Designing a Project Management Application for Agile Software Development

104 Pages·2017·6.25 MB·English

Designing a Project Management
Application for Agile Software
Development
Ellinor Ro¨nn
EllinorRo¨nn
HT2016-VT2017
Masterthesis,30hp
Supervisor:Ha˚kanGulliksson
ExternSupervisor:IdamariaHarnesk
Examiner:ThomasMejtoft
MasterofEngineeringinInteractionTechnologyandDesign

Abstract
Agile software development has emerged as a response to the rapidly
changing software environment and the need to anticipate late change
ofrequirements. Animportanttoolformanyagilemethodsisaproject
managementapplicationwithataskboardtokeeptrackoftheprogress.
However, it can be difficult to find a project management application
that is suited for a workplace where development teams use different
methods.
The aim of this master thesis was to develop a prototype of a project
management application adapted to Codemill AB where development
teamsusedifferentagilemethods. Toachievethis, theworkprocessof
development teams were investigated, as well as existing project man-
agementapplications,andthemostimportantfunctionalityandfeatures
fromauseravailablepointofviewwereidentified. Twodesignconcepts
were developed based on the users’ needs. Both concepts were tested
andcomparedbyendusersinordertodeveloparefinedprototypewith
thebestpartsfrombothconcepts.
The results indicate that the development process in a workplace can
varyalotbetweendifferentdevelopmentteamseventhoughtheirmeth-
ods are inspired by the same framework. A project management appli-
cationforagilesoftwaredevelopmentmustbeflexibleenoughtohandle
these differences without becoming too complex and difficult to use.
None of the investigated applications achieved this balance. This work
aimedtodevelopaprototypeofanapplicationthatfillsthisgap,withthe
users’needsinfocus. ThefindingsinthisthesisarebasedonCodemill’s
needs, however, they could also be considered by others with similar
needs.

Acknowledgements
IwanttothankCodemillandallemployeesthereforgivingmethisopportunityandforpar-
ticipatinginsurveys,workshopsandtests. ExtrathankstomysupervisorIdamariaHarnesk
and team Machine, You have been of great help and it has been a pleasure working with
you. Furthermore,IwanttothankHa˚kanGullikssonforthehelpwiththereport. Finally,I
wouldliketothankChristoferRya˚sforallhissupportduringthiswork.

Contents
1 Introduction 3
1.1 Aimandobjective 3
1.2 Codemill 4
1.3 Overviewofthework 4
2 Agilesoftwaredevelopment 5
2.1 Scrum 6
2.1.1 ScrumEvents 7
2.2 Kanban 7
3 Developmentteams 9
3.1 Method 9
3.2 Result 10
3.2.1 Sprintsanditerations 11
3.2.2 Taskboard 11
3.2.3 Projectmanagementapplications 13
4 Requirementanalysis 15
4.1 Method 15
4.1.1 Questionnaire 15
4.1.2 Userstoryworkshop 16
4.2 Result 17
4.2.1 Questionnaire 17
4.2.2 Userstoryworkshop 19
5 Competitoranalysis 21
5.1 Method 21
5.2 Result 22
5.2.1 Trello 22
1(97)
5.2.2 PivotalTracker 25
5.2.3 ScrumDesk 30
6 Prototype 37
6.1 Method 37
6.1.1 Designconcepts 37
6.1.2 Usabilitytests 37
6.1.3 Refinements 39
6.2 Result 39
6.2.1 Designconcepts 39
6.2.2 Usabilitytests 48
6.2.3 Refinements 54
7 Discussion 63
7.1 Limitations 64
7.2 Futurework 64
8 Conclusions 67
References 69
A Requirements 73
A.1 Requirements 73
A.1.1 Userstories 73
A.1.2 Questionnaireresult 75
B Comparisontest 83
B.1 Productbacklog,concept1 84
B.2 Productbacklog,concept2 85
B.3 Agileboard,concept1 86
B.4 Agileboard,concept2 87
C Sketchworkshop 89
C.1 Addingitemsinstorymap 90
C.2 SprintplanninginProductbacklog 94
2(97)
3(97)
1 Introduction
Traditionalsoftwaredevelopmentmethods,suchasthewaterfallmodelandthespiralmodel,
havewidelybeenusedformorethan40years[1]. Theysupportwelldefinedplanningand
assumealargeamountofdocumentation[1–3].
It is common with a rapidly changing business environment, which introduces challenges
to traditional development methods. Non-changing requirements produced in the begin-
ning of the project may be outdated before the project is completed [4]. The changing
businessenvironmentsandtheneedtoanticipatelatechangeofrequirementsrequirednew
approaches,whicharenowcalledagilemethods[3]. Theaimofagilemethodsistoanswer
theneedtodevelopsoftwarequicklyinanenvironmentwheretherequirementsarerapidly
changing[5,6].
Acentralpartofseveralagilemethodsisuserstories,whichareshortdescriptionsofparts
oftheworkauserdoeswiththesystem,formulatedineverydayorbusinesslanguageofthe
end-user [7]. User stories are often used in requirement engineering, release and iteration
planning, and for tracking the progress of a project [4]. When tracking the progress of a
project, the taskboard isanimportant tooltothe agileteam [8]. Ataskboard isa chartof
columns that is used to track the state of the tasks done in a project. One early method for
thiswastouseanExcelspreadsheet[8]. Anotherearlymethodwastowritethestorieson
index cards which can be displayed and arranged on a pin board. Today there are a great
numberofsoftwaretoolsforthis,providingdifferentsetsoffeatures[4].
However, it can be difficult to find a project management application that is suited for a
workplace where the development teams use different methods. If you start looking at
differentapplicationsyoumaysoonnoticethatmanyofthemareeithertoosimpleforagile
softwaredevelopmentortheyhavesomanypossibilitiesthattheybecometoocomplexand
difficult to use. Other applications only allow one specific method that you have to follow
strictly. This may, much like the too simple applications, force the development team to
adapttheirprocessafterthetool,whichshouldbeavoided[9].
OnecompanythathasencounteredthisproblemisCodemillAB,wheretherearecurrently
five development teams, using different methods. The teams are mainly using Trello [10]
tokeeptrackoftheirprojectssinceitisthetooltheyhavefoundthatbestmeettheirneeds.
However, they are not satisfied with any tool they have tried since they are not adapted to
howtheywanttoworkatCodemill.
1.1 Aimandobjective
TheaimofthisMasterThesisistodevelopaprototypeofaprojectmanagementapplication
adaptedforCodemill,acompanyusingagilesoftwaredevelopment,withfocusontheusers
need. Thefollowingobjectiveswereformulated: