Continuous Improvement in Software Development

Continuous Improvement in Software Development The above principle concerns the close, daily collaboration between business people and customers is an important one for Agile as it ensures the usability of the product and consequently quality of work to fulfil the customers requirement in the best way possible (Cohn, 2005). The principle reflects the agile value of customer collaboration over contract negotiation. Schwaber (2004) highlights the importance of this principle as during the last decades with the increasing complexity of IT project, developers and customers have been drifting apart due to unsuitable methodologies that obstruct effective customer collaboration. Requirement collection following this agile principle goes beyond the requirement collection of traditional project management methodologies (Cobb, 2011). Beck (2000) suggests that when using XP, there should always be a customer on site to be able to answer all arising questions instantaneously. Customers often have different or no expectations from a project which emphasizes the need of close collaboration to detect any discrepancies (Cohn, 2005). Cohn (2005) further argues that through daily meetings changing requirements originating in rapidly evolving business environment can be addressed immediately and realignment of the strategy and deliverables is possible. However, the practice of daily customer meetings was not achievable during the wiki project; nonetheless, the team was able to consult with the customer frequently through email and very short response times allowed areas of unclarity to be resolved promptly. This close collaboration was often used to clarify small details in the requirements to increase the customer satisfaction through implementing change request without delay. When this principle is applied cautiously and thoroughly, a high level of trust can be developed between the two parties involved (Schwaber, 2004). Highsmith (2009) further argues that trust is a very important issue to be valued as it enhances the team cohesion and quality of collaborative work. This is supported by the experienced Group Green has made during the wiki project. During iteration 1 and 2, all requirements have been comprehensively discussed and clarified within the team and with the customer during iteration planning and initial customer consultation. After the team has started developing the iterations product, the customer was consulted again to resolve any remaining unclarities. Through this practice of close collaboration the quality of the product was at a very high level which was reflected through the outstanding feedback from the customer. However, during iteration 3 this high level of cooperation with the customer was neglected by the team which was been reflected in the iteration review meeting. The customer was not as satisfied with the product as in the previous two iterations, because the team failed to fulfill the customers requirements and specifications. In the subsequent iteration it was the Scrum Masters top priority to involve the customer again in more detail to enhance communication and idea exchange, removing impediment between the customer and the development team as suggested by Schwaber (2004). To adhere and to apply this principle might be one of the most valuable lessons learned in this project, as the close collaboration ensures a high quality of work and subsequently high customer satisfaction. The principle of sustainable development relates to the aim of developing the product in a constant pace without any perks in development velocity. Sustainability has a great significance, as the whole process of agile development is aimed to be a sustainable approach (Augustine, 2005). Poppendieck and Poppendieck (2003) note that companies which have adopted lean thinking have achieved a significant sustainable performance improvement. Stellman and Greene (2014) highlight that the breaking down of the whole project into smaller more manageable chunks facilitates the process of determining realistic durations of every story point or piece of work that is to be developed. The ability of estimating realistic durations enables the project team to give accurate predictions of the development time of the whole product. This supports a very steady flow of product development and the team can work in a constant and sustainable pace (Cohn, 2005). In software development, this constant flow leads to a higher quality of code and fewer inconsistencies in the source code. In consequence, less time is needed to address bug fixing, which make the whole concept more sustainable and viable (Cohn, 2005). Bug fixing, improving flaws and making corrections often lead to a higher work load for the project team and consequently lowers the motivation and increases the stress the team experiences. The stress primarily results from the still existing deadline at the end of the short iteration which still needs to be met, despite the amount of required re-work. Cohn (2005) further stipulates that over time, the customer realises and acknowledges the high quality, which subsequently enables trust to be developed between the customer and the project team. Cobb (2011) further points out that all team members, not just developers, need to keep pace with each other throughout the whole duration of the project. In agile development, the iterations prevent team members to step in or out of the project in different phases. As a result, the development of the product is much more fluent, as all team member can built up trust and develop a high team cohesion (Cobb, 2011). Cohn (2005) further argues that this can lead to a higher motivation for the project team as they feel empowered and are more willing to achieve better