Relative Mass Valuation

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Agile teams do a lot more by ensuring that each user story in a backlog is carefully estimated in order to arrive to the correct line up of each user story or stories. The product backlog doesn’t need to have epic or long user stories because this might result to hassles or problems when the initial print out of the stories are done.
If you are a member of the team, the first thing to prioritize is how the story is to be estimated or if it needs to be estimated at all. The right estimate will result to the success of the user stories and also of the backlog product as well. The product owner might be able to make an excellent assessment of the product just by using a powerful technique called relative mass valuation.
Mass valuation is one of the essential estimates techniques wherein a team can go over a large backlog of stories and estimate these as they are in a relation with each other. Some user stories need to be estimated in order to set the product backlog on the right track. An easy and efficient way is provided by mass valuation.
This technique can be used in the following ways:
• Write a card for each story
This is essential in order for the product owner and the team to know which of the user stories are related and which are not. This also serves as a guideline in making the perfect estimate of each of the stories.
• Set the stories in a large table

Setting the stories in a large space such a table makes the estimation process more efficient and accurate in terms of the sizes of the user stories. Teams must work in making an estimate in a correct manner. It would cause too much delay in setting these in a small space.

• Size up the stories

Pick any kind of story then make the team members decide if the stories are large, medium or small. That way, a careful mass valuation is achieved which will produce success in product output.

• Make the right estimate

If it’s a large story a member of the team is picked, place it at one end of the table and if it is a small story, it goes at the other side of the table. A medium story must be in the middle. Now, you must select the next story and ask the team to estimate it and have a careful valuation in order not to set it on the wrong side. Lastly, position each story card on the table related to the previous card selected then go to the next card.

Relative mass valuation will be very beneficial in handling user stories and making a correct estimation of these. Each member can do the mass valuation and to lessen the burden of estimating a large number of user stories. It proves to be one of the best powerful techniques when it comes to making an estimate.

— Slimane Zouggari

Planning Poker

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Estimating the features of a product backlog becomes easy now with the use of newest techniques and strategies in giving an accurate approximation of it. Thus, each of this backlog products and items estimation becomes more systematic and agreeable among the team through planning poker.
Planning poker, otherwise known as Scrum poker, is usually used in estimating the effort and size of the developmental goals in the agile software development. This method was first discovered and named by James Grenning. In the later years, Mike Cohn popularized it in the book entitled “Agile Estimating and Planning”, having the name marked as a major contributor on the digital on line world. Over time, because of the rapid technological advancement, a lot of programmers had already discovered new and fresh approaches in providing an agile estimation of a certain feature or item.
What is a planning poker?
Planning poker is simply a technique used to make a more reliable and accurate estimate of a certain feature. It involves all the team members to decide what will be the final estimation of that certain backlog product. This is done through the use of a planning poker card deck, wherein after the features of the product owner is discussed, then all the team member should holds on to a card with their corresponding estimate number. The majority or the group raising the same number will be the one that will serve as the official estimate of the team. In this process, each team member is required to raise the card at the same time to eliminate the possibility of having unreliable result of the votes. They make sure that the estimates of each of the member will not be affected by other member in the team so that the result of the estimate is more accurate and agreeable. Moreover, if the estimates are closer together, then it only means that there are higher estimates taken .On the contrary, if there are relative large gaps among between the estimates, then the highest and the lowest estimates will be discussed to the team.
Equipment
In this strategy, copies of deck card and an egg timer are very much needed during the votation in the discussion of each product feature or item. The card used here is typically of Fibonaccii sequence for the team to easily reflect and avoid confusion in giving estimates, especially on larger items. The idea behind the use of this estimation scale comes from the Information Theory that states that the information that we got from an estimation grows much slower than the precision of the estimation itself. It can be so abstract in the minds of other people but it simply conveys that this Fibonacci series can be used as a great estimation scale in providing an agile yet accurate estimation.
Generally, in poker planning, the involvement of all the team members is very vital in making the final estimate. Thus, this process requires part of the time and patience of the team members for the process will be repeated until they had already achieved a consensus and made a final decision on what estimates will be really chosen among all other estimates.

