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Chapter Summary

I examine the software delivery experiences in a highly distributed enterprise software delivery organization. Providing a historical perspective that documents the improvements in enterprise software delivery performance over a five-year period, I describe the specific agile practices and tools adopted by the IBM Rational product delivery organization and assess reasons for productivity and quality improvements. Key elements of the improvement include the following:

• A revision of development practices to create more stable, high-performing teams with practices that encourage and support strong team interactions

• A focus on a flexible delivery process that emphasizes prioritization and analysis of the impact of what is being delivered over blindly following the details of an out-of-date plan