https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/ Recent content in Articles on Engineering Leadership in AI & Software Hugo en Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/telling-people-what-to-do-is-not-leadership-it-s-a-failure-of-system-design/ Mon, 04 Aug 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/telling-people-what-to-do-is-not-leadership-it-s-a-failure-of-system-design/ Telling people what to do is not leadership, it is a sign of poor system design that stifles autonomy and slows delivery. Effective leadership means creating systems where teams have clear goals, constraints, and feedback loops so they can self-manage, deliver value, and adapt without micromanagement. Focus on improving your delivery system, set meaningful goals, enable autonomy with clear boundaries, use evidence-based metrics, and empower teams to own outcomes, so you can step back and let professionals do their best work. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-building-silos-start-building-systems/ Mon, 07 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-building-silos-start-building-systems/ Fragmented automation and tool silos slow delivery, increase risk, and create confusion, while a unified engineering system enables speed, safety, and clarity. Standardising on a single platform like Azure Pipelines, with shared processes and guardrails, empowers teams to focus on delivering value instead of managing complexity. To scale effectively, consolidate your toolchain, define clear boundaries, and invest in platform engineering so teams can work autonomously within a reliable system. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/don-t-manage-dependencies-remove-them/ Mon, 29 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/don-t-manage-dependencies-remove-them/ Dependencies are not inevitable but are usually caused by poor system design; instead of managing them, focus on removing them by aligning work, teams, and architecture, making contracts explicit, and clarifying ownership. Only manage the rare dependencies that remain, treating them as design flaws to be fixed, not as normal work. Leadership should prioritise redesigning systems to eliminate dependencies, which leads to faster delivery, fewer defects, and higher team autonomy. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/flow-of-value-vs-flow-of-work/ Mon, 15 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/flow-of-value-vs-flow-of-work/ The phrase “flow of value” is often misused in software development, as value is only confirmed when customers validate it, not just when work is completed. Teams should focus on validating outcomes quickly, breaking work into small, testable increments, and using data to cut features that do not deliver real value. To truly optimise value, ensure every item has a clear hypothesis, measure time to feedback, and prioritise learning over simply moving work through the system. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/is-agile-really-just-a-mindset/ Mon, 11 Aug 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/is-agile-really-just-a-mindset/ Agile is not just a mindset or set of behaviours; it is a disciplined system of work rooted in engineering excellence, technical leadership, and empirical delivery. True agility requires robust engineering practices like CI/CD, automated testing, and observability, not just ceremonies or coaching. To achieve real Agile outcomes, focus on building systems that enable frequent, reliable delivery and hold both teams and leadership accountable for technical and organisational change. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/rethinking-capacity-planning/ Mon, 21 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/rethinking-capacity-planning/ Capacity planning should focus on optimising system flow and predictability, not tracking individual hours or task assignments. Shifting from micromanagement to managing work as a system at portfolio, category, and team levels helps prevent overload, improves value delivery, and enables reliable forecasting. Development managers should prioritise system-level metrics, enforce work-in-progress limits, and empower teams to pull well-prepared work, creating sustainable and predictable delivery. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-topic-branches-drive-high-quality-delivery/ Mon, 14 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-topic-branches-drive-high-quality-delivery/ Short-lived topic branches help teams deliver high-quality software by making integration easier, reducing merge conflicts, and supporting modular, continuous delivery. Adopting models like GitHub Flow or Release Flow keeps work focused and feedback fast, while long-lived branches increase risk and slow down delivery. Development managers should enforce small, short-lived branches and regularly review branching strategies to maintain flow, agility, and quality. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-estimation-trap-how-tracking-accuracy-undermines-trust-flow-and-value-in-software-delivery/ Mon, 22 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-estimation-trap-how-tracking-accuracy-undermines-trust-flow-and-value-in-software-delivery/ Focusing on estimation accuracy as a performance metric leads to fear, gaming, and a culture of compliance rather than real improvement, which undermines trust, innovation, and actual value delivery. Research shows that when teams are judged on how closely they meet estimates, they pad numbers, hide risks, and avoid complex work, resulting in false success and missed opportunities for learning. Instead, shift attention to evidence-based metrics that reflect customer value, system health, and delivery flow, and use estimates only to support learning and informed conversations, not as tools for control. