Papers & Presentations
A comprehensive collection of insights, methodologies, and findings from our extensive engagements in Agile hardware and software development.
Agile Processes for Hardware Development
This is the foundational publication on how to develop hardware products using an Agile process. It reflects 18 months of Dr. Thompson’s original research into the relevant issues and has been the basis for our subsequent work in the field.
Agile Development for Medical Products
The development of medical products is regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration, whose regulations permeate all aspects of development. In spite of some beliefs to the contrary, FDA rules and Agile development can coexist without any difficulty. This paper addresses common issues with FDA regulation, especially around requirements management and traceability of test cases.
The Price of Uncertainty
This paper conducts an analysis of two projects, both intended to produce the same Business Intelligence and Reporting system. One uses the classic Waterfall method, while the other uses an Agile process. The two projects are stress-tested with unforeseen challenges and delays, and the results are analyzed to show the differences in outcomes for the two projects. The Agile project emerges as the clear winner when uncertainty is high.
The Agile PMO
Project, Program, and Project-Portfolio Management Organizations need to evolve from their classic roots in order to accommodate Agile processes. This paper analyzes the impacts of Agile processes on PMOs, PgMOs, and PPMOs. It reveals a surprising discovery, namely that the impact decreases as one moves from the PMO, through the PgMO, to the PPMO, because the PPMO is found to have a substantial “Agile flavor” from the beginning.
Recipes for Agile Governance in the Enterprise (RAGE)
The purpose of this lengthy white paper was to develop scaling concepts for the Agile world. It pioneered Agile versions of Program and Portfolio management. The basis for the entire paper is a definition for governance that Dr. Thompson devised for it, namely, “Governance is the formalization and exercise of repeatable decision-making practices.” Much of the content for this paper was folded into the Sage book.
Agile, Scrum, and “Hitting the Date”
This paper examines some misconceptions around the inability to hit dates in product development with Scrum and clarifies that Scrum is actually a very date-oriented process.