— Slimane Zouggari

Dot Voting

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In any kind of company workshop or company meeting, the voting process can’t be avoided. It is necessary in order to determine the preferences of the majority of an agile team for example. There are times that a company requires a voting process to ensure that the right decision is achieved and no delays are present after the meeting.
This is often referred to as a simple method of voting wherein stickers are used in order to cast votes and be able to make an estimate on what are the best preferences or things to do when it comes to suggestions and problems faced by the company. A careful deliberation is needed in order to ensure that all things are done and decided properly. It is also sometimes considered as a simple group activity where in the choices of preferences are found using a number of limited options including:
1. A participant or voter is given a set number of dot stickers, which are marked green for like or red for dislike.
2. The participants places these stickers in the preference or choice that they like.
3. The options or preferences having the most number of dots “win”.
Achieving the best results on dot voting is great. It will not leave you with problem at all. Here are a few tips in order to attain the best voting results.
• Always keep the number of your options to be about a dozen or less. The participants are expected to rethink, weigh and compare all the options before they stick their dots to avoid mistakes or problems in the vote count.
• A new option cannot be added once the voting process has started because this would be unfair in the new additions of dots that are already counted.
• Participants should avoid similar or related options when casting a vote because these can cause vote-splitting. This might require participants to combine options that are less specific.
• Have a credible person to check or monitor the process of the voting in order to ensure that no one cheats through adding extra dots to the given options. This practice is done through peeling off dots or moving dots. This makes the balloting more reliable and trusted at the same time.
• Provide dots in two sets of colors for both positive and negative such as the colors green and red. This will allow you to see which ideas or options are favored and are not favored.
• Conduct this process more than once with the options given in a different order to see if the correct results are presented. Some people will just ‘get on the bandwagon’ and place dots where everyone else has placed his or her dots.
Dot voting is very essential in casting votes for the proper estimation of options that needs to be considered important. One will be able to set a good track with the result of this kind of voting process. Participants would be able to set accurate preferences or choices just by using dots.

— Slimane Zouggari

Backlog Grooming

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A company always makes sure that the product they are selling would have a great demand among consumers. Apart from the product making a great first impression to consumer, the company should also hold a good reputation. In this case, a sprint planning meeting is required in order to ensure that the product backlog is on the right track. This prevents hassles and problems in the future transactions of a company.
The sprint planning meeting would take much time if not done with an excellent backlog grooming session. The product owner has the first say on what the agenda will be about and what are the possible ways on how to make the product successful. If you are the product owner, it is necessary to hold the right grooming sessions in order to meet the following:
• Be able to write user stories that are essential in making the product successful in terms of scrum planning and the like.
• Be able to effectively break down long user stories in order to make these easy to use and understand.
• Be able to rewrite user stories that are poorly written. This ensures a right approach to the flow of the sprint planning meeting and the success of the product.
• Be able to efficiently estimate many backlog terms possible.
• Add an exceptional acceptance criteria to the product.
• Be able to go deeper into the backlog do more wide range technical planning strategies.
A backlog doesn’t only make a Sprint Planning Meeting successful but it also contributes proper ideas or deliberation that will happen within the meeting. The ideas or concepts shared by the product owner and the company team would result to a good impact not only to the status of the company’s performance but also to the backlog grooming itself.
Here are few guidelines to able to conduct an excellent backlog grooming session:
• An excellent goal would be good
The product owner must set a goal in order to make the session more interesting and so that would not result to a waste of time. Having a goal would lead to a smooth flow of the meeting.
• Have a proper schedule
Planning a schedule in advance would be result to an effective sprint planning meeting and the company would be able to set adjustments and refining the product is needed.
• Limit employee participation
Limiting the participation of members of the meeting, particularly stake holders is necessary in order not to produce delays or problems in the backlog session. Stakeholders have a few knowledge about the product as compared to the product owner and the team.
The right backlog grooming even in scrum meetings brings no problem or a waste of time on the part of the company members and the product owner. This ensures a most authentic and successful agile approach in deciding what possible user stories can be used or what certain business product plans needs to be made or adjusted in order to achieve on the goal the company wants to achieve.

