How do you balance the scope, quality, and time of agile deliverables?

I think what is difficult about this is defining what "deliverable" means. I would like define "deliverable" as an "increment of working software", or "increment of value". A deliverable is about what ultimately gets delivered to the client/customer/user that is of value to them. With agile ways of working it is about working software (or working process changes, etc), the deliverable is not a requirements package, or spec document. The deliverable is not user stories, these are part of the process to help teams get to a deliverable. When using this definition, then the problem to solve, KPIs, and measurements become far more meaningful.

The variables TCS and Q (Time, Cost, Scope and Quality) will always have to be controlled and managed. However, in agile mode, you are doing it at a smaller scale, you do that by agreeing upon an increment's objective. Since you do this collectively, the team is able to move on with confidence. There may exist uncommitted objectives for an increment, which will help you to manage the uncertainty associated with capacity, know how etc.

Understanding the business value proposition of each features/user story is the fundamental thing which needs to be done at the earliest. This brings to the framework of Moscow which narrows down our prioritisation process.

Begin by clearly understanding the value that the project or feature delivers to the end-users or stakeholders. Identify the most critical aspects of the project and prioritize them. For example, in developing a mobile app for a food delivery service, the core value proposition might be ensuring quick order placement and accurate delivery tracking. By focusing on these key features, you can avoid scope creep and prioritize what matters most.

Neste contexto, acho importante adicionar que, uma vez entendo a proposta de valor, isso deve refletir na prioriza??o das entregas. Talvez n?o seja possível entregar todo o projeto, mas qual é a parte mais importante e que gera mais valor para o cliente?

No matter what, it is important to have a clear understanding of the scope of the project and its business value and a high level execution plan consisting of deliverables per iteration. Any changes must be validated and must be aligned to the original scope; agile approach should not be used as an excuse for making changes that are counter productive and misaligned. Yes, it is a obvious but sometimes teams don’t realize that the changes are because of misalignment and mismanagement and not to improve the product. Makes Sense?

I completely agree to what Vineet Sharma has mentioned here. Balancing scope, quality, and time is vital while keeping an eye on evolving stakeholder needs. For example, in a software project, shifting from a comprehensive feature set to a user-friendly interface based on customer feedback enhances quality. However, it's vital to avoid excessive, unvalidated changes that disrupt alignment with the project's original scope and objectives. Evaluating the value and alignment of changes is key when they threaten project goals and delivery timelines.

Agile methodologies welcome change and feedback throughout the development process. Encourage regular reviews and involve stakeholders in providing feedback. This adaptability allows to make necessary adjustments to scope, quality, and time as the project progresses. For instance, if users request additional payment options in the food delivery app, being open to incorporating this change can enhance the user experience.

Esse é um grande dilema para PMO e gerentes de projetos mais tradicionais, alterar ou n?o o planejamento do projeto. Para ser uma entrega ágil, ela precisa ser uma entrega de valor, e para isso acontecer, talvez seja necessário alterar o planejamento. Para pensar, mais vale seguir um plano que n?o gera valor para o cliente ou alterar o plano e fazer uma entrega de qualidade?

Focusing on the communication medium is equally important. Is the company an email driven decision engine or instant communication driven? Agreement between the stakeholders about how frequently their responses are needed and in what form is key to building communication momentum.

It's crucial to emphasize the significance of effective collaboration and communication. For instance, I've seen cases where a lack of communication led to misunderstandings about project priorities. In one project, the development team proceeded with a feature without realizing that the product owner had updated priorities, resulting in wasted time and resources. The simple communication practice helped the team stay aligned, address issues promptly, and maintain the balance between scope, quality, and time effectively. open and frequent communication, tailored to the company's culture and needs, can significantly contribute to successful agile project delivery.

Effective collaboration and communication are essential. Team members and stakeholders should regularly share their insights, concerns, and progress. This ensures that everyone is aligned and aware of any potential scope changes or delays. In the food delivery app example, frequent communication between developers, designers, and product managers helps keep the project on track.

One of the most important things we can do when managing scope and delivering value, is to pare the backlog items down to their core value. We might get 80% of the value of a backlog item from just 20% of its scope, so remove that 80% of scope that just gives 20% of the value. We can add it in again later if we run out of higher value things to be doing. Then prioritize the thinned down items by value. It might only be about 80% of its prior value but it will be considerably cheaper to deliver. The rarely spoken perk is that if we do the highest value things first, we will find out soonest of any misunderstanding and thus have the longest time to get them right based on the feedback we get.

In order to manage the backlog, the team will need clear outcomes and measurements defined. The BA can help facilitate and lead the team to define these. Clear and measurable outcomes are about what "user change" are we making with this increment of value or deliverable. For example, if we are building a system or process where artificial intelligence recommends something to a user, then we want to measure the user behaviors with it. Define what user behaviors we want...Usage of the recommendations? Purchases based on them? Or users abandoning the process? Hopefully not the last!

Maintain a well-organized product backlog that lists all the desired features and requirements. Prioritize backlog items and regularly review them to avoid overcommitting to a project's scope. If, during the development of the app, a new feature like a customer loyalty program is proposed, it can be added to the backlog and prioritized based on its value and impact.

Quality is non-negotiable. Implement continuous testing practices to identify and rectify defects early in the development process. Automated testing and regular code reviews can help maintain quality without compromising the timeline. For the food delivery app, rigorous testing is essential to ensure that orders are processed accurately and the app is free from critical errors.

Agile promotes iterative development with short, time-boxed cycles. Use sprints or iterations to deliver small, valuable increments of the project. By breaking down the work into manageable pieces, you can optimize time and maintain a consistent pace. For the food delivery app, we might release it with basic features first, like order placement and tracking, and then iteratively add features like user reviews and restaurant recommendations in subsequent iterations.