Prioritizing Customer Collaboration and Working Software
Some decisions will be made immediately, while others will be made as the project progresses.
Agile methods do not oppose documentation, but they are against valueless documentation. The team can enjoy documents that are kept up-to-date. Large documents need constant updating, and they are rarely read by anyone. Bite-sized documents are more manageable for all stakeholders to consume. New team members may feel confused, delighted, or frustrated by past decisions.
Sometimes, teams and organizations rely on old habits and use the excuse, “That’s how we’ve always done it.”
While documentation is necessary, it’s better to focus on working software. Collaboration with customers is crucial for project success. It may sound idealistic, but it does work. We should continue delivering working software without interrupting our workflow. Reflection through retrospectives is also critical.
Customer collaboration is prioritized over contract negotiation.
One strategy for prioritization is to improve a single segment first. Reduce change cues to avoid users ignoring them, and associate users’ existing work tasks with the product. Avoid concurrent signals that seek actions. Provide clear guides and action plans, small wins, and reduce the risk of failure. Create a pyramid of quality based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and add an acceptance criterion to each level.
Discuss global concerns once per milestone to create a framework for all work during that delivery phase.
