Agile workflow
3 min read
How to use dependencies to improve the flow of work
Mon Jul 15 2024
Success for agile software teams revolves around collaboration, flexibility, and efficiency. Whether you're a coach or Release Train Engineer supporting multiple teams, or a scrum master or engineer aiming for improvement within your team, honing your dependency management skills will boost efficiency and productivity.
While dependencies often seem like hurdles, here's an insight: they can be a powerful strategic tool to enhance your agile team's performance. In this post, we'll explore how you can leverage dependencies to guide your team towards greater efficiency and success.
Agile Team Autonomy
At the heart of agile is the concept of autonomy and self-management. It's all about empowering teams to own the end-to-end delivery of their work with minimal dependencies. This means optimizing their workflow rather than relying on other teams to deliver value to users. When teams need to depend on others, the flow of work becomes less predictable.
In larger, more complex companies, dependencies are often unavoidable due to the sheer size and intricacy of systems. The real challenge is transforming these dependencies into opportunities for improvement rather than roadblocks. By improving the visibility of these dependencies, teams can better understand them, prioritize and sequence work effectively and manage delivery planning and execution more efficiently.
More than one-third of agile teams report that team silos and the delays that result are a problem
Dependency visualization
Improving the visibility of dependencies starts with open communication and transparency. When team members are comfortable sharing their tasks and challenges, you create a culture of trust and collaboration. This transparency is critical for identifying dependencies early and managing them effectively.
Software that allows teams to map out dependencies clearly can be a great tool for improving the visibility of work, making it easier to track their status and plan accordingly. Regularly updating and reviewing the dependencies you've mapped keeps everyone on the same page and helps you anticipate potential bottlenecks before they occur.
Easy Agile TeamRhythm is a user-friendly app that integrates seamlessly with Jira to support team planning, which includes visualizing dependencies. You can display dependencies by type and risk, and see dependencies both within your team and with other teams.
Dependency Patterns
Once you're able to see dependencies clearly, you might recognize patterns forming. These dependency patterns can show where a team is relying too heavily or too dependent on another team to deliver work.
Consistent bottlenecks highlight opportunities for improvement, like a change in team composition. When you notice these patterns, it's essential to reassess and implement strategies to become more self-reliant, ensuring a smoother flow of work and improved delivery timelines.
Prioritizing and Sequencing Work
Once dependencies are identified and made visible, you can improve the flow of work by organizing tasks in a sequence that avoids work being delayed by other tasks. Not all tasks carry the same weight or urgency, and understanding the critical path—the sequence of tasks that determines the fastest time to deliver value—can help focus efforts where they are needed most.
Sequencing work thoughtfully ensures that dependent tasks are tackled in the right order, minimizing delays and rework. This strategic approach to task management not only enhances team efficiency but also supports a smoother workflow and avoids delivery being derailed at the last minute.
Better Collaboration
By identifying and visualizing dependencies, you spot bottlenecks early, re-prioritize tasks, and manage delivery plans effectively. More importantly, it empowers your team to take complete ownership of their tasks while constantly improving their workflows.
Remember, every dependency is a piece of a larger puzzle that holds the potential to boost your team's efficiency. By understanding and managing these dependencies proactively, you can ensure smoother workflows, fewer roadblocks, and a highly efficient agile team.
