Organizational Patterns of Agile Software Development

This book covers the human and organizational dimension of the software improvement process and software project management – whether based on the CMM or ISO 9000 or the Rational Unified Process. Drawn from a decade of research, it emphasizes common-sense practices. Its principles are general but concrete; every pattern is its own built-in example. Historical supporting material from other disciplines is provided. Though even pattern experts will appreciate the depth and currency of the material, it is self-contained and well-suited for the layperson.

"This is a remarkably wise book, full of pragmatic advice drawn from real projects. Ultimately, software development is a human experience, and Jim and Neil have captured the essence of that experience in this work. The tapestry of patterns they have woven is postively brillant, and each thread therein is a delight to read."

--Grady Booch, IBM Fellow

Do you want to really improve your software development organization instead of complying with an arbitrary standard, or trying the latest fad? This book presents the fundamentals of creating sustainable organizations, based on in-depth studies of over 100 real software development organizations.

The authors present nearly 100 organizational patterns to help you create a highly effective organization. Case studies and vignettes illustrate how these patterns work. This practical guide shows you how to reshape critical parts of your organization. Regardless of your role, you will find patterns that you can use to make your organization more effective.

"This carefully researched, artfully described, and extraordinarily useful handbook of deep wisdom on creating teams that generate terrific software should be on every software development manager's bookshelf."

--Luke Hohmann, Hohmann Consulting
Author of Beyond Software Architecture

"As soon as I had worked through these patterns, I realized that several of my clients engaged in process definition projects could make use of them."

--Ian Graham, Technical Director, trireme.com