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-definition-of-done-is-a-commitment-to-quality/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-definition-of-done-is-a-commitment-to-quality/ A clear, shared Definition of Done is essential for delivering quality, releasable software in Scrum and aligns teams on what “complete” means. It ensures transparency, predictability, and accountability, protects your product’s reputation, and must be created, automated, and regularly improved by all teams working on a product. Development managers should prioritise running DoD workshops, making standards visible, automating checks, and reviewing the DoD every sprint to maintain quality and reduce risk. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/your-evolving-definition-of-done/ Mon, 31 Mar 2025 09:00:00 +0100 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/your-evolving-definition-of-done/ The Definition of Done should evolve as teams mature, starting with basic quality standards and expanding to include automation, security, and business-level requirements that align with organisational goals. A strong, consistently applied DoD reduces risk, rework, and delays, ensuring every increment is truly releasable and delivers real value. Development managers should regularly review and raise the DoD, embedding it into team practices to protect quality and support strategic objectives. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-hiding-behind-complexity-and-start-delivering-continuously/ Mon, 24 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-hiding-behind-complexity-and-start-delivering-continuously/ Complexity is not a valid reason to avoid continuous delivery; organisations like Azure DevOps and Starbucks have proven that even large, complex systems can achieve frequent, reliable releases with the right investment in automation, process improvement, and culture change. Key actions include automating everything, adopting trunk-based development, using feature flags, shifting quality left, and iterating on pain points. Development managers should focus on measuring and improving flow metrics and value delivery, prioritising organisational commitment to overcome resistance and realise the benefits of continuous delivery. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/should-you-use-one-project-to-rule-them-all-in-azure-devops/ Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/should-you-use-one-project-to-rule-them-all-in-azure-devops/ Using a single Azure DevOps project for all teams and products reduces fragmentation, improves visibility, and streamlines governance compared to managing multiple projects or organisations. Key benefits include unified reporting, easier collaboration, and lower administrative overhead, while Area Paths and Teams provide the necessary structure and security within one project. Development managers should consolidate into one project where possible, using Area Paths and Teams to model structure and scale, to optimise flow and delivery. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/release-planning-and-predictable-delivery/ Tue, 24 Nov 2020 13:00:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/release-planning-and-predictable-delivery/ Predictable delivery and agile release planning are not incompatible, but achieving them requires a shift in mindset, a focus on continuous quality, and embracing transparency. Key actions include making quality non-negotiable, refining backlog items to be small and clear, ensuring teams own the full delivery process, and minimizing dependencies. Development managers should prioritize building working software in regular increments, stop accumulating technical debt, and foster a culture of continuous improvement to improve delivery predictability. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-junior-scrum-master/ Mon, 17 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-junior-scrum-master/ The Scrum Master role requires deep technical, business, and organisational expertise and should not be treated as an entry-level or “junior” position. The most effective Scrum Masters emerge from within high-performing teams, having already demonstrated real-world competence and leadership, not just certification. To ensure team effectiveness and delivery, select Scrum Masters based on proven experience and peer respect, not on cost savings or minimal qualifications. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/great-scrum-masters-need-technical-business-and-organisational-mastery/ Mon, 24 Mar 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/great-scrum-masters-need-technical-business-and-organisational-mastery/ Scrum Masters are most effective when they combine strong leadership skills with deep understanding of their team’s technical, business, and organisational context. Mastery in these three areas enables them to better remove obstacles, coach both teams and Product Owners, and drive meaningful change across the organisation. Development managers should ensure their Scrum Masters are experienced professionals who continuously build expertise in these domains to maximise team performance and value delivery. