In the dynamic world of product development, a Product Owner often encounters various challenges that can hinder the smooth flow of the feature delivery. This case study aims to shed light on how pair programming can effectively address some of these issues. We observed that its introduction had a ripple effect, improving collaboration among all roles and beyond the team.
We will delve into common PO challenges, like interrupting developer focus for requirements engineering, isolated knowledge silos, parallel work items instead of focusing on priorities, managing onboarding, cost of knowledge transfer, reducing context switch costs, reducing waiting time, and impacts of planned and unplanned absences. Pair programming contributed positively to all of those issues and enabled smoother workflows within the team.
At a larger scale, the workflows and team skills enabled seamless transitions between projects. Work in Progress was effectively halved and led to higher focus, less context switching, and ultimately reduced Cycle Time. The agility of this practices allows Product Owners to switch focus more frequently and smoothly reallocate capacities between teams when needed. This quick response to changing requirements or priorities enhances the team’s ability to deliver value continuously.
After a discussion of those challenges and benefits, we will show how we introduced Pair Programming into our team. The change process requires careful planning and execution. We will present the specific workshops and liberating structures utilized to establish Pair Programming as a first-class citizen within our team and other teams across multiple organizations. They were designed not only to teach the mechanics of Pair Programming but also to highlight its benefits and encourage its adoption.
Whether you’re a PO, TechLead or Scrum Master, you’ll find yourself in these scenarios and gain insights on how to improve your workflow