Collection of Original Articles
The presented articles explore Agile approaches and tools in depth. They also serve as supporting material for the courses I deliver. I wish you pleasant reading. – Denis Curk
PM² – The European Commission’s project approach
Large corporate systems often tend to standardise project approaches. Sometimes this is justified and simplifies processes, but sometimes it is driven by mistrust and a desire for control. Outcomes depends on circumstances such as diversification of product and service portfolio,
DAILY STANDUP AND 3 QUESTIONS
Many development teams do not practice Daily Standup or Daily Scrum . Rejection is usually due to a misunderstanding of the event’s function and incorrect implementations. The result is the belief that Daily Scrum is a waste of time –
SCRUM PATTERNS – THE SPIRIT OF SCRUM
“Scrum is a light-weight process framework which is simple to understand but difficult to master.” The above statement is a well-established mantra of Agile practitioners, consultants and evangelists. It is true, but it is of no value in itself. Scrum
WHAT IS SCRUMBAN
Team members dissatisfied with Scrum sometimes say that they will “just switch to Scrumban“, because in Scrumban, you don’t need to plan. This is a common belief. Scrumban will somehow keep all the benefits of Scrum, but it will save
ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP THROUGH TEAM DEVELOPMENT
In a recent article, we learned about Tuckman’s model of team development. The article focused on the model itself and the characteristics of team dynamics in its specific phases. This time we will build on the topic by looking at
CFD INTERPRETATIONS
The Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD) is used extensively in most Agile frameworks. It was popularised by Kanban, where “Visualise the flow” is one of the six leading practices. CFD shows the amount of work that is currently in a particular
AGILE CONTRACTS
This article is intended as a reference in the search for the most appropriate type of Agile contract, given the dynamics between the client and the contractor. Content Challenges of Agile contracts In the case of development initiatives, the constant
BURNUP vs. BURNDOWN CHART
Burnup and burndown charts are visual tools for displaying completed work and work remaining in the Product Backlog. Some teams use both. In my opinion, this is unnecessary, as the burndown chart is less flexible and can be fully replaced
DORA Report 2025 – Adjustments to the Software Development Cycle for AI
In this article, I summarize the findings of an extensive (142-page) study titled DORA State of AI-assisted Software Development Report. It was conducted on a sample of more than 5,000 developers. Due to the novelty of the subject, this year’s
TRAINING, COACHING, MENTORING THROUGH ITERATION – PART 2 – TOOLS
INTRODUCTION In the previous part of the article, we explored the focus and intensity of coaching depending on the iteration phase and the role played by the Scrum Master in this process. I also discussed the apparent difference between a
TRAINING, COACHING, MENTORING THROUGH ITERATION – PART 1
In the previous two articles, we learned about Tuckman’s team development model and later, how a leader adapts their team guidance approach based on the achieved development stage. In this post, we will briefly look at how the Scrum Master
COLLOCATION AND OSMOTIC COMMUNICATION
Agile approaches support the thesis that face-to-face communication is the most effective way of transferring information. The effectiveness of different media is shown in the table below. Collocation Constant (and effective) communication is advocated by the first value of the
EVOLUTION OF DEFINITION OF DONE
What is Definition of Done? Definition of Done (DoD) is an agreed list of activities that the team performs during an iteration for each item taken from the Product Backlog for development. DoD is a quality measure that every functionality
PRODUCT OWNER AND DELEGATION
In this article, I will describe some dilemmas of the Product Owner (PO) role, challenges associated with it, and anti-patterns that can emerge in the process. Due to its complexity, the Product Owner role is often poorly understood. It extends
WHEN DOES AGILE APPROACH MAKE SENSE?
Imagine we want to develop and then manufacture a wireless controller for small solar power plants. We’re talking about a hybrid product consisting of software and hardware. How should we approach this project? Lean, Agile, waterfall? All these options and
AGILE VS. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
A topic that has been itching me for quite some time, but I haven’t addressed it yet. Perhaps time before vacations is just right for such a general topic, so it can “settle” in our minds during the break. Organizations