Project
Management

DCPN recognised early on that the rigid approach to project management and ‘doing it right’ meant that there were many hierarchical and heavily documented processes that had to be passed and ‘permission’ gates to be passed and this slowed the process down. In today’s rapidly changing marketplace that is constantly evolving, getting it right is not enough. It has to be right but delivered at speed. If you cannot react quickly to rapidly evolving needs, the opportunity will be lost.

To the chagrin of some development teams, ‘agility’ does not mean ‘lack of management oversight’ and ‘no documentation, it means the ability to adjust rapidly to changing business needs and to be adaptable.

DCPN is a proponent of Agile Project management but can still work with clients who use the ‘waterfall’ or other approaches.

Whilst agile was originally for software development projects, it has been adapted and adopted by the broader industry to deliver innovative products and services in rapidly changing environments.

Hence, DCPN utilises agile project management.

DCPN utilises agile
project management

The Agile Manifesto

The Agile Manifesto defines four core values:

1

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools – people are able to change faster than processes and tools.

2

Working software over comprehensive documentation – whilst accurate documentation is required it is useless without a working product.

3

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation – if you deliver what the customer wants and when you agreed to deliver and it works for them, it is much better than lengthy contract negotiations that are usually inflexible. DCPN sees that working with the customer is essential to a successful outcome

4

Responding to change over following a plan – historically, a plan was followed to the end even if it was wrong, changes were regarded as delays with costs. Today, we live with change and have to adapt to it. Every DCPN Sprint allows for change to be built in as part of the project.

The 12 Agile Principles

DCPN has adopted and adapted the 12 Agile principles to guide all of their projects, each one being different, but the principles are adapted to suit the project and are at a level to facilitate this rather than being inflexible. The principles that DCPN work are the following.

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools – people are able to change faster than processes and tools.

2. DCPN welcomes changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage and our overall success.

3. DCPN deliver working products frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale, allowing faster feedback and so adopting changing requirements faster.

4. DCPN and the customer must work together, even daily throughout the project.

5. DCPN builds projects around motivated individuals in the DCPN teams. DCPN gives them the environment and support they need, and trusts them to get the job done;

6. DCPN believe that the most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.

7. Working software is the primary measure of progress in DCPN along with satisfied customers;

8. DCPN believes that agile processes promote sustainable development. All interested parties, be they sponsors, developers or users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely;

9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility within DCPN;

10. Simplicity - the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential within DCPN;

11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams, as implemented in DCPN;

12. At regular intervals, the DCPN teams reflect on how to become more effective, then amends their working practices and focusses accordingly.

Committed to excellence

By adopting this approach for all projects for internal and external customers, DCPN has a successful track record of delivering what the customer wants, when they want it at a competitive price.

To achieve the optimum results for any customer, DCPN has to have the right skillsets in place in their teams. Teams are typically made up of experienced and competent members who are adaptable, team oriented, multi-functional, challenging, curious, self-starting, entrepreneurial and above all – committed to excellence

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