Agile M A

With growing market pressures, transaction values, and information density, practitioners need to begin approaching M&A in a more innovative, efficient and collaborative way. This book looks at how Agile, the project management technique, can be scaled and implemented to improve the entire lifecycle of M&A while increasing value and closing deals faster.

Best practices for managing projects in agile environments—now updated with new techniques for larger projects Today, the pace of project management moves faster. Project management needs to become more flexible and far more responsive to customers. Using Agile Project Management (APM), project managers can achieve all these goals without compromising value, quality, or business discipline. In Agile Project Management, Second Edition, renowned agile pioneer Jim Highsmith thoroughly updates his classic guide to APM, extending and refining it to support even the largest projects and organizations. Writing for project leaders, managers, and executives at all levels, Highsmith integrates the best project management, product management, and software development practices into an overall framework designed to support unprecedented speed and mobility. The many topics added in this new edition include incorporating agile values, scaling agile projects, release planning, portfolio governance, and enhancing organizational agility. Project and business leaders will especially appreciate Highsmith’s new coverage of promoting agility through performance measurements based on value, quality, and constraints. This edition’s coverage includes: Understanding the agile revolution’s impact on product development Recognizing when agile methods will work in project management, and when they won’t Setting realistic business objectives for Agile Project Management Promoting agile values and principles across the organization Utilizing a proven Agile Enterprise Framework that encompasses governance, project and iteration management, and technical practices Optimizing all five stages of the agile project: Envision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt, and Close Organizational and product-related processes for scaling agile to the largest projects and teams Agile project governance solutions for executives and management The “Agile Triangle”: measuring performance in ways that encourage agility instead of discouraging it The changing role of the agile project leader

Agile is a relatively recent methodology used in the development process of a project. Therefore, it is important to share new emerging knowledge with researchers and professionals interested in adopting an agile mindset. Emerging Innovations in Agile Software Development focuses on the use of agile methodologies to manage, design, develop, test and maintain software projects. Emphasizing research-based solutions for contemporary software development, this publication is designed for use by software developers, researchers, and graduate-level students in software engineering and project management programs.

As the software industry continues to evolve, professionals are continually searching for practices that can assist with the various problems and challenges in information technology (IT). Agile development has become a popular method of research in recent years due to its focus on adapting to change. There are many factors that play into this process, so success is no guarantee. However, combining agile development with other software engineering practices could lead to a high rate of success in problems that arise during the maintenance and development of computing technologies. Software Engineering for Agile Application Development is a collection of innovative research on the methods and implementation of adaptation practices in software development that improve the quality and performance of IT products. The presented materials combine theories from current empirical research results as well as practical experiences from real projects that provide insights into incorporating agile qualities into the architecture of the software so that the product adapts to changes and is easy to maintain. While highlighting topics including continuous integration, configuration management, and business modeling, this book is ideally designed for software engineers, software developers, engineers, project managers, IT specialists, data scientists, computer science professionals, researchers, students, and academics.

Software development continues to be an ever-evolving field as organizations require new and innovative programs that can be implemented to make processes more efficient, productive, and cost-effective. Agile practices particularly have shown great benefits for improving the effectiveness of software development and its maintenance due to their ability to adapt to change. It is integral to remain up to date with the most emerging tactics and techniques involved in the development of new and innovative software. The Research Anthology on Agile Software, Software Development, and Testing is a comprehensive resource on the emerging trends of software development and testing. This text discusses the newest developments in agile software and its usage spanning multiple industries. Featuring a collection of insights from diverse authors, this research anthology offers international perspectives on agile software. Covering topics such as global software engineering, knowledge management, and product development, this comprehensive resource is valuable to software developers, software engineers, computer engineers, IT directors, students, managers, faculty, researchers, and academicians.