results. Whitworth and Biddle (2007) conclude that agile planning reduces tensions and conflicts and the consecutive development of small tasks promotes motivation in the team, which altogether which leads to an overall quality improvement. In practice, Team Green has experienced the value of this principle, however, not in as much detail as in real-life practice. The project was already divided into weekly iterations, which established the grounds of sustainable development. However, the team experienced the value of dividing the whole project deliverables into smaller parts as this practice greatly improves transparency and clearness of what requirements need to be fulfilled and how this can be achieved. The internally agreed deadlines did not drastically change during the whole project duration. This way the team was able to realise a routine of weekly development, which greatly helped and supported in developing a high-quality product. Trust among the team has been developed at the same time, which facilitated the sustainable development. An important lesson learned in this regard is the necessity of splitting the workload and thoroughly planning durations of the single pieces of work. This greatly benefits a sustainable, constant pace of development and consequently increases the product quality and customer satisfaction. The last agile principle states that the team should regularly reflect on how to become more effective and adopt their work processes accordingly. Through the alignment of the overall approach and the strategy of development, the project team aims to increase the quality baseline of the developed work. Stellman and Greene (2014) note that it is important to include retrospectives to evaluate and assess performance to figure out ways on how to become more effective in future projects. This retrospective should not be limited to one meeting at the end of a project but should be implemented immediately when any possible improvements are recognised. According to Beck (2000) the project team should use daily stand up meetings to get discuss any areas of general development improvement. If this is not possible, the team should try to incorporate a retrospective at least after finishing every iteration (Smith and Upton, 2015). Cobb (2011) elaborates on this in saying that sprints in agile a re generally much shorter than the development duration of traditional approaches, which facilitates the reflecting process. The concept of continuous improvement is linked to lean software development and based on the Kaizen philosophy and re-engineering approach to heighten the standard of status quo to achieve better quality products (Bond, 1999). Kaizen and re-engineering philosophy were originally deduced from operational management in logistics, but can be applied to other improvement processes such as Agile product development. Typically, the improvement process can be divided into four consecutive stages: 1. maintaining process status quo 2. process improvement 3. process re-engineering 4. achieving process stability. Group Green applied this principle during most of the wiki project. In the first two iterations, the team held one retrospective at the end of each iteration to identify areas of improvement and ways to implement more agile principles than the ones that were already used. This practice lead to a high quality of product and customer satisfaction. However, during iteration 3 this principle was neglected and the team did not pursue the strive of further improvement. This was reflected in reduced customer satisfaction in comparison to the previous iterations. In response, the team decided to add an additional retrospective reflect on how to further improve their development process to retrieve the higher quality standard and customer satisfaction of previous iterations. Based on this positive experience of reinforcing this principle it was agreed that an additional retrospective is being held at the end of the wiki project to ensure a high quality of final assignment report. Reflecting t he whole development process, it can be said with certainty that lessons learned includes the necessity of consequently applying this principle. Only by doing so, the prerequisite is fulfilled to continuously deliver high quality products and achiever customer satisfaction.

It530

Assignment Grading Rubric Course: IT530 Unit: 5 Points: 120 Copyright Kaplan University Unit 5 Assignment Outcomes addressed in this activity: Unit Outcomes: Explain flow control and congestion management and their significance to overall network performance Evaluate standard routing techniques and their application to a business’ internet connectivity Recommend a comprehensive security plan Plan and describe methods to secure data including encryption techniques and security protocols Assess LAN communications and management protocols and examine their significance in business environmentsCourse Outcomes: IT530-5: Analyze issues surrounding the connectivity and administration of networks. Assignment Instructions: 1. In recent years, the concept of â€Å"ethical† hacking has grown in importance as more companies consider hiring â€Å"black hat† hackers as security consultants. Research the elements that comprise â€Å"ethical† hacking. In what ways does et hical hacking differ from â€Å"black hat† hacking? Put yourself into the position of a system administrator considering hiring a hacker.How would you ensure that this individual was actually strengthening your company’s network security rather than hacking into your company’s sensitive data? Would you even consider hiring a hacker in the first place? Why or why not? Try to find at least one example of a real world â€Å"ethical† hacker being hired; was it a good or bad decision on the part of the company? 