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/testing-in-production-maximises-quality-and-value/ Thu, 13 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/testing-in-production-maximises-quality-and-value/ Testing in production using audience-based deployment enables faster feedback, safer incremental releases, and better alignment with real user needs compared to traditional Dev-Test-Staging pipelines. Microsoft’s shift to this model, driven by feature flags, progressive rollouts, and real-time monitoring, has improved quality and innovation while reducing risk and overhead. Development managers should consider moving away from environment-based branching and invest in automation, observability, and team upskilling to maximise value and responsiveness. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/definition-of-done-objective-vs-subjective/ Fri, 03 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/definition-of-done-objective-vs-subjective/ The Definition of Done (DoD) in Scrum is an objective, measurable checklist that sets the minimum quality standard for every product increment, distinct from the more subjective Product and Sprint Goals. Teams should ensure their DoD is clear, comprehensive, regularly reviewed, and as automated as possible, avoiding subjective approval steps. Development managers should treat the DoD as a non-negotiable baseline for quality, not a ceiling, and keep it updated to reflect evolving standards and business needs. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/work-can-flow-across-the-sprint-boundary/ Tue, 30 Jan 2018 20:12:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/work-can-flow-across-the-sprint-boundary/ Allowing work to flow across Sprint boundaries is permitted in Scrum and can improve delivery speed, responsiveness, and value, as long as teams maintain clear, outcome-focused Sprint Goals and consistently deliver Done increments. Adopting practices like Continuous Delivery, feature toggles, and frequent feedback helps teams validate work early and adapt quickly. Development managers should encourage flow principles and robust engineering practices to maximize throughput and support better business decisions. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/are-we-still-pretending-coding-was-the-bottleneck/ Mon, 01 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/are-we-still-pretending-coding-was-the-bottleneck/ AI writing code is not the real game-changer; coding was never the main bottleneck in software delivery. The real constraints are in poor system design, handoffs, unclear requirements, and lack of built-in quality, which AI will only make more visible. To benefit from AI, focus on improving flow, building quality in from the start, and making teams accountable for outcomes rather than output. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/resilience-is-part-of-the-product-not-an-afterthought/ Mon, 09 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/resilience-is-part-of-the-product-not-an-afterthought/ Resilience must be designed into your product from the start, not added later or left to individual heroics. Building resilience means engineering for failure containment, rapid recovery, and continuous improvement, using tools like telemetry, feature flags, and safe deployment practices. Make resilience a core part of your development process and culture, treating it as a critical feature to avoid costly outages and business risks. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/delivery-is-the-only-measure-of-progress-in-scrum/ Mon, 03 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/delivery-is-the-only-measure-of-progress-in-scrum/ Progress in Scrum should be measured by delivering working software to real users, not just completing internal work. Teams must deliver increments to production every Sprint, gather user feedback quickly, and adapt based on that feedback. To stay competitive, make delivery the default by automating releases, breaking down silos, and ensuring value reaches users every iteration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-promoting-branches/ Thu, 06 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-promoting-branches/ Promoting code through multiple environment branches slows delivery, increases risk, and adds unnecessary complexity. Instead, use simple branching models like GitHub Flow for continuous delivery or Release Flow if you must support multiple live versions; avoid outdated models like Git Flow and never rely on reverse integration. Focus on merging changes directly into main, use feature flags for releases, and keep branching lightweight to deliver value faster. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-to-build-for-business-resilience-and-continuity/ Mon, 26 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-to-build-for-business-resilience-and-continuity/ Building business resilience requires intentional design, strong observability, and aggressive decoupling so failures do not cascade across systems. Empower teams to act quickly, treat deployments as routine, and design for fast recovery using practices like chaos engineering and circuit breakers. Make resilience a core part of your culture and operations, not a one-time project, and use real metrics to guide continuous improvement. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/fragile-by-design-the-cost-of-pretending-to-be-resilient/ Mon, 12 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/fragile-by-design-the-cost-of-pretending-to-be-resilient/ Most systems fail under real pressure because resilience is often treated as a checkbox or afterthought rather than a core product capability that is engineered, tested, and verified in real-world conditions. High-profile outages at Spain’s grid, Oracle, and Heathrow show that bad engineering, shallow product thinking, and leadership denial lead to systemic fragility. To avoid costly failures, development managers must make resilience a disciplined, ongoing practice by designing for failure, testing recovery regularly, and confronting weaknesses head-on. