Visualizing Feature Dependencies to Avoid Release Failures

“I hate red string.” Tom and I have heard this multiple times in our coaching careers. You know, that blob of red string that’s on the wall after a Big Room Planning event. Why do we and others hate it? Because you can’t see anything.

You can’t see the unique value stream, the team dependency chain, of any of the features in a release. And you can’t see how these team dependency chains can conflict with other feature dependency chains in the release.

And without seeing the complete set of team dependency chains within a release, sprint teams will not be able to effectively plan, let alone deliver the work that they have committed to. This is crucial if you want to avoid release failures.

So how can you capture the information in the big blob of red string on your wall in a way that can actually be useful?

The Importance of Visualizing Feature Dependencies

Tom and I will discuss several bad planning patterns that result from not being able to collectively visualize all the value streams within a release.

Feature dependencies are critical to understand because they directly impact the flow and success of your project. Ignoring or poorly managing these dependencies can lead to significant delays and, ultimately, release failures.

We will also show how to effectively visualize your release plan using a social network visualization tool. This tool helps teams see the complex web of feature dependencies and manage them proactively.

Utilizing Eli Goldratt’s Critical Chain to Avoid Release Failures

Finally, we will discuss Eli Goldratt’s Critical Chain, a key part of his Theory of Constraints, that will help mitigate the risk of missing your release commitments.

The Critical Chain method provides a robust framework for identifying and managing feature dependencies, ensuring that your team can deliver on time and avoid release failures.

By understanding and applying these principles, teams can better navigate the complexities of Agile project management.

ABOUT Thomas Looy and Tom Perry

Thomas Looy is an experienced Agile program manager. He has worked in retail, finance, construction, insurance, SaaS, and telecommunications. In addition to his managerial role, he also serves as a coach, trainer, and mentor. He is also a coach, trainer, and mentor.

With a wealth of experience in leading Agile transformations, Thomas has worked with Fortune 100 clients to integrate Lean, Theory of Constraints, and Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge into organizational systems, enabling the successful implementation of Agile methodologies.

As a Senior Enterprise Agile Coach Consultant at Hyperdrive Agile, he directly supported C-level executives in Enterprise Agile transformation, delivering valuable recommendations, targeted training, and expert coaching.

Thomas is also a seasoned entrepreneur, having co-created a startup project, showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit and strategic vision. With a Bachelor of Science in Education, he combines his educational background with extensive Agile expertise to drive Agile excellence and transformation in organizations.

Thomas is an experienced and respected advisor and leader in Agile program management and coaching. He is dedicated to Agile principles and has a history of successful outcomes.

Tom Perry is a storyteller. In his 25-year career as a software developer and architect, he has used his talent for storytelling to lead digital transformations, including at Visa, which resulted in a 30% decrease in defects and 60% faster time-to-market, and at USAA, where his exceptional coaching skill led the development team to delivering their first features eight times faster than had been projected at the start of the project.

Tom also produced and ran the annual Agile Management Northwest conference. His successful Agile coaching engagements include USAA’s People & Culture division, multiple divisions within Experian, and a landmark engagement at AssetMark which saved the company 1.5 million by eliminating redundant analysis meetings for their teams.

Now as an instructor and educator, Tom uses stories and real-world examples to inspire his students to see Agile and Scrum training as something they can integrate into their lives and work right away to create remarkable improvements — not just the efficiency of their work, but their own engagement and morale as well.

He has written a guide to software project management called The Little Book of Impediments, and regularly writes blogs for Hyperdrive and his personal website. Learn more about Tom & his upcoming ICAgile certified classes here.