2. Based on your research, write an 8 to 10 page paper that researches the concept of â€Å"ethical† hacking, as well as the ethical dilemmas inherent in hiring a hacker as a security consultant. Preparing your AssignmentThe written essay/paragraph formatted paper should be 8 – 10 pages long NOT including cover page and references. As you research ethical hacking, ALL of the pages must have citations and references. No more than one direct quotation (of 40 words or more) is allowed per page and bullet lists without substantial narrative included are strongly discouraged. There should be no spelling or grammar errors. All written assignments should be in APA format. APA formatted in-text citations and references are required for all sources, and all figures and tables must be captioned in APA format.If you are unfamiliar with APA formatting, please see the Kaplan Writing Center for more information on how to work with APA. Directions for Submitting Your Assignment: Compose your assignment in a Microsoft Word  ® document and save it as Username-IT530 Assignment – Unit#. doc (Example: TAllen- IT530 Assignment-Unit5. doc). Submit your file by selecting the Unit 5: Assignment Dropbox by the end of Unit 5. Assignment Grading Rubric Course: IT530 Unit: 5 Points: 120 Copyright Kaplan University Assignment requirements:All papers must meet these standard requirements: Paper follows APA formatting Length is 8-10 pages long not including references and cover page No more than three bulleted or listed points per paper. No more than one direct quote per page from a reference source and those quotes must be properly cited within the body and in the references at the end of the paper Title page Reference page No spelling errors No grammar errors *2 points will be deducted from grade for each occurrence of not meeting these requirements.Review the grading rubric below before beginning this activity. Unit 5 Assignment Grading Rubric = 120 points Assignment Requirements Points possible Points earned by student Document includes introductory paragraph discussing the general concepts of ethical hacking as opposed to black hat hacking. 0-30 Document includes well supported argument pro or con for hiring a hacker as security consultant. 0-30 Document includes example of â€Å"real world† hiring of hacker and discusses the outcome. 0-30 Discussion of ethical hacking considerations should be substantia l nd flow logically. 0-30 Total (Sum of all points) Less: Standard Requirements points deductedAssignment Grading Rubric Course: IT530 Unit: 5 Points: 120 Copyright Kaplan University Assignment Total For more information and example of APA formatting, see the resources in Doc sharing or visit the KU Writing Center from the KU Homepage. Also review the KU Policy on Plagiarism. This policy will be strictly enforced on all applicable assignments and discussion posts. If you have any questions, please contact your professor.

Strangers on a train

Big Ben had just struck midnight when Helen and her friends joyfully burst through the doors of the Westminster Academy. ‘What an amazing concert', she cried. ‘We should definitely go and watch another one soon!' replied Tom. ‘Guys, I think we should just forget about the concert for one split second and actually think about our journey home at such a ridiculous hour!' said Sarah. ‘True, look I'll go with you Helen and Jim, you go with Sarah' said Tom. As the couple waited anxiously for the last train to approach, they silently reminisced over what had really been a well and truly, unforgettable night. After a long wait of what felt like an hour, the last train clumsily slid along the rail tracks and hesitantly pulled up to a halt at Westminster station. Its rickety doors, lethargically slid open and wickedly beckoned the two friends into its carriage of mystery. As Helen looked directly in front of her to look through the pane of glass on the other side of the carriage, she caught a glimpse of a strange looking girl sitting in between two puny but psychotic looking boys. Helen always felt uncomfortable making any form of eye contact with strangers as she had heard of various incidents concerning people in the same situation as her. However, it was as if some strong wave of curiosity was encouraging her face to keep on studying these characters and as she did this, she noticed the vibrant blue veins ridged into the girl's skin and the trembling hands of the boys. All through this, the girl stayed unmoving. ‘Tom look over to the other side but try to make it as discreet as possible', Helen said to her friend. ‘You mean that dodgy looking bunch opposite us yeah?' he replied. ‘Yeah, they're really starting to creep me out; please do something!' ‘Ok,right I've got a plan.' he said, ‘Now, Helen listen to me very carefully, when I get off at my stop, come with me and pretend that it's also your stop and just try and cleverly change carriages ok?' When the train ground to a halt at Paddington station, the two got off and indeed executed the plan of action. ‘Are you sure you're going to be alright Helen?' Tom worriedly gasped, ‘you can always come back to mine and then I'll drive you back home instead.' ‘Oh come on Tom, when exactly are you going to stop treating me like a baby and realize that I'm a 25 year old grown woman' she proclaimed, ‘Look, I think I can deal with a couple of freaks who have nothing better to do than put fear into the hearts of innocent people!' However, as she settled into her new seat, three familiar faces could be made out from the far seats of the carriage and by now it was too late as the sliding doors banged shut. ‘Just keep calm', she thought but in reality she was extremely hysterical. As she subtly tried to gaze over to the far side of the carriage, the boys suddenly began to