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10/14/2015  |   10:00 AM - 10:45 AM   |  Atlantic I

Real Life Risk Based Project Management for LEAN and Agile Development

Predicting and managing risk is seldom an exact science, especially in software development. While a risk register is often a required part of project management, creating this and especially maintaining it, can become more about ‘ticking the box’ than about making full use of it. In this presentation we will show how we have been able to develop a practical approach for effectively using risk based decision making in a major DOD software project, by building on previous work[1], and by creating a hybrid approach based on LEAN principles[2]. In this presentation we will explain how we used brainstorming sessions with multi-disciplinary teams to divide risk into a number of areas that might impact the outcome of the project, and how we tied these risks to various phases in order to better steer the project. We will explain how risks were selected to cover issues ranging from change management to political and technology risks. Core to our methodology is team knowledge, discovery and creating a support tool to made the process as easy as possible. To avoid the dangers inherent in many risk registers we developed an easy to use cloud based team tool that allowed the multi-disciplinary team to actively monitor and make program decisions based on risk. In this presentation we will not only illustrate how the tool was used, but also how it was specifically designed to hide the ‘big picture’ during the times when the team was focusing on individual risks, so as to avoid the temptation of skewing the results – even when this is done subconsciously! This tool is also being used to help determine which modules (user stories) in the backlog should next be targeted for agile implementation. We have deliberately created a layered approach in which agile development can proceed with its own focus, while at a higher level Kanban and other LEAN techniques are used along side the risk tool to determine which aspects of the development need to be kept in the ‘to-do’ ‘lane’ and which should be moved to the ‘in-process’ one, and even which ones need to be ‘parked’ until a future date. Variants of this approach have been successfully used with a number of government agencies, including the DOD, the FAA and the UK MOD. In this presentation we will focus on the latest iteration of our approach to show how we have drawn from ‘best of breed’ to create a hybrid approach with a supporting cloud based tool that work in a real world environment. Authors: D Clark, J Krumm, S Moen, K Snodgrass, A Morris [1] A Methodology for Providing a Quantifiable Comparative Risk Analysis for Evaluating Business Alternatives, 11th World Conference n transport Research, June 2007, Berkeley University, CA. [2] Including Kanban, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Affinity Analysis, Poka Yoke and others.

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David Clark (Primary Presenter,Author), DaCar Inc/US DOT Volpe Center, david.z.clark.ctr@dot.gov;
David Clark has a varied technical background with over 30 years of experience across a wide breadth of computers technologies, logistics, management and business. He is the president of DaCar Inc, a company that carries out IT work for both government and private customers. He have published a number papers with topics ranging from the use of Artificial Intelligence in chip design to risk based decision making and papers on how to use existing data through brokering. He has a Master degree, has carried out post graduate research into uses of Artificial Intelligence and authored 2 books. His work at DOT has contributed to various awards including a 'bright ideas in government' from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government for successful use of agile in software development.

John Krumm (Co-Author), US DOT Volpe Center, John.Krumm@dot.gov;
Mr Krumm is a senior program manager at the US DOT Volpe Center, where his primary focus is supporting intermodal transportation systems for both the US DOD and the UK Ministry of Defence. Mr. Krumm has previously served with the USAF before joining the US DOT. His expertize include all forms of transportation, program management and development of complex logistics systems. In 2010 his team at DOT was recognized as providing 'bright ideas in government' by the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government for successful and cost effective use of agile in software development.

Avery Morris (Co-Author), HQ AMC/A4PI, Avery.morris.ctr@us.af.mil;
A highly experienced logistics professional with 22 years of Air Force (AF) operational logistics management and support and 14 years of commercial/government supporting Information Technology analysis and AF Logistics Business process analysis. He has more than 22 years of experience directly supporting aircraft maintenance (C-130, F-15, and F-4) and information technology development projects, from system design, implementation to aircraft bed down. Supports advancement of technical data management to improve logistics functions and orchestrated the modernization of bar coding technology, including preparing, funding and fielding guidelines to meet commercial and Department of Defense (DOD) directives. Assists the AF in converting, managing and authoring aircraft technical data based on approved document types. Key analyst for the development of a standardized process to manage and control technical manuals in paper or digital formats. Led functional teams to support delivery and use of digital data at the point of maintenance as the AF transition to commercial specification support S1000D.

Kelly Snodgrass (Co-Author), DISA, Kelly.d.snodgrass.civ@mail.mil;
Kelly Snodgrass is a native Oklahoman and has lived in central Oklahoma his entire life. In 1991 Kelly became an application developer working on aircraft maintenance systems for the Air Force. Since 2008 Kelly has been Chief of Software Development activity in the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) where he directs the development of aircraft maintenance and other related systems for the Air Force. He is also a faithful member of his church where he has taken on a number of volunteer leadership roles including regular outreach to the homeless community and working with youth.

Sheryl Moen (Co-Author), HQ AMC/A4PI, Sheryl.Moen.1@us.af.mil;
Sheryl was born and raised in a small community in Wisconsin, and joined the Air Force soon after graduation. She spent 22 years with the Air Force (AF) as a Maintenance Data Systems Analyst and 10 years of commercial/government, working within the aircraft maintenance data system called G081 supporting the Mobility Air Force (MAF) mission through Information Technology and AF Logistics Business processes. Since 2011 she has been the deputy program manager for G081 directly supporting 30,000 aircraft maintenance and information technology customers, and managing projects from system/project design and implementation to aircraft bed down.

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