1. Dos and Don’ts for Product Owners
in Agile Information Management
June 2013

2. Dos and Don’ts for Product Owners in Agile Information Management
While delivering product owner client training to the business, we discovered that
there’s now a lot of nuance in agile delivery that may be missed as people try to
absorb the flood of instruction.
So, to help Agile IM business owners along, we’ve distilled the most important ‘agile
business owners rules’ down to four key dos and don’ts…
1. Don’t expect constantly improving velocity
2. Don’t live apart from the team
3. Do always plan like it’s the last week of the project
4. Do spruik your achievements!

3. • But, DO make sure you do everything you can do as a product owner to
improve it!
• The first few checkpoints are likely to take you from nail-biting stress to
euphoria, particularly as the team hits its stride, you'll start to notice an uptick in
progress.
• This can be both helpful and harmful as it can make people believe there's only
one way for velocity to go. This is simply not true. The team will hit an efficiency
plateau; treat this as the bedrock upon which your future plans can be formed.
1. DON’T expect constantly improving velocity…
Dos and Don’ts for Product Owners in Agile Information Management

4. • Developers make thousands of decisions over the course of a project that
customers sometimes don't see until well after launch.
• Keeping a customer close by stops the developers making decisions without
true business understanding. Make sure you’re in regular touch with your team
to avoid any surprises down the track.
2. DON’T live apart from the team
Dos and Don’ts for Product Owners in Agile Information Management

5. • It's hard sometimes to know what to do next, especially if your project is going to
run for some time. So ask yourself: If this was as far as my budget stretched,
what would I do?
• It's surprisingly effective at focusing your decision making.
3. DO always plan like it’s the last week of the project
Dos and Don’ts for Product Owners in Agile Information Management

6. • Data-driven agile will help you deliver better code faster. It won't be long before
people are clamouring for your secret sauce.
• Share how you've delivered great business value quickly and you can set up a
virtuous circle of agile for your business and technology partners. That will make
work a better place and, you, a happier person.
4. DO spruik your achievements!
Dos and Don’ts for Product Owners in Agile Information Management

7. Remember, at the core of data-driven agile success is understanding and
participating in the process, and being closely connected to the developers who are
delivering your outcomes.
Focus on your goal and you will find success.
Stay focused and involved…
Dos and Don’ts for Product Owners in Agile Information Management

8. Who is C3?
Dos and Don’ts for Product Owners in Agile Information Management
C3 Business Solutions is an award winning Information
Management and Business Intelligence company that
successfully articulates and converts clients’ business strategies
into measurable results.
We enable organisations to effectively monitor and manage
business performance and outcomes against strategic goals.
Our clients say they select us because: our people are high
calibre; we offer value for money; we have a proven ability to
deliver; we excel at stakeholder management; and we know how
to ensure the IM/BI solutions are adopted within their
organisation/s.
We work in banking & finance, insurance, retail, utilities &
transport, general corporate, and federal/state government.