— Slimane Zouggari

SAFe – System Architect and Solution Architect

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System Architect and Solution Architect, represents the teams and individuals, which have the technical responsibility for the overall engineering and architectural design of the solution and system. This fractious discipline system takes a system view on key progress. It is participating in the definition of a nonfunctional requirements and higher level functional that analyze the technical trade offs, major subsystem and components.
System Architect and Solution Architect align the Value Stream as well as Agile Release Trains to a corporate technological and architectural idea of the Solution under progress. Participating in defining the subsystem and systems, evaluate alternatives and endorse technology assumptions that support the solution improvement through providing architectural view, communicating and evolving the larger technological solution.
This team arises and Value Stream Level and Programs controls mostly the setting of the Agile Release Train where they work with the Agile Teams and have a practical enablement with respect to subsystems and capability parts under the purview of the Architectural Solution teams that have a practical leadership for developing architectural abilities of the whole solution.
System and Solution Architect usually have the responsibilities such as:
 Supervising and foster the Built in Quantity
 Participating in PI Planning and Pre-Post PI Planning System as well as Inspect and Adapt
 Developing and Planning the architectural way in supporting for the upcoming business Features/capabilities
 Support the technology aspects of Program and Value Stream Kanbans
 Explore, support and define the implementation of value stream and program enablers to progress solution resolved; work openly with agile teams to support explore and implement them.
 Participating in definition, high level design and planning of the solution and explore solution replacements
 Defining their interfaces and subsystems that allocate responsibilities, understand the solution placement as well as communicating the necessities for the interactions with solution setting.
 Work together with the stakeholders, suppliers and customers to establish the high level solution determined which can help the key intent information models and documentation necessities.
 Working with portfolio stakeholders, specifically the Enterprise Architect to analyze, split, realizes and develops the execution of enabler Epics.
Initiatives build a group of people who perform the systems features of solution progress of those teams that usually involve multiple disciplines, mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, as well as other aspects of a complex solution and the software elements. Obviously, it is impossible to reason nearly how to form a multifaceted solutions without containing the parts of software Systems Engineering and Architecture. A significant communication of restraint is necessary. The customary ways for both solutions, it is strongly sink near the point-solution, phase-gate, and Big Up Front Design approaches. It is understood because the stage gate cascade model is the finest model available at that time and these are large systems as well as someone has to identify how one is hypothetical to go about the structure. Therefore, this functions emphasis on the cross discipline relationship, feedback-driven knowledge cycles and leveraging the characteristic erraticism of the advancement product.