shift uncomfortably in their seats and almost seemed nervous. The boys with their eyes bloodshot and their faces flushed gave the impression that they were under the influence of drugs, alcohol or perhaps both. The boy on the right of the girl had on a crumpled white t-shirt that was stained with heavy blotches of brown. A bruise lay on his left eye and his lip had a small cut in it. He seemed the more nervous of the two and was literally trembling. However, the boy on the left of the girl seemed to be quite serene and composed in comparison to his companion who was quite the opposite. He had a severe expression and wore a thick jacket of fur. He had a heavy gash on his right arm and his nose was bleeding. Still. The girl stayed still, unmoving as a statue in a garden. Her face almost death like and as pale as a white sheet of paper. Her bright, vast, ginger bob of curls heavily contrasted with this strange and ghostly complexion. Her eyes, piercing like the rays of a bright sun. Her jaw, fully agape as though it were an opening into a mysterious cavern. Her shirt was slashed across the torso and her underwear lay exposed due to this. Great slashes lay from her upper arm right down to her wrist. The boys had entwined their arms around that of the girl's and seemed to be making a great effort to sustain her in a sedentary position. At this moment in time, Helen decided to turn her face away from this ghastly, frightening sight towards the other side of the carriage. She really didn't understand why these strange beings that she was trying to get away from had followed her into the new carriage. However, she then spotted a man that looked officious but overpowering at the same time moving over towards the seat next to her. By now Helen was really starting to lose her calm and collected aura.Suddenly,he started mumbling something but Helen felt that this was just another unfamiliar being that was just trying to get her attention. Nevertheless, he persisted and finally got through to Helen by writing something on the newspaper he was reading and showed it to Helen. ‘GET OFF AT THE NEXT STOP!' it read, ‘YOU'RE IN SERIOUS DANGER-THAT GIRL YOU SEE IS DEAD-THIS IS NO JOKE-I AM A DOCTOR AND I KNOW THIS FOR SURE, SO HELP YOURSELF WHILE THERE'S STILL TIME!!' By this time, Helen was well and truly in a hysterical state and it was almost as if her heart was about to leap out of her body. However she still managed to keep a cool cover as the train approached Hammersmith station. She then got up, stood, walked through the sliding doors and made her final exit off the train. As she did all these actions, she made sure that she acted as if she were the most innocent and unsuspecting creature in the whole world. When the train moved slowly away, she first of all turned around to see whether she could spot the man that saved her and give her his thanks, but the station lay empty. Lifeless. Dead. Before she even had time to think her legs had turned into that of a professional sprinter and carried her out of the station at the speed of lightning. Never again would she be so reckless and try to prove herself tough, by encountering such a life threatening ordeal at such a perilous hour.

A Guide to the Origins and Celebration of Kwanzaa

Unlike Christmas, Ramadan, or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa is unaffiliated with a major religion. One of the newer American holidays, Kwanzaa originated in the turbulent 1960s to instill racial pride and unity in the black community. Now, fully recognized in mainstream America, Kwanzaa is widely celebrated. The U.S. Postal Service debuted its first Kwanzaa stamp in 1997, releasing a second commemorative stamp in 2004. In addition, former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush recognized the day while in office. But Kwanzaa has its share of critics, despite its mainstream status. Are you considering celebrating Kwanzaa this year? Discover the arguments for and against it, whether all blacks (and any non-blacks) celebrate it and the impact of Kwanzaa on American culture. What Is Kwanzaa? Established in 1966 by the African-American professor, activist and author Ron Karenga (or Maulana Karenga), Kwanzaa aims to reconnect black Americans to their African roots and recognize their struggles as a people by building community. It is observed every year between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1. Derived from the Swahili term, â€Å"matunda ya kwanza,† which means â€Å"first-fruits,† Kwanzaa is based on African harvest celebrations such as the seven-day Umkhost of Zululand. According to the official Kwanzaa website, â€Å"Kwanzaa was created out of the philosophy of Kawaida, which is a cultural nationalist philosophy that argues that the key challenge in black people’s [lives] is the challenge of culture, and that what Africans must do is to discover and bring forth the best of their culture, both ancient and current, and use it as a foundation to bring into being models of human excellence and possibilities to enrich and expand our lives.