ISI Agile Process Guidance¶

Version 10.4¶

InnovaSystems Agile Process Guidance is a fully integrated framework beginning with the core agile practices and scaling outward to address InnovaSystems’ real-world business, development, and operational requirements. The result is a uniquely tailored Agile implementation that strikes the right balance of customer responsiveness, and process maturity, coexisting within a managed environment. This is accomplished by building upon core Agile practices, and applying vertical and horizontal integration through:

Defining ‘Execution Levels’ to extend beyond the basic ‘Sprint’ and accounting for supporting project planning, and organizational activities
Extending traditional Agile ‘Process Dimensions’ to identify supporting/organizational Roles, activities, etc. within the context of each execution level

This page provides a brief overview of the Execution Levels and Process Dimensions intended to initiate the reader’s understanding of the overall composition and purpose of the process model.

Execution Levels

Agile methods are necessarily silent with respect to organizational, and business concerns and processes, leaving it to each company to fill this space themselves. The ISI Agile Process Guidance does this by ‘vertically’ integrating five hierarchical tiers (levels) of processes which collectively span the entire gamut of corporate execution from high level vision and strategy, to rapid, agile sprints. Each of these tiers are recursive and agile with respect to time versus being driven by linear, predictive methods. Each tier encapsulates a sub-set of processes appropriate to the planning and execution scope of a product, and provides supporting integration hooks into the adjacent tier(s).

Sprint

A one to three week time-boxed development iteration. A sprint may end with a potentially shippable software increment.

Release

A multi-sprint feature-boxed development iteration. A release will end with a shippable software increment.

Product

An ongoing management iteration including: all planning, authorization, documentation, release, and support functions. A product release will end with a deployable software increment.

Governance

The comprehensive repository of all process artifacts including: all policy, process requirements, value statements, default procedures, tailoring definitions, and electronic media. Governance is managed and updated via the Manage Process Improvement function. Projects are expected to execute all the activities within the Process Explorer as defined. If a project has a valid reason to deviate from executing the process, a Tailoring request must be submitted for approval.

Organization

Ongoing Executive Management functions responsible for: all mission/vision/values, long term strategy, annual operations plan, and quarterly/monthly reviews. The organization also oversees approval of: all organizational Roles, process policies, requirements, and value statements.

Process Guidance Version: 10.4