IBM Is Going Agile

It is now time again to rename everything, come up with new jargon and trademarks to describe the patterns and anti-patterns of the development processes that actually work for us, and set those words free. Then they can be co-opted and peddled by consultants. Afterward, they are embraced, extended, and extinguished by management. And then the new words change meaning to describe all the old things, and the circle of business buzzwords turns anew.

Re: IBM Is Going Agile

#4

Post by mrdrozdov » Tue, Apr 28, 2015, 3:19 PM UTC

If IBM didn't use Agile, what did they use?

The non-greedy benefit of Agile is that work and how work happens becomes more understandable in a consistent and reasonably-well studied manner.

Re: IBM Is Going Agile

#5

Post by jhallenworld » Tue, Apr 28, 2015, 3:19 PM UTC

I'm surprised that there is no mention of Rational Team Concert:

http://www-03.ibm.com/software/products/en/rtc

Used in a big way to implement Agile within IBM and provides a nice coherent system for task management.

Re: IBM Is Going Agile

#6

Post by chrisbennet » Tue, Apr 28, 2015, 3:20 PM UTC

"The mission is to have innovation and the speed of small companies..."

If they keep laying off people, eventually they will be a small company. Problem solved!

Re: IBM Is Going Agile

#7

Post by webaholic » Tue, Apr 28, 2015, 3:23 PM UTC

like putting lipstick on a pig...

Re: IBM Is Going Agile

#8

Post by jhallenworld » Tue, Apr 28, 2015, 3:25 PM UTC

mrdrozdov wrote: post #4

If IBM didn't use Agile, what did they use? The non-greedy benefit of Agile is that work and how work happens becomes more understandable in a consistent and reasonably-well studied manner.

"Waterfall" with detailed project schedules in tools like MS-Project (which BTW, is still useful for all-process oriented projects). I'm a little confused by the article since the parts of IBM I've seen have been using Agile for years (scrums, iterations, epics/themes/stories).

Re: IBM Is Going Agile

#9

Post by Pelerin » Tue, Apr 28, 2015, 3:26 PM UTC

logfromblammo wrote: post #3

Alternate headline: "Agile Development Ski-Jumps Over Shark!" Alternate alternate headline: "Final Nail in Agile Development Coffin is Big and Blue." Agile is dead. Long live the new development process buzzwords. It is now time again to rename everything, come up with new jargon and trademarks to describe the patterns and anti-patterns of the development processes that actually work for us, and set those words free.…

So, just to be clear, the fact that it's being used by a big company, and/or referred to in the WSJ means it's useless?

Re: IBM Is Going Agile

#10

Post by konradb » Tue, Apr 28, 2015, 3:26 PM UTC

I'd trust this all more if it was coming from the teams back up, rather than edict going down.