Scrum for Prodution testing Tickets
Hello
I now work as a scrum master for a team which is required to do final production testing for developed tasks. This could include tickets from a project development or tickets due to a new kind of product intergation with external intergators .
This also almost involves implementing the tested solution for a live merchant. Due to numerous reasons like below we end up keeping tickets open for a very long time. This doesn’t result in good indicators for velocity of tasks or burn down rates. I wanted to check on how are such issues handled using Kanban in your orgs . What are the best metrices to show progress? Also invariably due to multiple blocekrs the team is always multi tasking which in general is not a good practice .
- Terminals were not shipped to merchant on time.
- Customer has some major networking issues.
- The customer found issues which need code fixing from their other vendor company.
I now work as a scrum master for a team which is required to do final production testing for developed tasks.
Is that requirement stipulated in the Definition of Done and met every Sprint? If you're using Kanban, that policy should be quite explicit. I'd suggest that the best metrics for showing progress will reflect the rate at which work is Done.
@Ian has a made a good point. In Scrum. if you are not accounting for this in your Definition of Done you are inadvertently make this situation acceptable. The Definition of Done is explained in the section of the Scrum Guide that describes the Increment. I'll use a couple of excerpts to support my point.
The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.
The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment.
You stated that your team "is required to do final production testing for developed tasks." That indicates to me that it should be part of your Definition of Done and no increment can be created until those activities are completed.
However, you made this statement.
I wanted to check on how are such issues handled using Kanban ...
Are you using Kanban within the timebox boundaries of Scrum's Sprints? Or are you using Kanban as the method of managing your work and your title of Scrum Master is misleading?
Because if you are using Kanban alone, there should be clearly defined policies that control the progress from one column on the board to the next. Also, Kanban does not work in timeboxes. It follows your workflow and manages the transition of work through that workflow. So your requirements of product level testing would just be accounted for within the last columns of your board. I always explain the goal of Kanban as moving items across the workflow in the shortest amount of time possible without sacrificing quality or value. The item being moved are not tasks, they are the item that represents the value that is being created. Once that value is officially created based on the completion of the workflow, the item could be considered "done".
If you are using Kanban within timebox boundaries of Scrum's Sprints, then everything said previously about the Definition of Done applies.