The Power of a Whiteboard
by Kelly Waters
Agile software development teams often use low-tech, manual methods for tracking their work. Post-it notes or cards on a whiteboard. Charts drawn by hand. Sketches for architecture and design.But why, for such a high-tech industry like software development, would agile teams do this, when there are plenty of project management tools available; even tools that are purpose-built for agile software development?
Personally I can see why. I think a whiteboard offers loads of advantages over electronic tools. They're mainly soft factors, I admit, but I think a whiteboard is hard to beat.
First of all, a whiteboard is visual. And it's BIG. You can see at a glance how things are going.
When you're part way through a Sprint, and most of the cards are still on the left of the board, you know it's not going so well. Or you're coming towards the end of a sprint, and the cards are mostly - reassuringly - on the right of the board, you know it's going fine. The Burndown Chart shows you instantly whether the team is on track. And, if not, by how much. All at a glance as you walk past the board. Whether you made a special effort to look or not. The visibility is unbeatable.
When you see something in print, somehow it seems more real. I guess because it's physical. A large number of post-it notes on a whiteboard looks like a lot of work. Probably because it *is* a lot of work! Its sheer physical presence reflects the amount of work the team is actually doing. It feels busy. It feels like a place where alot is happening, which feels good. A long list of tasks on a project plan, or a long list of rows in a spreadsheet, simple doesn't have the same impact.
A whiteboard is also flexible. Infinitely flexible. You can put literally anything you like on it. Wherever you like. In any position, any size, any shape. Unlike an electronic system, there are never any constraints. No-one ever says you can't do something because the whiteboard won't let you.
It's fast and efficient to change. You could completely reoarganise a set of cards in just a few moments. Or sketch something important in seconds.
It's also more tactile. For people that like tactile, it feels good to move a card to done. You feel a sense of ownership when you pick up a card. A business owner feels a greater sense of responsibility - real acknowledgement - when they add something to the board and take something else off the board to take it out of scope. It feels like something was actually, physically removed from scope.
It's also novel. When a team starts doing agile - and they create great visibility using the whiteboard - it's remarkable how many people want to come and look. Senior people have a sudden interest in what the team is doing. And even in the process itself. That would never happen with spreadsheets and tools! I can't ever remember a Director asking to come and walk through my project plan, or walk through my product backlog. In fact the very thought of it fills most people with dread! It just doesn't happen. But the whiteboard is interesting. It's interesting to look at. And interesting to talk about. When someone walks you through it, it's actually enjoyable.
Because a whiteboard has no set structure, it suits the way many people think (not all). Many people think visually. Not in lists, but in shapes, sizes, colours, etc. The whiteboard's lack of structure allows the information to be organised and presented however suits.
Important information can be highlighted easily by putting it on the whiteboard. Important information is not buried with loads of other documents and files in a project folder somewhere, which few people would browse and certainly wouldn't notice in passing.
Its visible nature can prompt people to remember things when they see them, rather than relying on their memory to go and look somewhere else that's out of sight.
But above all else, the whiteboard is a place for collaboration. It's a focal point. Like a campfire in days gone by. Or a fireplace in your lounge. Most team discussions happen round the whiteboard. Discussions about progress. Discussions about issues. Discussions about design. All sorts, sometimes even when the whiteboard isn't even needed. It becomes the hub of information for the team. The hub for communication and collaboration.
And last but not least, the unstructured nature of the whiteboard allows it to be be personalised by the team. The team can express itself through the things it puts on its whiteboard. It starts to show the character of the team, and therefore helps to create a visible sense of team spirit.
Tools can certainly help to organise information more efficiently. But I would challenge any tool to do all of that! I'm not against tools. Not at all. But I think they should supplement the whiteboard, not replace it. Tools should be used for things they can do that a whiteboard can't. For instance, keeping track of longer lasting information, doing calculations, searching, etc. But personally I don't think I'd ever use tools instead of a whiteboard. There's simply too much to lose.
Kelly.
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Photo by Fernando Meyer
10 March 2009 15:12
I think you may have convinced me to not build a whiteboard-replacement online. although the "remote team" dynamic may still have a compelling value prop.
great article, thanks!
