DIY renovations on a grand scale
Grand Designs
Where are we now - NZQA
Role of NZQA• develop, register and support the New
Zealand Qualifications Framework• manage the external assessment of
secondary school students • quality assure non-university tertiary
education organisations
Where are we now
Technology
Infra – call managementJIRA, Git, Stash HP QC - testingWiki - knowledgebaseProcesses
Pipeline Board – request prioritisationRelease management Emergency release management
People
13 BAs13 Developers13 Testers10 Systems Team
• Started using Jira in September 2002 - Version 2.1) • 33,000 issues in Jira• 3,500 open issues in Jan 2012 • 55 Projects • 9 active workflow schemes
Where are we now – Jira
Other Atlassian Products • Stash• Fisheye• Links hierarchy structure ( 3rd party add-
on)
Start by asking the dumb questions
• What is a blocker?• If a Jira is resolved can it be closed? • Why are we reopening Jiras? • Why is the due date mandatory if we ignore it?• Who manages all the unassigned Jiras
(or those assigned to ex-staff) • Why do we have so many defective builds?
Listen to the moaning…….
Where are we now
Where are we now
Managing projects
Managing projects
Where do we need to be
• Stabilise toolset and test environments • Accurate reporting • Define release strategy, process and procedures • Improve service to the business• Training and up-skilling Jira users• Develop robust processes and align toolset• Reduce defective builds • Update and streamline users, groups and projects • Utilise relevant Jira features provided in recent
versions
Making it happen
Process • Move to smaller releases every 2 weeks• Move check points to earlier in the process • Understand the Business Calendar • Define roles and responsibilities• Use simple tools to manage • Do more functional testing before building the code• Move from trust based to evidence based signoff • Stop doing unnecessary tasks
Making it happenPeople • Understand the Business Calendar • Define roles and responsibilities• Listen to the issues that users have with using
Jira• Provide coaching and training session to
address specific concerns. • Give users the access they need to do their
jobs • Co-locate project teams
Making it happen
Technology • Install the Jira calendar add-on• Set up a test environment • Close unused Projects• Close completed Jiras • Deactivate user accounts
Where are we now (updated)
• Recently upgraded to version 5.20• Just purchased Greenhopper and Crucible • Now at 34,000 issues in Jira• 30 Active Projects• 25 Closed Projects• 650 open issues (down from 3,500)
Where are we now (updated)
• Jiras are closed when they have been deployed and not left open
• We no longer reopen Jiras that have been deployed in previous years
• Incomplete Jiras are cloned for the additional work not left open and moved from release to release
• Users are creating their own Dashboards and saved searches.
• Our build rate per release is down from 4-5 to just 1
Where do we need to be
Assigned to Me Gadget
assignee = currentUser() AND resolution = unresolved ORDER BY priority DESC, created ASC
Release group view
Sample
Visualising the future
• Better management of code deployments• Visibility of infrastructure changes • Better reporting• Correctly assigned issues• Improved workflow