† Just as many African harvest celebrations run for seven days, Kwanzaa has seven principles known as the Nguzo Saba. They are: umoja (unity); kujichagulia (self-determination); ujima (collective work and responsibility); ujamaa (cooperative economics); nia (purpose); kuumba (creativity); and imani (faith). Celebrating Kwanzaa During Kwanzaa celebrations, a mkeka (straw mat) rests on a table covered by kente cloth, or another African fabric. On top of the mkeka sits a kinara (candleholder) in which the mishumaa saba (seven candles) go. The colors of Kwanzaa are black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for the future and hope that comes from their struggle, according to the official Kwanzaa website. Mazao (crops) and the kikombe cha umoja (the unity cup) also sit on the mkeka. The unity cup is used to pour tambiko (libation) in remembrance of ancestors. Lastly, African art objects and books about the life and culture of African people sit on the mat to symbolize commitment to heritage and learning. Do All Blacks Observe Kwanzaa? Although Kwanzaa celebrates African roots and culture, the National Retail Foundation found that just 13 percent of African Americans observe the holiday, or approximately 4.7 million. Some blacks have made a conscious decision to avoid the day because of religious beliefs, the origins of the day and the history of Kwanzaa’s founder (all of which will be covered later). If you’re curious about whether a black person in your life observes Kwanzaa because you want to get him or her a related card, gift, or another item, simply ask. Don’t make assumptions. Can Non-Blacks Celebrate Kwanzaa? While Kwanzaa focuses on the black community and African Diaspora, people from other racial groups may join in the celebration. Just as people from a range of backgrounds partake in cultural celebrations such as Cinco de Mayo, Chinese New Year or Native American powwows, those who aren’t of African descent may celebrate Kwanzaa. As the Kwanzaa Web site explains, â€Å"The principles of Kwanzaa and the message of Kwanzaa has a universal message for all people of good will. It is rooted in African culture, and we speak as Africans must speak, not just to ourselves, but to the world.† New York Times  reporter Sewell Chan grew up celebrating the day. â€Å"As a child growing up in Queens, I remember attending Kwanzaa celebrations at the American Museum of Natural History with relatives and friends who, like me, were Chinese-American,† he  said. â€Å"The holiday seemed fun and inclusive (and, I admit, a bit exotic), and I eagerly committed to memory the Nguzo Saba, or seven principles†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Check local newspaper listings, black churches, cultural centers or museums to find out where to celebrate Kwanzaa in your community. If an acquaintance of yours celebrates Kwanzaa, ask for permission to attend a celebration with her. However, it would be offensive to go as a voyeur who doesn’t care about the day itself but is curious to see what it’s about. Go because you agree with the principles of the day and are committed to implementing them in your own life and community. After all, Kwanzaa is a day of tremendous significance for millions of people. Objections to Kwanzaa Who opposes Kwanzaa? Certain Christian groups who regard the holiday as pagan, individuals who question its authenticity and those who object to founder Ron Karenga’s personal history. A group called the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny (BOND), for one, labeled the holiday as racist and anti-Christian. In an article in the self-avowed right-wing anti-muslim magazine FrontPage, BOND founder the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson takes issue with the trend of preachers incorporating Kwanzaa into their messages, calling the move â€Å"a horrible mistake† which distances blacks from Christmas. â€Å"First of all, as we’ve seen, the whole holiday is made up,† Peterson argues. â€Å"Christians who celebrate or incorporate Kwanzaa are moving their attention away from Christmas, the birth of our Savior, and the simple message of salvation: love for God through his Son.† The Kwanzaa Web site explains that Kwanzaa isn’t religious or designed to replace religious holidays. â€Å"Africans of all faiths can and do celebrate Kwanzaa, i.e., Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists†¦,† the site says. â€Å"For what Kwanzaa offers is not an alternative to their religion or faith but a common ground of African culture which they all share and cherish.† African Roots? and a Troubled Founder Even those who don’t oppose Kwanzaa on religious grounds may take issue with it because Kwanzaa is not an actual holiday in Africa and, furthermore, the customs founder Ron Karenga based the holiday on roots in Eastern Africa. During the  transatlantic slave trade, however, blacks were taken from Western Africa, meaning that Kwanzaa and its  Swahili  terminology aren’t part of most African Americans’ heritage. Another reason people choose not to observe Kwanzaa is the background of Ron Karenga. In the 1970s, Karenga was  convicted  of felony assault and false imprisonment. Two black women from the Organization Us, a black nationalist group with which he’s still affiliated, were reportedly victimized during the attack. Critics question how Karenga can be an advocate for unity within the black community when he himself was allegedly involved in an attack on black women. Wrapping Up While Kwanzaa and its founder are sometimes subject to criticism, journalists such as Afi-Odelia E. Scruggs celebrate the holiday because they believe in the principles it espouses. In particular, the values Kwanzaa gives to children and to the black community at large are why Scruggs observes the day. Initially, Scruggs thought Kwanzaa was contrived, but seeing its principles at work changed her mind. In a  Washington Post  column, she wrote, â€Å"I’ve seen Kwanzaa’s ethical principles work in many little ways. When I remind the fifth-graders I teach that they aren’t practicing ‘umoja’ when they disturb their friends, they quiet down. †¦When I see neighbors turning vacant lots into community gardens, I’m watching a practical application of both ‘nia’ and ‘kuumba.’† In short, while Kwanzaa has inconsistencies and its founder a troubled history, the holiday aims to unify and uplift those who observe it. Like other holidays, Kwanzaa can be used as a positive force in the community. Some believe this outweighs any concerns about authenticity.