnosis
    8. 2.8 The Business Analysis Track Record
    9. 2.9 The Agile Diagnosis
    10. 2.10 The Agile Track Record
    11. 2.11 Why Agile Teams Should Include an Effective BA Competency
    12. 2.12 Chapter Summary
    13. 2.13 What’s Next?
  13. Chapter 3. Fundamentals of Agile Analysis and Planning
    1. 3.1 Objectives
    2. 3.2 What the Agile Manifesto Means for Business Analysis
    3. 3.3 What the Twelve Principles Mean for Business Analysis
    4. 3.4 Practices, Standards, and Frameworks
    5. 3.5 Overview of Agile Roles and the Business Analyst
    6. 3.6 Soft Skills of the Agile Business Analyst
    7. 3.7 13 Key Practices of Agile Analysis and How They Differ from Waterfall
    8. 3.8 Agile Business Analysis Rules of Thumb
    9. 3.9 Chapter Summary
    10. 3.10 What’s Next?
  14. Chapter 4. Analysis and Planning Activities across the Agile Development Lifecycle
    1. 4.1 Objectives
    2. 4.2 Overview of the Agile Analysis and Planning Map
    3. 4.3 The Zones
    4. 4.4 The Lanes
    5. 4.5 A Story in Three Acts
    6. 4.6 Act 1: The Short Lane
    7. 4.7 Act 2: The Long Lane
    8. 4.8 Act 3: The Grand Lane
    9. 4.9 Chapter Summary
    10. 4.10 What’s Next?
  15. Chapter 5. Preparing the Organization
    1. 5.1 Objectives
    2. 5.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 5.3 What Is Initiation and Planning?
    4. 5.4 How Long Should You Spend Up Front on Initiation and Planning?
    5. 5.5 The Purpose Alignment Model
    6. 5.6 Preparing the Infrastructure
    7. 5.7 Organizing Development Teams
    8. 5.8 Managing Stakeholder Expectations about Agile Development
    9. 5.9 Preparing the Customer–Developer Relationship
    10. 5.10 Agile Financial Planning
    11. 5.11 Preparing the Marketing and Distribution Teams
    12. 5.12 Preparing Channels and Supply Chains
    13. 5.13 Preparing Governance and Compliance
    14. 5.14 Preparing for Increased Demand on Resources
    15. 5.15 Preparing an Enterprise for Agile Development
    16. 5.16 Determine Organizational Readiness
    17. 5.17 Chapter Summary
    18. 5.18 What’s Next?
  16. Chapter 6. Preparing the Process
    1. 6.1 Objectives
    2. 6.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 6.3 Process Preparation
    4. 6.4 Tailoring the Agile Practice to the Context
    5. 6.5 Tuning the Process
    6. 6.6 Optimizing the Process Using Value Stream Mapping
    7. 6.7 Determining Process Readiness
    8. 6.8 Chapter Summary
    9. 6.9 What’s Next?
  17. Chapter 7. Visioning
    1. 7.1 Objectives
    2. 7.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 7.3 Overview of Product Visioning and Epic Preparation
    4. 7.4 Root-Cause Analysis
    5. 7.5 Specifying a Product or Epic
    6. 7.6 The Problem or Opportunity Statement
    7. 7.7 The Product Portrait
    8. 7.8 Crafting the Product and Epic Vision Statements
    9. 7.9 Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement
    10. 7.10 Analyzing Goals and Objectives
    11. 7.11 Analyze Leap of Faith Hypotheses
    12. 7.12 Chapter Summary
    13. 7.13 What’s Next?
  18. Chapter 8. Seeding the Backlog—Discovering and Grading Features
    1. 8.1 Objectives
    2. 8.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 8.3 Overview: Seeding the Backlog
    4. 8.4 Circumstance-Based Market Segmentation for Feature Discovery
    5. 8.5 Other Ways to Discover Initial Features
    6. 8.6 Feature Independence
    7. 8.7 Using the Role-Feature-Reason Template to Represent Epics and Features
    8. 8.8 Specifying Emergent Features
    9. 8.9 Physical Representation of Features
    10. 8.10 Feature Attributes
    11. 8.11 Determining Customer and User Value with Kano Analysis
    12. 8.12 Sequencing Epics and Features in the Backlog
    13. 8.13 Writing Feature Acceptance Criteria
    14. 8.14 Analyzing Nonfunctional Requirements and Constraints
    15. 8.15 Chapter Summary
    16. 8.16 What’s Next?
