D.A.D. is a flexible yet structured approach that allows large organisations to scale agile practices. As Scrum provides an excellent framework for managing agile software teams, many companies start their agile journey with it. However, more than Scrum is needed to deliver complex solutions to stakeholders. Often, teams need to use additional methods to bridge gaps left by Scrum. It can confuse practitioners and external stakeholders when these methods overlap and use conflicting terminology. Additionally, many people need help finding guidance or what factors to consider when making critical decisions.
The exact process only works in some situations. A “industrialized” approach to I.T. work was widely believed to be the best approach until the 1970s. Hence, the waterfall or “V” model involves sequentially handing off work in phases among software architects, business analysts, developers, testers, and project managers. It was often assumed that rigid structures would ensure predictable outcomes by detailing and supporting these processes. This approach often resulted in expensive, late-to-market solutions that did not meet stakeholders’ expectations. Despite its shortcomings, the outdated mindset of many organizations still makes it hard for them to adopt modern agile strategies.
In D.A.D., teams can deliver high-quality solutions in a timely and cost-efficient manner by combining iterative and incremental methods. D.A.D. requires collaboration, discipline, self-organisation, and active stakeholder involvement to succeed. Keeping stakeholders engaged ensures the team can adapt and meet their evolving needs. There is a need for clarification that prescriptive approaches, such as managing changing requirements with a product backlog, holding daily stand-ups, and having a dedicated product owner, are universal in today’s agile landscape.
There are, however, times when this is different. Managing changing requirements, coordinating within a team, and exploring stakeholder needs can be accomplished in several ways, depending on the context. Teams with smaller, co-located locations may benefit from simple strategies, but more giant geographical footprints face more complex challenges. You must select the right approach based on your context to succeed as a team.
Organizations can utilize the disciplined agile process framework to establish a customer-centric, learning-based approach. The D.A.D. strategy focuses not only on risk and value but also on scalability, goal orientation, and enterprise needs. For service methodologies to be successful, they must incorporate these critical aspects of a Disciplined Agile Process framework. A key feature of D.A.D.’s approach is its goal-driven, easy-to-implement process strategy. The strategy incorporates visual goal diagrams to illustrate decision points and textual goal tables to explain options and their tradeoffs.
According to the Disciplined Agile Process (D.A.D.), stakeholders recognize that external customers are not always the project’s focus. The term “customer” has become popular among some software teams because it has shifted their focus from technology to business needs. However, enterprises regularly operate in complex client chains where customers are not always directly accessible. Teams utilizing agile methodologies should consider a broader range of stakeholders, such as operational staff, support staff, enterprise architects, and internal auditors. D.A.D. allows agile practices to be scaled flexibly yet structured in large organisations.
D.A.D. is a unique blend of agile methodologies, including scrum, agile modelling, extreme programming, unified processes, kanban, lean software development, and outside-in development. Despite its origin as an I.B.M. project, the Disciplined Agile Process is nonproprietary and freely available. This means that I.B.M. tools are not required, providing relief to those who may not have access to such tools.
The Scrum framework is an excellent basis for managing agile software teams; many companies use it as a starting point. However, it is not sufficient for delivering complex solutions to stakeholders alone. Scrum often leaves gaps that have to be filled using additional methods. The overlap between these methods and the use of conflicting terminology can cause confusion among practitioners and external stakeholders. Furthermore, people do not know where to seek guidance or how to make critical decisions.
Agile solutions are more effective with a disciplined approach like Disciplined Agile Delivery (D.A.D.). In more detail, it is a hybrid sprint-to-measure-to-deliver methodology, driven by goals and enterprise-wide, prioritizes people and emphasizes learning. Each phase of a D.A.D. project has clear milestones, and the emphasis shifts as the project progresses. Focusing teams’ attention on deployment planning, risk management, and architectural modelling ensures the appropriate tasks are completed at the right time. Mainstream agile methodologies focus primarily on the construction phase of a project’s lifecycle.
The Disciplined Agile Process framework empowers teams to achieve their goals. A clear goal provides direction, but the framework’s flexibility allows teams to customize the process to their unique needs. This adaptability ensures that the Disciplined Agile Process can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of every project and company. D.A.D. delivers consumable solutions, not just software that can be shipped. The package may include supporting documentation as well as software upgrades or redeployments. In addition to developing a system, teams can also influence business operations. Instead of simply creating “potentially shippable software,” they create “potentially shippable solutions” that support broader business goals. Stakeholders may not be satisfied with a merely shippable product; they prefer consumable products that are easy to understand, adopt, support, and evolve.
Governance ensures that roles, authorities, communications, and funding are aligned to achieve enterprise objectives. Team members are also provided with policies, standards, and control mechanisms that enable them to operate effectively. As part of governance, D.A.D. balances risk and return on investment (R.O.I.), implements sound processes and practices, sets clear departmental goals, and defines individual and team roles.
In general, the Disciplined Agile Delivery framework provides the necessary flexibility for virtually any type of service engagement. D.A.D’s scalability allows software service organizations to apply its principles to varying-size projects. A software service team prioritizes customers, understands their business, and delivers solutions that meet their needs.