— Slimane Zouggari

SAFe – Release Train Engineer and Value Stream Engineer

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A release train engineer (RTE), has a responsibility to facilitate the program level, manage risk, and escalates impediments as well as helps drive in program level constant development. While the Value Stream Engineer (VSE), is the one that is guiding and assisting the work of a Release Train engineers as well as the Suppliers, these two kinds of jobs has almost the same background of development or SAFe program managers and function the most effective servant leaders.
The Value Stream Engineer (VSE) and Release Train Engineer (RTE) assist the value stream and release train execution as well as the processes. They intensify the manage risk, help guarantee value delivery, impediments and help drive nonstop development.
The two types of job have responsibilities normally fulfill the following tasks such as:
 Optimizing and managing the flow of the value over the program by means ofthe Information Radiators and Program and Value Stream Kanbans.
 Coach Leaders, scrum masters and teams practices and attitudes
 It inspires the Team Level, value stream level, program level, as well as around engineering and quality practices
 Contagious of improvement in initiative via Adapt and Inspect workshops, it is measure the alertness of the value stream and help recover
 Attending the Solution Demos and System Demos
 Providing contribution on resourcing to statement serious blockages
 They operate and understand within the Budget
 They also helping to manage the dependencies and the risks
 Supporting some related activities and report status to the program agile portfolio management
 Assisting the periodic synchronization meetings, including the ART sync in the Program Level as well as the VS sync in the stream value level
 Facilitating together with economic decision making by helping ability and article assessment by team and roll-up to the stream value level as well as the Portfolio level
 Track impediments and escalate
 Establishing the Program Increments an communicating to annual calendars for iterations
 Helping PI Planning
 Simplify the Post-Pi Planning keenness via nurturing the training of Backlogs and Vision, as well as pre and post PI Planning meetings
However, an outlook change is frequently needed for a new Release Train Engineer and Value Stream Engineer. The managing and direction activities is stand-in as a servant leader. A servant leadership is a management philosophy that denotes an inclusive assessment of the value of a community, work and spirit. In this regard, the Release Train Engineer and Vale Stream Engineer must have the characteristic of a servant leader actions wherein you must support and listen your team in regards to the problem in decision making and identification.
Encouraging and supporting the development of team as well as the personal improvements of individuals. Persuading rather using of authority. Creating a kind of environment that has mutual influence. It is important that you support the commitments of the team and you need to be open and learn to appreciate the openness in other member of the team.
Therefore, Release Train Engineer and Value Stream Engineer has almost the same responsibilities that need to fulfil, but in order to be an effective engineer you need to learn the characteristic of servant leader.

— Slimane Zouggari

Safe – Product management

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Product management is very important to all business owners out there through the help of reputable and trustworthy company. Looking for the best service provider is quite hard especially on the internet. In this way, if you want to have a reliable company who will be responsible on product management, SAFE will be the best idea that you could ever have. When you will consider this amazing amenity provider, you will be given a product manager who can do the following services:
1. Understand client’s needs and make effective and efficient solutions. Managing of a product is the customers’ internal voice more specifically for the Agile Release Train or ART. Furthermore, they work on with customers in order for them to have a profound understanding about the things they should have to know. In addition to that, they will be able to communicate all their needs and join in proposed solutions validations.
2. Comprehend and help portfolio work. Every ART is connected to a portfolio in which the product manager has the working obligation to comprehend the so-called Budget parameters that are needed for the fiscal period. They are familiar on how a particular strategic themes influence its direction. They will also serve Epic Owners in order for them to improve Epics business case that can affect their Agile Release Train (ART).
3. Enhance and communicate the vision program and roadmap. Product management will consistently enhance and communicate the goals and objectives of the teams that are tasked on development. Also, they will define all the basic properties of the platform. In this way, you will be assured of getting the service that you truly deserve. In fact, they are partnered with the Solution and System Engineering/ Architect which likewise define and keep the NFRs which mean Nonfunctional Requirements. This will help you ensure that the provided solutions reach the standards.
4. The work flow will be managed and prioritized. Product management facilitates the work flow via the Kanban Program. They make sure that there are ready features that can be found in the backlog more often. This is because they enhance the acceptance feature criteria that are employed to help these features meet its Done Definition.
5. Product manager join PI planning. During the PI planning session, product management delivers the vision that highlights the proposed solution features in addition to the related ongoing Milestones. Also, they usually join as train business owners who are responsible for establishing the value of the business and approving the objectives of the PI.
6. Create a functional and efficient Product Owner and Product Manager team. The key to functional and efficient innovation is the Product Owner and Product Manager team. They also make a bigger contribution to the satisfaction of their job.
Summing up, if you need product management, you can make SAFE as your number one option. They can assure you of receiving an excellent service. Furthermore, you will be given a product manager who has the ability to do the job for you.