  19. Chapter 9. Long-Term Agile Planning
    1. 9.1 Objectives
    2. 9.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 9.3 Overview of Long-Term Planning, Epic Planning, and MVP
    4. 9.4 The Full-Potential Plan
    5. 9.5 Using MVPs to Validate the Assumptions behind the Plan
    6. 9.6 Capabilities for Effective MVP Implementation
    7. 9.7 Overview of the Product Roadmap
    8. 9.8 Planning the Interim Periods
    9. 9.9 Using the Product Roadmap for Shorter Planning Horizons
    10. 9.10 Chapter Summary
    11. 9.11 What’s Next?
  20. Chapter 10. Quarterly and Feature Preparation
    1. 10.1 Objectives
    2. 10.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 10.3 Overview of Features
    4. 10.4 Benefits of Feature Preparation
    5. 10.5 Feature Preparation Activities
    6. 10.6 Timing of Feature Preparation
    7. 10.7 Assessing Readiness
    8. 10.8 Accounting for Preparation Work: Tasks and Spikes
    9. 10.9 Specifying Features and Their Acceptance Criteria
    10. 10.10 Context Analysis
    11. 10.11 Stakeholder Analysis
    12. 10.12 Persona Analysis
    13. 10.13 Overview of Journey, Process, and Value Stream Maps
    14. 10.14 Journey Mapping
    15. 10.15 Value Stream Mapping
    16. 10.16 Business Process Modeling
    17. 10.17 Use-Case Modeling
    18. 10.18 User-Role Modeling Workshops
    19. 10.19 Review the Architecture
    20. 10.20 Chapter Summary
    21. 10.21 What’s Next?
  21. Chapter 11. Quarterly and Feature Planning
    1. 11.1 Objectives
    2. 11.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 11.3 Overview of Quarterly Planning
    4. 11.4 Overview of Flow-Based Feature Planning
    5. 11.5 When Is Planning at This Level Advised and Not Advised?
    6. 11.6 When to Use Quarterly Planning versus Flow-Based Feature Planning
    7. 11.7 How to Conduct Quarterly Planning with Agility
    8. 11.8 XP’s Planning Game Guidelines
    9. 11.9 Quarterly Planning: Timing Considerations
    10. 11.10 Preparing for the Planning Event
    11. 11.11 Planning Topics (Agenda)
    12. 11.12 Reviewing the Quarterly Plan, Once the Quarter Is Underway
    13. 11.13 Chapter Summary
    14. 11.14 What’s Next?
  22. Chapter 12. MVPs and Story Maps
    1. 12.1 Objectives
    2. 12.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 12.3 MVPs and Story Mapping: How the Tools Complement Each Other
    4. 12.4 MVP Planning
    5. 12.5 Story Mapping
    6. 12.6 Chapter Summary
    7. 12.7 What’s Next?
  23. Chapter 13. Story Preparation
    1. 13.1 Objectives
    2. 13.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 13.3 Overview of Story Preparation
    4. 13.4 Story Fundamentals
    5. 13.5 The Three Cs of Stories
    6. 13.6 Who Is Responsible for User Stories?
    7. 13.7 Physical versus Electronic Stories
    8. 13.8 Specifying Values for Story Attributes
    9. 13.9 Writing the Story Description
    10. 13.10 Specifying Story Acceptance Criteria
    11. 13.11 Stories That Aren’t User Stories
    12. 13.12 Guidelines for Writing High-Quality Stories
    13. 13.13 Patterns for Splitting Stories
    14. 13.14 Analyzing Business Rules and AC with Decision Tables
    15. 13.15 Chapter Summary
    16. 13.16 What’s Next?
  24. Chapter 14. Iteration and Story Planning
    1. 14.1 Objectives
    2. 14.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 14.3 Overview of Iteration and Story Planning
    4. 14.4 Attendees
    5. 14.5 Duration
    6. 14.6 Inputs for Iteration Planning
    7. 14.7 Deliverables of Iteration Planning
    8. 14.8 Planning Rules
    9. 14.9 Part 1: Forecast What Will Be Accomplished
    10. 14.10 Part 2: Plan the Implementation
    11. 14.11 Setting Up the Kanban Board
    12. 14.12 Scaling Iteration Planning
    13. 14.13 Feature Preview Meeting
    14. 14.14 Chapter Summary
    15. 14.15 What’s Next?
