Agile Risk Management

Software componentization has made software more unpredictable because unforeseen conditions can cause components to interact in ways we hadn’t imagined. Greater complexity, increased user expectations, and our desire to use agile with ever increasing velocity require that we actively manage uncertainties and risks. Classic risk management identifies risks and prioritizes them to determine impact to the project, but how does that differ in an agile project? Agile is designed to handle uncertainty in requirements as new features are requested and priorities shift. What about the uncertainties outside of requirements changes? Understanding those risks even before the project gets started—and those that can possibly derail the project after delivery—is critical. Phil Lew and Moss Drake provide insight into the uncertainties and risks involved in agile software projects and supplements classic risk management approaches with how and when to apply within an agile process. Through a hands-on approach, Phil and Moss outline risk management practices at each stage of the agile process. Take home pragmatic knowledge to identify and mitigate risks with the goal of focusing teams on the right things at the right time and producing higher quality software.