Agile project management focuses on teamwork, rapid response, rapid output of available product versions, and continuous trial and error, in sharp contrast to traditional project management's linear planning and emphasis on detailed specification planning.
Agile project management has always been a problem in estimating resources, costs, man-hours, and controlling project progress. How to estimate resources, costs, and man-hours?
1. Estimate based on the team's capabilities and iteration cycle:
In agile project management, project estimates are often based on the capabilities of the team as a basis. It usually refers to the amount of work that the team can complete in an iteration cycle, so the estimation should be based on the actual situation of the past team to estimate the situation of the future team. By recording and tracking the progress of tasks, the assignment, progress and risks of team tasks can be displayed more intuitively, and timely adjustments can be made. Commonly used estimation methods are:
(1) Story Point Estimation: Story Point Estimation is the most widely used estimation method in agile project management. It adopts a relative estimation method and assigns different points to different tasks and requirements. Through team discussions and The way to reach a consensus finally determines the sum of task points, and based on this, the number of tasks completed in each iteration period is estimated. For example, when the team estimates requirements according to the points estimation method, the requirements can be divided into different scales, such as small, medium, and large, and different points are given according to different sizes, and then estimated according to the actual capabilities of the team. workload.
(2) Time Estimation (Time Estimation): In the time estimation method, the team will estimate the time required to complete different types of tasks based on existing historical data or experience. For example, when evaluating the time required for a task, factors such as the complexity of the task, the skills and experience of team members are usually considered, and the length of time required is estimated based on historical data and experience.
(3) Comparative Estimation (Comparative Estimation) : Comparative Estimation is a simple estimation method based on comparison with past completed tasks to achieve an estimate. In this estimation method, team members estimate the size and complexity of tasks by comparing the differences between different tasks, and then estimate the time and manpower required for the entire project based on the experience of team members. For example, team members can compare new tasks to previously completed tasks and use this to estimate the time and effort the new task will require.
2. Prioritize products by value:
In Agile, the most important thing is to prioritize value. By determining the value and priority of each requirement, and then determining the specific development requirements based on the value and priority, this can continuously realize the value-first requirements within a limited time, so the success rate of the project can be improved, and according to the progress of the project Adjust product priorities in a timely manner. This value dimension can be user satisfaction, business value, technical value, market demand, and so on.
3. Combine parallel and iterative methods to manage project progress:
Agile project management often uses a parallel and iterative approach to drive projects forward. Different team members can complete different tasks in parallel, and when the next task needs to be carried out, it will iterate on the basis of the previous task, so that the task can be completed faster, because multiple tasks are processed in parallel at the same time. During this process, team members communicate and communicate through the daily work review (Daily Standup Meeting) to ensure that each member pays attention to the progress of the team and eliminate unnecessary rework and misunderstanding.
4. Rely on periodic inspection and code review to ensure quality:
Agile projects emphasize maintaining code quality during rapid iterations and incrementally issuing improvements. To ensure code quality and project progress, code reviews and work reviews are performed periodically to detect and resolve potential issues early.
5. Encourage quick trial and error and knowledge sharing within the team:
In agile teams, quick trial and error is often encouraged. Team members will focus on the key areas of the project, flexibly use skills and technologies, and only carry out necessary standardized control. At the same time, they also encourage knowledge sharing within the team to speed up common learning and improve R&D capabilities.