In addition to creating amazing software that delights our customers, Systems iO also provides comprehensive application support for live customer applications. Megan French shares how we carry the best of Agile over from Development to Support.
Leveraging scrum ceremonies and Kanban for production support
At Systems iO, we’ve adopted a flexible approach to running our production support team by using Scrum ceremonies alongside Kanban boards. This setup has significantly enhanced how we manage urgent production bugs and small to medium feature requests. Here’s a look at how this model has worked for us and why it’s become a cornerstone of our operations.
Balancing support and features
Our team’s primary challenge has been balancing pressing production issues with accommodating new feature requests. By embracing Scrum ceremonies—such as standups, backlog refinements, retrospectives, and defect triages—we’ve established a structure that promotes regular check-ins and continuous improvement. This approach has sharpened our focus, enabled swift responses to production issues, and allowed us to steadily progress through feature requests without missing a beat. Additionally, we provide daily reports on live applications, ensuring visibility within a 24-hour cycle and on an ad hoc basis.
Standups have become invaluable. They ensure everyone’s on the same page, allowing us to quickly highlight blockers, share updates, and keep the flow of work moving. By discussing both the feature and production sides of our work during these standups, the team stays aligned on priorities and goals for the day.
Backlog refinements have been crucial as well, especially in helping us keep clarity. These meetings ensure that we are always prepared for the next step and create more predictability in an otherwise unpredictable production support environment.
Visualising progress with Kanban
Our use of Kanban boards has been a consistent element in managing our workflow. These boards help us visualize our work, track progress, and find bottlenecks. The visual clarity provided by Kanban boards has been instrumental in supporting an organised workflow and ensuring that tasks are managed efficiently.
The Kanban approach continues to support our team in managing work effectively. By focusing on completing tasks and setting limits on work in progress, we support a steady pace and prevent overload. This method has been integral to our operational success, helping us manage priorities and improve overall efficiency.
Enhancing team spirit and communication
One of the unexpected but welcome benefits of this approach has been the way it’s strengthened our team spirit. The combination of regular Scrum ceremonies and the visual clarity offered by Kanban boards has created an environment where collaboration flourishes. We’re working together more effectively, communicating more openly, and resolving issues faster. Retrospectives have been a terrific opportunity to reflect as a team on what’s working and where we can improve. It’s led to a culture of continuous improvement and problem-solving that everyone is on board with. Moreover, this approach adds transparency for all team members, ensuring everyone is aligned and informed.
This structured approach has not only kept us on track with our work but has also improved the way we work together. We’ve seen a lift in both morale and performance as a result.
Bringing it all together
In short, the blend of Scrum ceremonies and Kanban boards has been a winning combination for us at Systems iO. It’s allowed us to manage the constant demands of production support while keeping new features rolling out smoothly. More importantly, it has fostered a culture of communication, collaboration, and continuous improvement that’s brought our team closer together.
This approach has set the foundation for how we work and grow as a team, improving both the speed and value we can deliver.
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