— Slimane Zouggari

SAFe – Enablers

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Enabler is a kind of technical initiative that has the ability to support development of an organization initiative. It commonly exists to four levels of SAFe: Enabler Epics at Portfolio level, Enabler features at program level, Enabler capabilities at Value Stream Level and Enabler stories at team Level. It can be used to different kinds of activities that need support for the upcoming features of business however, it falls only to three types of categories and it includes:
• Infrastructure- It is use to enhance and build the testing and development of an environment to facilitate faster the high quality testing and development.
• Architecture- It is use to build architectural runway to ensure it will create fast and smooth development.
• Exploration- It is use to build understanding regarding the needs of the customers and understand the prospective solutions in evaluating alternatives.
Through using enabler, you will have the assurance that you can capture the visibility of the needed work and efficiently support the delivery and development of business features for its future. However, you still need to choose which one will work best for your business since there are different types of enablers you can choose from.
Here are the types of enablers you may find in the market:
• Enabler stories-This kind of enabler best fits to Iterations nut do not require voice format since it has criteria of acceptance that requires the support testing.
• Enabler features and capabilities. This kind of enabler commonly occur at Program levels and value Stream in which it can share similar attributes like statement of acceptance and benefits criteria and it usually best for single PI.
• Enabler epics-This is type of enabler that is written through using value statement format that has been defined just for epics.
Since it is created based from the initiative of the business, it can make different Kanban system that needs explorations to validate the solution, develop test, pave runway, and integrate initiatives. Most of these enablers are created by architects or through the system of the engineering at different levels either it is portfolio levels, enterprise architects or system and solution of both engineering and architects at program levels and value stream. Architect that creates enabler can steer it through Kanban System that can provide information that is needed to implement it and guidance that can help to analyze it.
Some of the enablers can emerge locally from needs of agile teams, value streams, agile release trains to improve its existing solutions. It is subjected to the allocation in value stream backlogs and program that will provide assurance to have better solutions. It can be applied for enabler that will differentiate different kinds of enablers.
Enabler can be applied to exploration in order for the development teams flesh out some details of designs and requirements, architectural runway to ensure agile architecture can implement their concepts, and to the infrastructure that will ensure to reduce the risk of integration. This is how the enabler becomes very beneficial is to most of the engineers and architects. .

— Slimane Zouggari

SAFe – Customer

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Nowadays, customers are the most important entities in the business world. Since the world is becoming highly competitive, customer will serves as the external and internal part of an organization that continuously increases their demands. Most of them want some options, quick service, better solutions, and more valuable products that will meet all of their needs with great satisfactions.
Integrating the customer as the integral to the Lean –Agile Solution is the best way to have better development since you consider them as part of your value stream. Therefore, they should not be separable from process and should work closely and frequently with the product and solution management and other kinds of stakeholders that will help to shape the economic framework, vision and solution intent. Customers have strong influence to define and prioritize solutions and can actively participate to the process improvement, demos, and planning.
Customers are considered as integral part of the lean agile development that plays vital role for SAFe and at the same time part of value stream. The support for the agile principles and lean are continuously participating to the evolutions, demonstrations, planning and definition of solutions that is very important to the success of every execution.
In some cases, customers are considered as internal while others are external. On the other hand, customers are the largest class to the economic buyers wherein the system builder needs to understand and aggregate the requirements for some general case and fill the broad market that needs the adequate internal proxy to the development.
So no matter what kind of customers you have for your business are, there is a need for you to get engage them in your entire agile development solutions. They are require to participate to the proxy or person by fulfilling the general responsibilities like:
• Participate in UAT, beta testing and other forms of validation for best solutions
• Participate similar to business owner when it comes to PI planning
• Review the financial and technical status of solutions
• Attend system demo that can help to evaluate for the increment solutions
• Communicate with economic logic and help to create validate assumptions to the economic framework
• Participate in workshops and remove the systemic impediments
• Collaborate to manage the time, scope and other constraints regarding solution and product management
• Interact with subject matter and expertise at time of workshops
• Define the milestones, releases and roadmaps
The engagement of the customer as end-user can drives the success of agile. Since the agile development is considered as dependent in high degree of engagement from their customers there are higher stage models are being assume. However, the engagement here is different because serves as the base from the solution builder in which the building is the general solutions and use to sell to numerous customers. It is also specifically build for customers that are base from their specifications.
Having this kind of solutions, it helps to reduce the aspect of win – lose regarding the relationship to the customer and system builder and receives continuous flow for the business.

— Slimane Zouggari