  25. Chapter 15. Rolling Analysis and Preparation—Day-to-Day Activities
    1. 15.1 Objectives
    2. 15.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 15.3 Overview of Rolling Analysis
    4. 15.4 Updating Task Progress
    5. 15.5 Triad Guideline
    6. 15.6 Actions That May Be Taken against a Developer Task
    7. 15.7 Monitoring Progress
    8. 15.8 Story Testing and Inspection (Analyze-Code-Build-Test)
    9. 15.9 Managing Scope Change during the Iteration
    10. 15.10 Updating Business Analysis Documentation
    11. 15.11 Ongoing Analysis of Upcoming Epics, Features, and Stories
    12. 15.12 Accounting for Progress at the End of the Iteration
    13. 15.13 The Iteration Review
    14. 15.14 The Iteration Retrospective
    15. 15.15 Chapter Summary
    16. 15.16 What’s Next?
  26. Chapter 16. Releasing the Product
    1. 16.1 Objectives
    2. 16.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 16.3 Getting Stories to Done
    4. 16.4 Releasing to the Market: Timing Considerations
    5. 16.5 Staging the Release
    6. 16.6 Quarterly (Release) Retrospective
    7. 16.7 Pivot-or-Persevere Meeting
    8. 16.8 Chapter Summary
    9. 16.9 What’s Next?
  27. Chapter 17. Scaling Agility
    1. 17.1 Objectives
    2. 17.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 17.3 Why Do We Need a Scaled Agile Approach?
    4. 17.4 Planning: Choosing an Approach That Supports Inter-team Collaboration
    5. 17.5 Continuous Delivery: Delivering Software Continuously, Safely, and Sustainably at Scale
    6. 17.6 Scaled Agile Culture: Creating a Culture That Supports Innovation at Scale
    7. 17.7 Scaling the Backlog
    8. 17.8 Scaling the Agile Organization
    9. 17.9 Scaling the Agile Process
    10. 17.10 Agile Requirements Management Software Tools
    11. 17.11 Lightweight Tools for Supporting Inter-team Collaboration
    12. 17.12 Potential Issues and Challenges in Scaling Agility
    13. 17.13 Chapter Summary
    14. 17.14 What’s Next?
  28. Chapter 18. Achieving Enterprise Agility
    1. 18.1 Objectives
    2. 18.2 This Chapter on the Map
    3. 18.3 Overview of Enterprise Agility
    4. 18.4 Foundational Practices
    5. 18.5 Overview of the Agile Process for Developing Innovative Products
    6. 18.6 Agile Corporate Culture
    7. 18.7 Overview of Principles and Practices for an Agile Corporate Culture
    8. 18.8 Three Principles for Applying Agile Practices
    9. 18.9 The Thirteen Practices for an Agile Corporate Culture
    10. 18.10 Agile Financial Planning
    11. 18.11 Chapter Summary
  29. Appendix A. Additional Resources and Checklists
    1. A.1 Mapping of Book Chapters to IIBA and PMI Guides
    2. A.2 Rules of Thumb in Agile Analysis and Planning
    3. A.3 Facilitation Tips
    4. A.4 Visioning Checklist
    5. A.5 Stakeholder Checklist
    6. A.6 NFRs and Constraints Checklist
    7. A.7 Readiness Checklist for Quarterly Planning
    8. A.8 Checklist of Invitees for Quarterly Planning
    9. A.9 Checklist of Quarterly and Feature Planning Inputs
    10. A.10 Checklist of Quarterly and Feature Planning Deliverables
    11. A.11 Checklist of Quarterly (Release) Retrospective Questions
    12. A.12 Checklist of Invitees for Scaled Quarterly and Feature Planning
    13. A.13 Overview of Agile Requirements Management Tools
  30. Appendix B. Discovery-Driven Planning Case Study: BestBots
    1. B.1 Background: BestBots Case Study
    2. B.2 Initial Market Analysis
    3. B.3 Determine Constraints (Required Outcomes)
    4. B.4 Create Draft of Reverse Income Statement
    5. B.5 Create Pro Forma Operations Specifications
    6. B.6 Create Assumptions Checklist
    7. B.7 Revise Reverse Income Statement
    8. B.8 Create Milestone Planning Chart
  31. Bibliography
  32. Index
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