Wild West to Agile: The evolution and revolution of software development, drawn from personal experience, from the Apollo moon mission to digital transformations. In 2023, "technology is your business--no matter what your business." But how did we get here and how could a historical perspective prepare us for the future? Jim Highsmith tackles the evolution and revolution of software development, embellishes them with personal experiences, from the Apollo moon mission to modern digital transformations, and introduces the adventurous pioneers--from structured era developer Ken Orr to Agile methodologist Kent Beck--who strived to make the world a better place, by building better software. Jim's six-decade career has encompassed the Wild West (1966-1979), to Structured Methods and Monumental Methodologies (1980s), to the Roots of Agile (1990s), to the present Agile Era (2001-present). In each era, he explores the evolution of software development methods, methodologies, and mindsets. Whether you are from the 1970-1980's generation looking for an "I was there too" moment, a newer generation interested in the evolution of software development, the Agile generation interested in how Agile methodologies were born and evolved, or have a general interest in information technology, Wild West to Agile has something for you. "Jim Highsmith is the Forrest Gump of software development. What made the 1994 movie so entertaining was how frequently Forrest found himself in the right spot as history was being made. Unlike Forrest, though, Jim's actions influenced that history." --Mike Cohn, cofounder of the Agile Alliance, and the Scrum Alliance; author of Succeeding with Agile "If you want to understand the shape of software development today, this is the book for you. If you want to understand how to navigate a turbulent career with grace & style, this is also the book for you. If you enjoy memoirs, ditto. Enjoy his story." --Kent Beck, Chief Scientist, Mechanical Orchard; author, Extreme Programming Explained "This entire journey--beginning with the Wild West era of software development through the Agile Era to today's Digital Transformation era--is entirely empowered by people. Thank you, Jim, for sharing these beautiful stories and honoring the people that were a part of this amazing journey." --Heidi J. Musser, Vice President and CIO, USAA, retired "I've always felt that understanding history is important, because it's hard to understand where we are unless you understand the path that we took to get here. Jim's memoir is an entertaining and astute odyssey through this history." --Martin Fowler, Chief Scientist, Thoughtworks

A methodologically sophisticated, comprehensive approach to applying the Agile fixed-price contract to IT projects while maximizing customer and supplier relationships "Interesting and necessary for IT managers and IT lawyers." —Walter J. Jaburek, Dipl.-Ing., Dr. iur., Dr. techn. Approximately 50 percent of software developers use Scrum, an iterative and incremental development method for managing software projects and product or application development, in their work. The benefit of Scrum and other Agile methods is that they can address shifts in a large project that traditional managerial methods cannot. Written by pioneers and leaders in the field of Agile and Scrum, Agile Contracts is the only book dedicated exclusively to the legal, procurement, and project management considerations of Agile contracts. Providing templates, a toolbox, and examples of Agile fixed-price contracts, the book presents an alternative option to fixed-price, time-based, and supply-based contracts—reducing the risk for both the supplier and the customer with a contract that offers the possibility of flux and flexible scenarios as a project progresses. Agile Contracts features in-depth chapter coverage of: The Agile Manifesto of 2001 Agility from the perspective of procurement and the software provider The problems with traditional fixed-price contracts and time material contracts What the Agile fixed-price contract is and how it is set up Tendering based on the Agile fixed-price contract How to negotiate an Agile fixed-price contract Special guidelines for the legal framework of an Agile fixed-price contract Adaptable Scope System The Black Swan scenario Contracts and procedures for the featured methodologies Especially applicable within highly structured business organizations, Agile Contracts is a must-read for project managers, agile practitioners, procurement representatives, and IT lawyers.

Thoroughly reviewed and eagerly anticipated by the agile community, User Stories Applied offers a requirements process that saves time, eliminates rework, and leads directly to better software. The best way to build software that meets users' needs is to begin with "user stories": simple, clear, brief descriptions of functionality that will be valuable to real users. In User Stories Applied, Mike Cohn provides you with a front-to-back blueprint for writing these user stories and weaving them into your development lifecycle. You'll learn what makes a great user story, and what makes a bad one. You'll discover practical ways to gather user stories, even when you can't speak with your users. Then, once you've compiled your user stories, Cohn shows how to organize them, prioritize them, and use them for planning, management, and testing. User role modeling: understanding what users have in common, and where they differ Gathering stories: user interviewing, questionnaires, observation, and workshops Working with managers, trainers, salespeople and other "proxies" Writing user stories for acceptance testing Using stories to prioritize, set schedules, and estimate release costs Includes end-of-chapter practice questions and exercises User Stories Applied will be invaluable to every software developer, tester, analyst, and manager working with any agile method: XP, Scrum... or even your own home-grown approach.