Quick update on a presentation I am doing in a few weeks at the Rocky Mountain Information Management Association (RMIMA). The presentation is targeted at folks who want to get a basic understanding of agile and Scrum, why so many people promote it, and what issues and challenges are brought to the surface when you move towards agile. Here is the abstract:

Agile – Myth or Reality

Why do we keep hearing more and more about agile? When will it arrive? Has it already arrived or has it departed? The presentation will provide an overview of agile & Scrum to demystify it. What is a standup, a sprint, why do people talk about chickens and pigs? Understanding why many people are “agile fanatics” requires clarity about the types of issues that agile can resolve.

Building on the overview of agile, the presentation will review common “software project challenges” and review why agile is often cited as a solution to these problems. Can “being agile” really solve these issues and reduce risk? Are these problems actually related to the software project? Finally, the presentation will review why Agile can’t solve all problems, although we often seem to only hear about ‘agile magic beans’. The session will review issues that agile may expose, but cannot solve, and how those issues can make or break your agile success.

Learning Objectives:
– Understand the basis of agile & Scrum.
– Understand how agile minimizes risks and why people promote it.
– Understand types of issues that agile exposes but cannot address.

If you have questions or comments please post them here (include your email and add “private” to the post if you would prefer a direct response via email).