What We LikedIn their introduction, the authors observe:[5] While the original book on DAD is quite comprehensive in describing the original vision for [this] tool kit, it is 500 pages. We felt that it would be useful to summarize DAD into a quick read to show how it can be applied in a typical situation. ... We have found that organizations that simply take a bit of time to understand what DAD is, as well as what it is not, see very quickly the obvious benefits of DAD.
Our authors provide some quick facts about DAD (Disciplined Agile Delivery):[6] - DAD is the delivery portion of the Discipline Agile (DA) tool kit. DAD is a key component of Disciplined DevOps, which in turn leads to value streams, and then to a Disciplined Agile Enterprise (DAE). The web site PMI.org/disciplined-agile provides an overview of DA as does the appendix at the back of the book.
- DA is resonating within organizations around the world. Organizations that have adopted, or are in the process of adopting DA include large financial institution, software companies,
e‑commerce companies, restaurant chains, government agencies, and many others. By adoption, we mean either planning or actively implementing it across their entire organization, not just in one or two teams.
- Although DAD was originally developed at IBM, it is now the intellectual property of Project Management Institute, and is freely available for use.[7]
- DA is not a replacement or competitor for existing agile and lean method, instead it puts them into context so that you can pick the right techniques for you given the situation that you face. DA shows you how to apply agile and lean across your enterprise.
Our authors summarize DAD's delivery cycle as shown in Figure 1, which is applied by DA's two project-based lifecycles. Note: this example is a subset of the whole system life cycle. However, the authors point out that there is more to DAD than just the high-level diagram shown in Figure 1. In fact, because it is not prescriptive, it strives to reflect reality as best it can by offering several versions of a delivery life cycle.[9] The authors describe six versions, each in some detail: - Agile. A Scrum-based project life cycle with streamlined phases, see Figure 1, that support for early mitigation of risk and lightweight governance;
- Lean. A Kanban-based project life cycle with streamlined phases;
- Continuous Delivery: Agile. A Scrum-based life cycle that leverages DevOps strategies for long-standing product teams;
- Continuous Delivery: Lean. A Kanban-based life cycle for product teams;
- Exploratory. A life cycle based on a Lean Start-up approach for applying minimum viable products (MVPs) to explore customer needs; and
- Program. A life cycle for a team of teams.
DAD teams should adopt the life cycle that is most appropriate to their situation and then tailor it appropriately. Each of these life cycles is illustrated graphically followed by a detailed description.[10] BigBankAs can be seen from the book's Chapter listing shown above, Chapters 4 onwards to Chapter 12 are all dedicated to a fictitious Case Study Called "BigBank". This study describes what you might expect from a typical DAD team, and the flow of chapters covers and follows the life span of this particular project illustration.[11] The essence of this case study is that BigBank would like to develop a solution to enable prospective customers to apply for a mortgage on line. The solution should be easy to use on both a desktop browser as well as on mobile responsive devices.[12] After trying Scrum on several teams, BigBank realized that they needed to adopt an agile method that reflects the enterprise challenges they faced. ... After a bit of investigation they chose to adopt DAD because it offered the flexibility that they required. ... Given DAD's lack of prescription and focus on pragmatism, BigBank recognized that DAD would scale to meet its diverse needs.[13]
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid, p2.
7. See the DA Hub at pmi.org/disciplined-agile.
8. Ibid, p8.
9. Ibid, p8. See pmi.org/disciplined-agile/process/introduction-to-dad/full-delivery-lifecycles-introduction. This is a critical concept that a lot of people struggle with.
10. Ibid, pp 10-16.
11. Ibid, pp 25-74.
12. Ibid, p25.
13. Ibid.
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Book Structure
