INTRODUCTION
ART stands for Agile Release Train, which is a group of cross-functional and self-organizing teams that work together on a common goal in an Agile environment.
ART follows the iterative development approach, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between the customer and development teams. In an ART approach, projects are delivered in small increments, with each iteration building upon the previous one. This iterative development approach allows for continuous feedback, adaptation, and improvement. Join SAFe 5.1 certification by Universal Agile to learn how the ART approach work in agile scenario.
ART also follows an incremental approach, where small, manageable portions of the project are delivered in each iteration, allowing for frequent feedback and adjustments.
ART provides benefits such as increased transparency, better alignment, improved predictability, and faster time-to-market, leading to higher productivity and customer satisfaction.
ART Process for Platform Development
Preparation
1. Stakeholder Identification: Identifying key stakeholders involved in the platform development, including customers, end-users, and internal teams.
2. Project Goals: Defining clear and achievable project goals, and aligning them with the stakeholders’ needs and expectations.
3. Team Assembly: Assembling a cross-functional team with the necessary skills and expertise to deliver the platform.
Planning and Estimation
1. Backlog Creation: Creating a backlog of requirements for the platform, including functional and non-functional requirements.
2. Backlog Prioritization: Prioritizing the backlog items based on customer value, dependencies, and feasibility.
3. Sprint Definition: Defining sprints and iterations, with clear goals and deliverables for each one.
Execution
1. Sprint Planning & Review: Planning and reviewing each sprint with the team, ensuring that all necessary resources and tools are in place.
2. Daily Stand-up Meetings: Hold daily stand-up meetings to monitor progress and identify any blockers or challenges.
3. Continuous Delivery & Testing: Implementing continuous delivery and testing processes, ensuring that the platform is delivered in a high-quality, secure, and reliable manner.
Monitoring and Adjusting
1. Progress Review: Regularly reviewing progress and performance, tracking progress against the project plan and goals.
2. Feedback & Adjustment: Adapting to changes and feedback, updating the backlog, and prioritizing items as needed.
3. Re-prioritizing: Re-prioritizing the backlog as necessary to ensure that the most valuable features and requirements are delivered first.
Key Considerations in ART
Communication & Collaboration: Effective communication and collaboration among cross-functional teams and stakeholders are essential for the success of ART.
Flexibility & Adaptability: ART requires flexibility and adaptability, allowing for changes and feedback to be incorporated into the project plan as needed.
Continuous Improvement: ART encourages continuous improvement, with regular retrospectives and feedback sessions to identify areas for improvement.
Cross-Functional Team Empowerment: ART empowers cross-functional teams by giving them the autonomy and ownership to make decisions and deliver high-quality solutions.
Challenges in ART and how to overcome them?
Resistance to Change: One of the biggest challenges in ART is resistance to change, especially from stakeholders who are used to traditional development methods.
Lack of Visibility & Transparency: ART can also face challenges with a lack of visibility and transparency, making it difficult to track progress and identify risks.
Unclear Requirements: Unclear requirements and changing stakeholder needs can also be a challenge in ART, leading to scope creep and delays.
Strategies for Overcoming Challenges: Strategies for overcoming these challenges include regular communication and collaboration, clear goal-setting and prioritization, continuous improvement and feedback, and empowering cross-functional teams.
Conclusion
The ART approach to project management emphasizes iterative development and incremental delivery, with key considerations such as communication and collaboration, flexibility and adaptability, continuous improvement, and cross-functional team empowerment.
ART is a crucial approach to project management, as it provides benefits such as increased transparency, better alignment, improved predictability, and faster time-to-market, leading to higher productivity and customer satisfaction.
ART and iterative development provide a flexible and adaptive approach to project management, allowing for a more collaborative and customer-focused approach to delivering solutions.