Agile Scrum Approach for SAP Dashboard Development for Beginners & Intermediate developers
Agile Scrum is a project management methodology which is an iterative process and follows Deploy First and Code later philosophy.
Highlighting Agile Values
- Individuals and interactions Over process and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan
(AgileManifesto, 2001)
SAP Dashboards are now widely in today’s business environment mainly of its intuitive nature and provides real time information sharing environment.
SAP Dashboard development project can become complex without proper business vision. Agile recommends having clear business vision not concentrating on the finer details. Dashboard developers find it difficult what method to follow to successfully deliver a Dashboard. This article concentrates on Agile Scrum framework i.e customers need may change from time to time and thus this article provide a path for delivering products adapting to customer needs. Scrum blends all development activities into each iteration, adapting to discovered realities at fixed intervals.
Main Characteristics of Agile Scrum
Project progresses in a series of “Sprints”.
- Typical duration is 2–4 weeks or a calendar month at most
- A constant duration leads to a better rhythm
- Product is designed, coded, and tested during the sprint
Requirements are captured in the “Project backlog”.
Scrum gives 3 basic roles
Project Owner
- Define the features of the product
- Decide on release date and content
- Be responsible for the profitability of the product (ROI)
- Prioritize features according to market value
- Adjust features and priority every iteration, as needed
- Accept or reject work results
Scrum Master
- Scrum Master is not a Project Manager – Scrum Master is a Facilitator.
- Removes impediments
- Ensure that the team is fully functional and productive
- Enable close cooperation across all roles and functions
- Shield the team from external interferences
Team
- Typically 5-9 people
- Cross-functional:
- Programmers, testers, user experience designers, etc.
Scrum Meetings
Retrieved from http://scrumreferencecard.com/scrum-reference-card/
Click on the above link for more details about these meetings.
Agile Scrum – pictorial representation
Agile Scrum tips for SAP Dashboard development
Project backlog tips
- Develop a mock up information follow for the project(Just a sketch)
- Back end information ( Cubes, Queries)
- Develop a Dashboard Mock UI (Sketch) – Target it to Sprint 1 – Get sign-off
- Sprint 2 – Develop the back end system required & Start with front end development(Prototype)
- End of Sprint 2 , we should have full developed back end & prototype of front-end
- Sprint 3 – Integrate the front end and back end and deploy the dashboard.
As per my knowledge if the team is self organizing team provided how complex the dashboard requirements are can develop SAP Dashboard in one month!
Yes i agree , agile suits for smaller projects but in my next blog will put my thoughts on Scaling Up agile for larger projects.
Ganesh Shankar
Hi Ganesh
Thanks for the well done overview of Scrum. Nevertheless I'm not sure whether your tips at the end of the blog are "really" Scrum like: The idea of Scrum is to deliver "working software" after every Sprint. What you are proposing is still a waterfall like procedure. How does this match or what did I get wrong?
Best regards
Raphael
Hi Raphael,
In my point of view , dashboard project ( back end + dashboard)
each sprint you are delighting the customer with some features . What i have mentioned is that
end of sprint 1 : We would have back end queries etc. built + Mock UI of dashboard
end of sprint 2 : Fully developed back end & prototype of dashboard
end of sprint 3 : integrate both front end and back end.
Regards
Ganesh
Hi Ganesh
I agree, but just putting your project into phases doesn't make it agile in the way Scrum is meant. As far as I understand Scrum and used it until today, I would describe the Sprints as follows:
Sprint 1: Let's assume the customer ("Product Owner" or as you call it the project owner) decides that a screen with a chart comparing revenue to plan for the last twelve months is first priority (that means it is at the top of the product backlog). The team now commits to this feature (or user story) for Sprint 1. Everything which is needed to enable this chart view in the dashboard will be built in Sprint 1. Necessary back end queries, dashboard mockup (but just for this chart) and its final implementation including documentation. The work is "done". Therefore, at the end of Sprint 1 the team presents the working dashoboard to end users and the persons in charge either accept the result or refuse it. If the customer accepts the result, Scrum talks about "Done, Done".
Sprint 2: Now the next feature in the product backlog is addressed. Maybe this is another chart / dashboard area or an extension of the already existing chart. Again, the main goal is that after the sprint new working features are available and ready to put into production.
I'm fully aware that this procedure is not trivial! The more back end components must be developed, the more tricky it is to achieve working results in every sprint. But especially if it is about dashboard / front end projects where the data foundation is there already (e.g. you don't need to build new data marts first) Scrum is a very powerful means because end users get working and useable ( ! ) software after every sprint!
Best regards
Raphael
Hello Raphael ,
I agree to your approach , but as i had mentioned in my post the sprints are just tips to get started to work on all areas of dashboard simultaneously. I have put my thoughts aiming for the freshers and intermediate to dashboard development 🙂 . Not experts like you 🙂
Again the team should be self organizing!
Regards
Ganesh
Agile methods are an alternative to stage-gate project management, including software application projects. Stage-gate methods of management depend on project managers delivering artifacts that record a completed task.