A developer recently asked me “What is the real difference between Cadence and Velocity?   Aren’t they both just talking about speed?”   Hmmm…  Good Questions. Cadence Generally thinking cadence can be tied to rhythm.  One thing to remember is that the DevOps value stream is much broader in scope than just Dev and Ops.  So what are we looking at here?  The rhythm of code integration, and how we align with that things like integrated testing?  Yes, but also consider that the code development integration and deployment has to be in rhythm with the demand that is coming from your Customer and Business side.  If we are not in sync or have the same cadence as the business demand all other measurements may not be beneficial.     Alright, now let’s consider that your design and development teams work diligently to implement Agile Software Development principles to align and sync with the business.  If the cadence in test and deployment is not in sync then you have a potential bottlen

So unlike the Billy Joel lyric “Love you just the way you are”, we can never be satisfied with our processes being just the way they are.  As the organizations that we are engaged by continually change and mature to meet customers dynamic requirements, our processes must be continually assessed, measured and matured to ensure that they stay relevant and deliver value long into the future.  This takes real time, effort and resources.  Organizations cannot possibly move from being informal or ad-hoc to having a fully integrated ITSM program in a short period of time.  Just being able to gather the correct components (people, process, technology and information) can be a lengthy process and, of course, there is the decision of which processes do I begin with. The saying “Rome was not built in a day” really applies in this situation.  We must begin from the perspective that each level of maturity forms the foundation for the next level of maturity. Trying to jump over levels will almo

Let’s face it, IT service management (ITSM) processes get a bad rap. Sometimes deservedly so. Bureaucratic and overly risk-adverse processes can be a real constraint in the IT value stream; particularly in organizations that are adopting agile, lean and DevOps practices. To keep pace, today’s IT organizations must be built on ITSM policies and processes that facilitate speed and change. So who ensures that ITSM processes are designed with ‘just enough’ control to meet an organization’s needs? Here’s where the role of Certified Agile Process Owner comes into play. A Certified Agile Process Owner (CAPO) SM adapts agile and Scrum values and practices to ITSM processes and process design and improvement activities. Much like a Scrum Product Owner, a Certified Agile Process Owner manages stakeholder requirements and strives to translate those requirements into process activities and features that deliver value. What’s different is that CAPOs and Process Improvement Teams use Sprints

Would you buy a product or service that did not include some type of warranty?  If the manufacturer or reseller does not explicitly set the expectations, then you will form them for yourself.  It is the same with the customers of your IT services.  Either IT clearly sets the expectations, or end-users will develop them on their own. Best practice tells us that during the negotiation and acceptance of Service Level Agreements, IT commits that services not only meet business and customer outcomes but also that they will meet requirements for availability, capacity, continuity and security.  Ok… that is good.  Best practice tells us to include these so called “non-functional” requirements early in the lifecycle of a service.  In reality these warranty requirements are often considered somewhat in the Strategy/Design stage but more often than we would like to admit the majority of the work and effort for security and availability are performed reactively in the Service Operation lifec