Iterative Software Development

At Brüel & Kjær I was responsible for a number of software process improvement projects. Focus on two of these was to replace a conventional waterfall development model by an iterative process.

Brüel & Kjær participated in the large Danish software process improvement project Center for Software Process Improvement (CSPI). During this project we have experimented both with a prototype based development model, and with a RAD type incremental development model based on timeboxing. The results of these will be presented below. The results of the other process improvement projects can be found via the main page.

During my employment at DELTA I have been one of the authors of a report on iterative development models in practice. The report tries to create an overview of these development models and demonstrates how they have been used in a number of Danish companies.

Timeboxing Improvement Project - B&K CMS

As part of the large Danish software process improvement project Center for Software Process Improvement (CSPI) an improvement project was undertaken in Brüel & Kjær's Condition Monitoring Systems (CMS) division to support a development project to work with Incremental Development through use of the Timeboxing principle from RAD (Rapid Application Development).

The major lessons we learned from using such a development model were:

That everyone must be prepared for and accept changes to plans after each timebox
That the requirements do not increase during the process, they are clarified and detailed
That quality can be maintained by inserting "stabilising" timboxes
That 8 week timboxes provide enough time to deliver useful results
That it is important to hold "half-way" meetings in each timebox to ensure team focus on results
That it is difficult to run timeboxes in parallel, but it can be handled by introducing short synchronising periods after such timeboxes

Our experiences with these principles can be found in the final report (in Danish) [1].

The results were also presented at the ECIS2002 conference as: "Managing Incremental Development: Combining Flexibility and Control" [2].

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Prototyping Improvement Project - B&K S&V

As part of the large Danish software process improvement project Center for Software Process Improvement (CSPI) an improvement project was initiated in Brüel & Kjær's Sound & Vibration (S&V) division to redefine our ISO 9001 certified software development model from a conventional waterfall model to an incremental development model based on prototypes. Three development projects experimented with this type of development model.

The major lessons we learned from using such a development model were:

That increased control over project progress was obtained
That uncertainty about goals and results internally on as well as around the project was reduced
That serious technical problems on the project were found early
That motivation and drive among the project participants increased
That the prototypes must be completed in less than 3 months to ensure focus on results

Our experiences with these principles can be found in the final report (in Danish) [3].

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Iterative Software Development in Practice

TecPoint (until 2006: Datateknisk Forum) decided that their annual report of 2001 should address how iterative development was done in practice in Denmark.

The report includes chapters on:

The history of iterative development
The iterative principles
A short introduction to four well-known iterative development models (DSDM, MSF, RUP og XP), and
A number of essential issues to be aware of in iterative development.

The report also contains a number of cases from Danish companies about their experiences with the iterative development models.

We were three authors on this report: Iterative Software Development - A Practical View [4], which was published in November 2001. A short version of the report can be found [here].

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Seminars and Presentations

Introducing and applying iterative development models in an organisation is not a simple process. It requires a changed mindset with all parties in and around the development project. The most effective way to get the necessary experience with these models is to receive support (mentoring) from someone who has tried it in practice. I can assist companies in clarifying the prerequisites and participate in introducing the most effective iterative development model for your company.

I also give presentations on this subject varying from 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on your needs.

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