10 March 2009 20:26
For a online whiteboard (for "remote teams") see Mingle (http://studios.thoughtworks.com/mingle-agile-project-management)
10 March 2009 20:49
I just discovered your web site yesterday and it has been incredibly helpful and informative. I've been researching various project management methods and have been dreading the complexity that it brings. However, I was very relieved when I started reading about Scrum, especially as you have presented it on your site.
I am trying to put together a proposal for management. I am definitely buying all of the whiteboard talk, but I am also going to want some sort of software system to track all of this effort.
Can you make any specific recommendations about tools and software to support this method?
11 March 2009 02:47
Thanks for the reference, Marco. I'll check it out.
11 March 2009 08:38
:-)
http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2009-03-11/
11 March 2009 14:19
One tool to help you get off the white board to manage the development process is Accurev. Saw this through a Tweet the other day.
http://www.accurev.com/images/whiteboard.png
11 March 2009 17:49
This tool helps get development groups off the white board, but not necessarily for Agile, more for software development process. Although I can see some important Agile practices applications being made easier through it.
http://www.accurev.com/images/whiteboard.png
11 March 2009 19:59
One addition: A magnetic whiteboard makes it even better. TOTALLY worth the extra money.
12 March 2009 01:00
hello... hapi blogging... have a nice day! just visiting here....
12 March 2009 06:51
Great post! Could we have a larger pic? I'm curious to see the whiteboard in some detail.
12 March 2009 08:50
jyamasaki, here is a link to a larger version of the whiteboard picture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fmcamargo/2949240877/sizes/o/
The whiteboard is not one of my teams - I got this example from Flickr - credit to Fernando Meyer.
Kelly.
12 March 2009 08:51
12 March 2009 11:58
Kelly, might be worth posting a photo of one of the teams ;¬)
I must admit, I was slightly sceptical of using the whiteboard for everything, but now I realise the benefits. For me, it is about having everything visible for all to see, rather than squirreled away in my head.
Personally I'm starting to see value in NOT moving to a technical solution for everything, and especially if it is something that doesn't need to be overcomplicated.
15 March 2009 17:26
Actually, just today we had a discussion about which tool to use (whiteboard, rational team concert, xplanner, trac).
We used to handle a whiteboard fine, and I preferred it. But the other team members wanted the option to see stories hierarchically (the tasks that are connected to which stories) and automated graphs etc.
Any chance you might publish some detailed views of good boards and their management?
15 March 2009 20:16
great article!
i think you really nailed all the great aspects of it
the biggest negative i've seen with that approach is that it doesn't work well (or at all) if you have part (or especially, all) of your stakeholders and developers scattered across different buildings, cities, continents, etc.
I'm a huge fan of telecommuting but i gotta admit one of the biggest advantages to the single-office model is having the big shared bulletin/whiteboard.
Mike
http://zodlogic.webfactional.com/mikekramlichsoft/
16 March 2009 17:50
Since I asked the original question, I thought I'd post back here on a product I've found that is very good and very agile/scrum friendly. It's called Target Process (http://targetprocess.com/Product.aspx).
Their product is even free for 5 users or less. I am just cracking it open now, but so far am very impressed with the forethought that went into the software and its flexibility.
Also, their support team is excellent, which speaks very well about their product, too. So far, I am very impressed.
Thanks again for your valuable site!
23 March 2009 10:07
I think the concept of the whiteboard is the same as the daily scrum. You need these things in your teams face, to keep people on track and motivated. Seeing all those sticky notes could just be the fearful motivation to forget about going out for that next cup of coffee ;)
Regards,
David
http://www.jacksguides.com
23 March 2009 10:08
I think the concept of the whiteboard is the same as the daily scrum. You need these things in your teams face, to keep people on track and motivated. Seeing all those sticky notes could just be the fearful motivation to forget about going out for that next cup of coffee ;)
Regards,
David
http://www.jacksguides.com
16 April 2009 10:00
great article!
28 April 2009 01:58
For a simple but powerful card board, you might want to check http://cardmeeting.com/.
12 May 2009 10:47
It works and it does not work. High level features its good, not good for bugs reported.
Best tool to do prioritization, no electronic tool is that flexible.
My vote is for a combo of smt like JIRA and a daily standup in front of the white board with "today's" work.