Java 10 aka 18.3 Changes

For Java to remain competitive it must not just continue to move forward — it must move forward faster. - Mark Reinhold

What has changed?

Oracle has decided to release a new JDK two times a year. The next release Java 10 aka 18.3 will be available on of March 2018.  JDK 11 aka 18.9 will be released in September 2018. Java 11 will also be a long term support release.

Agile in eGovernment Projects

How can agile approaches be applied to deliver solutions in a government environment?

Here an example of a GIS open data portal successfully developed using agile approaches such as Kanban, lean product and technical excellence.

How should You handle Technical Debt?

What is Technical Debt?

Technical debt is the difference between what was promised and what was actually delivered.

This includes any technical shortcuts made to meet delivery deadlines or to avoid training your development team.

Debt implies you pay interest on this debt until you reimburse it. If not interests shall continuously be added to the debt.

In other words either you pay back your debts and associated interests or you go bankrupt in the long term - because the value of your software diminishes over the years and at some point its value is lower than your debt -

Scrum Guide 2017: What changed?

The Scrum guide was revised in 2016 and got clarification concerning the core values. I was thrilled. Talking about values and mental models you must have to successfully introduce and be agile is awesome.

A new revision was published end of year 2017, just a year after the values addition.

What has changed? What have the community learnt and committed to the new version of the guide.

Six Levers for better Agile Product Development

How can you create better products and services?

How can you delight your customers, your collaborators, and your stakeholders?

We identified six levers to multiply the effectivity of your agile development teams and empower them to create great services and products.

Please add these tools to your toolbox and create great products.

Why is it so Cool to Develop with Java?

Why is it so cool to develop software using Java, a modern IDE and agile tools.  Because the environment empowers you and incredibly speed-up your development outcomes.  In seconds you know if the next code increment adds value to your product.

Liberated your team works adding functions and no more spend unaccounted hours in setting up infrastructure.

Below our current set of techniques and tools to multiply our results and bring earlier a product to your customers.

One Way to Improve Your Scrum Approach

You work using agile approaches. Your collaborators are trained how to use agile approaches. Techniques such as test driven development, continuous integration or clean code are regularly practiced.

Now you are looking for the next improvement. How can your team improve outcome and increase customers' value?

It is time for a fresh view. Perform an agile assessment with an external expert from another company or department.