In today's fast-paced software development landscape, the traditional approach of tackling work in isolated silos is proving to be ineffective. A paradigm shift is needed, where teams embrace a collaborative mindset that considers the whole, rather than focusing on individual aspects like product, design, and engineering. By adopting a holistic approach to scoping, teams can solve customer problems swiftly and with a high-quality outcome that satisfies everyone's needs, including engineering.
From Problem to Solution: Guided by Engineering Expertise
In this new approach, engineering teams play a pivotal role in guiding how work is planned and divided. However, the key lies in approaching it from the perspective of solving customer problems, rather than building a complex solution based on preconceived architectural plans. By asking the question, "How can we solve this problem most simply?", teams can embrace an iterative and incremental approach.
Layered Iterations: Building Quality Milestones
To implement this approach in practice, teams need to shift their focus towards thinking about iterations as layers of quality, where each milestone contributes to an improved solution. Importantly, every milestone should also be a complete solution in itself. This can only be achieved when engineers actively collaborate with the rest of the team to define the path forward.
Real-World Success Story: Shortening the Feedback Loop
Consider the example of a team that underwent a transformation to reduce the feedback loop and accelerate their delivery process. Previously, they followed a multi-month design, research, and product planning process, with engineers having a limited role as passive participants. However, by involving the engineering team from the beginning and planning collaboratively, the team significantly reduced the cycle time from idea to production to just one month. They successfully delivered the project in multiple milestones, allowing for continuous user feedback and iterative improvements.
The Benefits of Collaborative Scoping for Engineering Managers
Lowered Delivery Risk: Shorter milestones reduce delivery risk by enabling earlier releases and prompt identification of unforeseen challenges.
Improved Delivery Trade-offs: Multiple short and complete milestones mitigate the risk of a delivery crunch, as solutions are continuously available for customers to work with. Pressure from delays is also minimized.
Simpler Technology: By focusing on quality iterations, teams naturally gravitate towards simpler architecture. Complexity evolves with the product, aligning with customer needs rather than imposing unnecessary technical intricacies.
Enhanced Collaboration: Collaborative planning involving the entire team fosters a deeper understanding of problems and solutions among engineers. This leads to more effective cross-disciplinary discussions and improved communication within the engineering domain.
As engineering managers, it is crucial to prioritize a more collaborative approach to scoping and planning. Embracing this mindset reduces delivery risk, enables better trade-offs, simplifies technology, and fosters enhanced collaboration within teams. By empowering cross-functional teams to work together from the outset, we can unlock the true potential of agile software development, drive innovation, and deliver exceptional outcomes for our customers.