FEATURED PAPER

Agile Program Management: Separating Practice from Myth

By Russ Martinelli
&
Steve Graykowski

USA

The business climate in which many companies operate today is changing so rapidly that within a short period of time, both business goals and the project execution plans that support those goals can change dramatically. In some businesses, if six months pass without a significant change to plans, there is a high probability that something was missed during planning. Therefore, there is a high probability that something will be missed in project execution and the project outcomes.

This scenario is a fact of life in any business where software development is a key component of product or service development. The challenge that this environment creates is the need to be able to respond quickly to the changing climate and customer needs, while at the same time being able to maintain a level of structure to keep work output aligned to the company’s business goals. This is where Intel and salesforce.com have found value in implementing an Agile Program Management approach to their software development endeavors.

Unfortunately, there exists a serious misunderstanding of Agile Program Management and how it is implemented and practiced within organizations. It is quite common for Agile Program Management to be confused with agile project management as well as with traditional portfolio management practices. This paper will help to clarify some of these misunderstanding by describing and demonstrating how Agile Program Management is practiced. Specifically, we demonstrate how program management practices enable an agile-centered software development organization to consistently deliver higher-complexity solutions while keeping the solution outcomes aligned with the top business goals of the firm. Additionally, we demonstrate how agile methodologies enable a program management-centered organization to be more responsive in providing solutions and value to its customers.

To read entire paper (click here)

About the Author Russ Martinelli Author Russ Martinelli is a Senior Program Manager at Intel. He has experience in leading new product development teams and organizations in both the aerospace and computing industries. Russ is the co-author of two books “Program Management for Improved Business Results” (Wiley, 2007) and “Leading Global Project Teams: The New Leadership Challenge” (Multi-media, 2010). Russ is also the co-founder and executive director of the Program Management Academy (www.programmanagement-academy.com). Russ can be contacted at russ.martinelli@programmanagement-academy.com.

About the Author Steve Graykowski Author Steve Graykowski is the Director of Applications Program Management at salesforce.com where he specializes in cloud computing product development using agile methods for software development. He is a key contributor to salesforce.com’s Adaptive Development Methodology (ADM). He has 24 years of experience in software technology in various roles and sectors including Stanford Research Institute, Charles Schwab and Systemhouse. He has also owned and operated a successful IT consulting firm. Steve can be contacted at steve.graykowski@gmail.com.