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InfraScrum – Agile Methodology Applied to Infrastructure Operations

January 7, 2009 By 12 Comments
The Scrum project management method. Part of t...
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Over the last couple months I was tasked with finding a way to move my team to a project management process based around Agile methods. Every other part of IT had moved to Scrum and were having positive results.

As I did research into Scrum and spoke with different ScrumMasters I discovered that it was not  incompatible with an operations based group even though it may not be as easily consumable. I decided to take the core values of Agile and write a proposal that was Scrum-like is almost all of its aspects. But at the same time I wanted to maintain focus on specific goals that integrate into things like Visible Ops and teams with >33% dedication to support/maintenance.

A large portion of this document is written with specific challenges in mind for my group. I also consider myself a complete rookie in the arena of Agile but I can see the posibilities of cross-pollination and team-based accountability having significant benefits for an operations team.

You can download the Word 2007 document here:
InfraScrum – Agile Methodology Applied to Infrastructure Operations

**** Update ****

So even with all the work on document above I ended up implementing a hybrid of Scrum and Kanban.  The results have been great and I will try and write a post about it soon.

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  • ScrumFriend

    I have just read you document. I really like what you had to say. We have been tasked with this very challenge of coming up with a plan to introduce Scrum to the ops teams. Do you have an updated version of your document that you might be willing to share with me please?

    • http://www.nickapedia.com nick

      I haven’t made any updates yet. Our experiences with using Kanban in combination with InfraScrum have been great. I will take time to update and include our feedback soon.

  • http://timuralhimenkov.ru/2009/01/chto-takoe-marketing Your Reader

    Good work! Thank you!
    I always wanted to write in my site something like that. Can I take part of your post to my blog?
    Of course, I will add backlink?

    Regards, Timur Alhimenkov

    • http://www.nickapedia.com nick

      @Your Reader
      Sure feel free to paraphrase/quote and link back. Thanks for the compliment.

  • Gary Allison

    Good initiative! You show allot more insight than most managers on the Infrastructure side. Most Infrastructure folks are so focused on the technical aspects of their jobs (also important) they spend no time on process and approach to their project oriented activites. Good stuff! Now I understand why DeMarkus likes working there so much. You’ve got a good guy in DeMarkus. He’s got allot of initiative like you.

    • http://www.nickapedia.com nick

      I agree, DeMarkus is an exceptional engineer. It is hard to find individuals that have a combination of drive and work ethic like DeMarkus does. And thank you for the compliments!

  • Kevin

    Thanks for putting this together Nick – I’ve always thought that a lite-weight approach was definable. I’ve previously tried applying more traditional approaches but have almost always ended up ‘running with the ball’ in the fashion of Scrum. I’m kicking into a infrastructure project now and although my main outsourcer will be using Prince 2 (modified) I’m keen to use the InfraScrum approach. I’ll keep you posted as to how it pan’s out. If you have any further advice, tips or updates, let me know!
    BTW you should get InfraScrum trademarked before someone else does!
    Cheers

  • Beat down Mule

    Can someone please officially publish “Don’t put your IT people in every scrum the dept. has” so we can point the pointy hairs at an official source so we can stop scrumming and get work done?

  • Carlos Diaz

    When I download from the link I am not able to locate the word document. I would really like to review your document. I have a need to integrate the IT Infrastructure team into the existing Scrum processes.

    Thanks

  • Treddy

    This is very exciting stuff but I dont see the word document download. Can you please publish or email?

    Thanks,
    Thirumal

    • http://www.nickapedia.com nick

      Link fixed. Sorry about the broken download.

  • Treddy

    Thanks but still cannot find the Microsoft Word 2007 document in the zip folder. Thanks for your time!