Category Archives: valtech

New project for me

Posted on February 6, 2007 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

This week, I have started a assignment with a new client. Remember the one that I mentioned would probably not take me? Well, I was wrong after all ;-) Slow start so far. I have not received my work machine … Continue reading →

Posted in valtech | Comments Off on New project for me

Can Agile methods work against you?

Posted on January 19, 2007 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

Just yesterday I visited a client (who had actually read this blog!) who was interested in hiring me to write the data access layer of their application. When they asked me if I write detailed UML diagrams with a CASE … Continue reading →

Posted in agile, valtech | 1 Comment

Do not show a polished product too early

Posted on January 2, 2007 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

Jason Yip pointed me to an interesting post by Kathy Sierra: Don’t make the Demo Look Done. Also a nice reminder of Joel’s Iceberg Secret. That brings back fond memories of the beginnings of our project. Our client wanted to … Continue reading →

Posted in agile, valtech | Comments Off on Do not show a polished product too early

Valtech Mag

Posted on December 25, 2006 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

Valtech just launched a new website. Basically, it’s a blog, with exclusive content and some aggregation. Available both in French and English.

Posted in valtech | Comments Off on Valtech Mag

Great interest in OpenSpace and FIT technologies

Posted on December 7, 2006 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

I arranged a presentation last week to my colleagues, with Guillaume Tardif as co-host. We were quite pleased that many more people than expected showed up. The most part of the presentation was about OpenSpace Technologies. We are planning to … Continue reading →

Posted in java, openspace, tdd, test, valtech | Comments Off on Great interest in OpenSpace and FIT technologies

Visibly at work

Posted on November 27, 2006 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

I made a quick video of a day of work at our client’s site.

Posted in valtech | Comments Off on Visibly at work

Agitar Presentation

Posted on November 21, 2006 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

I have arranged a visit in Valtech by Agitar UK people last week. We had a presentation of AgitarOne (Agitator + Dashboard), their recently-released product. Frankly, the documentation and video presentations on their website do not give it justice: there … Continue reading →

Posted in java, test, valtech | Comments Off on Agitar Presentation

Free Agile Seminar at Valtech Paris

Posted on November 8, 2006 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

My employer is organizing an Agile Seminar on the morning of December 5th, in Paris. Entrance is free. Keynotes will be given by a couple of VT guys I know and will be worth it. Note that most of the … Continue reading →

Posted in agile, conferences, valtech | Comments Off on Free Agile Seminar at Valtech Paris

Team split into feature teams, after all

Posted on September 18, 2006 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

You might remember from a previous post that I was regretting the fact that the development team had not wished to split into feature teams. I even suggested that it should not have been an option to them. Well, be … Continue reading →

Posted in agile, offshore, scrum, valtech | Comments Off on Team split into feature teams, after all

Last year’s project goes live

Posted on August 10, 2006 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

The project that I worked on for 6 months last year finally goes live! No small satisfaction, considering that only very few (3? 4?) projects that I worked on ever go live on the internet, where everyone can see them. … Continue reading →

Posted in java, valtech | Comments Off on Last year’s project goes live

How To Show Sub-Iterations in the Iteration Backlog

Posted on July 13, 2006 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

Once issue that we have with our customer is the definition of iterations. They want us to work with 6-week iterations, and release a previously-agreed scope at the end of the 6-weeks. The reasons for this according to them is … Continue reading →

Posted in agile, scrum, valtech | Comments Off on How To Show Sub-Iterations in the Iteration Backlog

Team Did Not Split In Feature Teams

Posted on July 13, 2006 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

On our project, there is a total of 21 tech people (plus managers and translators). 3 of us are onshore. 18 offshore. You would expect this to lead to a natural split into 4 teams, right? 1 onshore, 3 teams … Continue reading →

Posted in agile, offshore, scrum, valtech | Comments Off on Team Did Not Split In Feature Teams

Javaday 2006

Posted on July 5, 2006 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

Last week, I went with 3 others Valtech guys to Javaday in Versailles. Javaday is an interesting concept. It lasts only one day, and has no entrance fee. Even the lunch sandwiches are free. With such a premise, you would … Continue reading →

Posted in conferences, java, valtech | Comments Off on Javaday 2006

We’ve sunk to a new low

Posted on June 28, 2006 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

As I write this post, I am still under the shock. In French, we have sayings that go like this (I’m sure they translate well in English): “we had reached to bottom of the pool… and we have started digging”, … Continue reading →

Posted in offshore, process, valtech | Comments Off on We’ve sunk to a new low

First Retrospective Meeting

Posted on June 28, 2006 by Eric Lefevre-Ardant

Last Monday, we held the first retrospective meeting on our project. I had pushed for it to take place, and I thought it would go better than the Sprint Review. As it happened, it did not. First, I contacted people … Continue reading →

Posted in agile, offshore, scrum, valtech | Comments Off on First Retrospective Meeting