CT2 Development Process v2
From UG
! This is UNDER CONSTRUCTION (NOT COMPLETED YET). Old version of this article here: CT2 Development Process
Contents |
Intro
This article defines what methodology, roles, workflow, etc we use in CT2 Web Software Development.
CT2 Supercomponents
CT2 System is large and can be divided into the following supercomponents (supertasks):
- Acc
- Client App
- OpsReps
- Ops
- OpsPdfs
- Admin
- Misc
Each supercomponent has its own Development team, project plan, etc.
Some coordination between teams is needed because supercomponents are interrelated to a certain degree.
CT2 Team
CT2 Acceptance Board (The Board)(Committee)(Demo Meeting) Group of people who:
- initiated the CT2 project
- oversees general progress
- demo meeting is conducted for The Board
- makes final decision about acceptance, tweaks, course of the project
Chairman of Acceptance Board
- person who makes final decision in case there is a conflict
CT2 Systems Architect
- Technical leadership of CT2 project
CT2 Project Manager
- time/scope leadership of CT2 project
CT2 Supercomponent Team
Each CT2 Supercomponent Team consists of 2 groups of people:
- Business Team (Client/Sponsor)
- (Software) Development Team (Vendor)
CT2 Supercomponent Business Team
Business Analyst
- logistics/transportation expert/manager
- invents, initiates features, components, formulates business needs and requirements
- communicates/transfers these requirements to Systems Analyst
Systems Analyst
- IT expert, core knowledge of logistics/transportation required
- interview Business Analyst
- creates wiki spec doc that describes detailed business requirements and specifications
- this wiki spec is all developer and QA need to fully implement feature/component
- transfers specs to development team
Project manager
- time/scope management expert
- accountable for delivering component on time and on budget
- managing/coordinating business phases of CT2 Software Development Worflow (see below)
CT2 Supercomponent Development Team
Development Manager - leader of the development team
- coordinates development effort
- manages resources
- manages dev phase of proj plan: detailed development schedule that includes phases of development, bugfix, QA, graphics (for every sub-component/dev task)
- collects updates from developer, QA, graphic designer regarding deadlines
- if there is a chance for ETA to be postponed then he must notify Project Manager ASAP and they both decide what to do: move tasks around, add resources or push ETA forward or do something else
QA Engineer
- makes sure that specs are complete
- creates test plans
- runs test plans
- forwards bugs to developer
- provides ETA for his work to Development Manager
- must immediately notify Development Manager if his ETA can slip
Developer
- makes sure specs are complete
- implements new sub-components, changes, tweaks, bug fixes
- deploy, forwards his work to QA
- provides ETA for his work to Development Manager
- must immediately notify Development Manager if his ETA can slip
Graphic designer
- responsible for creating overall Look and Feel concept
- creates Style Guide
- creates all graphics for application
- provides ETA for his work to Development Manager
- must immediately notify Development Manager if his ETA can slip
CT2 Task and Bug Management System
We use Mantis software as a main CT2 Tasks and Bugs Management System.
Read this section as a separate article here: Mantis and CT2
CT2 Task Types
All tasks (ativities) we classify into:
- major changes:
- request for new components
- request for new version of existing component
- minor changes:
- request for tweak (minor change of existing component)
- bug
- etc
CT2 Workflows
For each task type as defined above there is a special workflow.
Read this section as a separate article here: CT2 Workflows
CT2 Project Method and Plan
Intro to Scrum and Sprints
Scrum is an approach we use to scheduling components/tasks into development.
Planning is based on weekly or bi weekly or any regular time intervals that is called Sprint.
Before the start of the Sprint team is looking at current tasks backlog (new components, bugs, tweaks, changes, etc) and select a number of tasks for next Sprint based on prioity, size of tasks, resources available, etc.
Note that conventional approach is to estimate each task and build a sequence (plan). One of the advantages of Scrum I guess is that it has always same distance between milestones.
So under Scrum if there is an ETA slip for given task then instead of re-scheduling milestone (demo date) we move delayed component to next demo and ideally work on and show something else instead for current milestone (demo).
If Release Date fo supercomponent is fixed then all Sprints must be planned in advance so that they cover entire backlog.
If Release Date for supercomponent is not fixed then planning can be done just for next week.
Release Procedure
All accumulated code in SVN Trunk (on /CyberTrax) released at once.
In the future we will have bugfix releases
Communication
Through Mantis
If there is a question regarding task then:
- post question into Mantis notes
- set task to feedback
- assign to person you are asking
- if urgent contact that person in Skype
Through email
- If there is a general question - use email. CC to your manager and others as required
- Everyone must check email at least 2 times a day: at the beginning and at the end of workday
Comm between Sys Analyst and Dev Manager
They agree on how to reach each other during extended timeframe.
Urgent Communication
- we must define what can happen and how to reach someone we need to reach to solve urgency
Weekly Status Meetings
- Why: These meetings are group chats in Skype with Agenda to update each other on progress
- Who: Dev Team + Sys Analyst
Client App Team (summer 2009 schedule): Tuesd, Thur: 10-10:45am NY time Reports and Accounting Team (summer 2009 schedule): Tuesd, Thur: 9:15-10am NY time
Communication Hours
- Who: Dev Team + Sys An
- What: All must be available in Skype
- Why: In case somebody needs to discuss not through Mantis, but "live" through chat
- When:
For All Super Components: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri: 9-11am NY time
- If somebody can not attend he must notify Dev Team Lead and give alternative time frame that he is available same day
Vacations and Days Off
- Must notify Dev Team Lead as much in advance as possible
- Dev Team Lead must post this info into Dev Calendar