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-better-way-than-staggered-iterations-for-delivery/ Thu, 10 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-better-way-than-staggered-iterations-for-delivery/ Staggered iterations slow feedback, increase technical debt, and reduce software quality, making delivery less agile and more expensive. Instead, form cross-functional teams that deliver working software every iteration, integrate all required work including testing into each sprint, and automate as much as possible. Shift away from staged handoffs to continuous, team-owned delivery to improve value and quality. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/without-delivery-there-is-no-value/ Mon, 10 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/without-delivery-there-is-no-value/ Value in software is only realised when products are delivered to users, so frequent releases are essential to validate assumptions, gather feedback, and adapt quickly. Delaying delivery increases costs, risks, and missed opportunities, while research shows that teams releasing often are more successful and resilient. Development managers should prioritise short feedback loops and empower teams to release working software regularly to maximise value and minimise waste. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-handoffs-are-killing-your-agility/ Mon, 13 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-handoffs-are-killing-your-agility/ Excessive handoffs between siloed teams slow delivery, reduce quality, and undermine team morale, making true agility impossible. Key issues include loss of context, increased cycle time, and lower accountability, all of which compound to hurt value delivery. To improve, reorganise into cross-functional teams, automate workflows, limit work in progress, and regularly remove outdated processes to streamline flow and boost team effectiveness. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-most-scrum-masters-are-failing-and-what-they-should-know/ Thu, 05 Sep 2024 11:14:48 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-most-scrum-masters-are-failing-and-what-they-should-know/ Most Scrum Masters lack the necessary understanding of Scrum and related technical and business practices, which has led to widespread layoffs and questions about their value. Companies now expect Scrum Masters to demonstrate clear competence in areas like DevOps, engineering practices, agile frameworks, release planning, stakeholder management, and metrics. Development managers should ensure their Scrum Masters have foundational knowledge in these areas and can show measurable impact on team effectiveness. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-measuring-individual-cycle-time-is-killing-your-flow-and-what-to-do-instead/ Mon, 03 Mar 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-measuring-individual-cycle-time-is-killing-your-flow-and-what-to-do-instead/ Measuring individual cycle time in Kanban misleads teams by focusing on personal speed instead of system flow, which ignores real bottlenecks and encourages counterproductive behaviors. To improve delivery, track system-wide metrics like lead time, work in progress, process cycle efficiency, and blockers, then address constraints at the process level. Development managers should shift measurement and improvement efforts from individuals to the overall workflow to achieve better outcomes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-teams-build-software-that-works/ Thu, 03 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-teams-build-software-that-works/ Professional Scrum teams must deliver high-quality, working software every sprint, prioritizing quality over speed or feature quantity to build trust and protect the organization’s reputation. Developers are accountable for quality and should use automation, DevOps practices, and continuous improvement to avoid technical debt and defects. Managers should empower teams to focus on quality, address technical debt in retrospectives, and consider upskilling developers through professional training. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-role-of-agency-in-scrum-why-self-management-without-agency-is-a-lie/ Thu, 01 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-role-of-agency-in-scrum-why-self-management-without-agency-is-a-lie/ Scrum only works when teams have real decision-making power, not just the appearance of self-management. Without agency, accountability is hollow and Scrum devolves into empty rituals that fail to deliver true agility or value. To achieve the benefits of Scrum, leaders must ensure teams and roles have genuine authority to own outcomes and drive change. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/can-the-definition-of-done-change-per-sprint/ Mon, 14 Oct 2019 13:55:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/can-the-definition-of-done-change-per-sprint/ The Definition of Done can be improved each Sprint to raise quality but should never be changed to lower standards or to vary by backlog item, as this undermines transparency and product value. Consistency in the Definition of Done ensures everyone understands what a usable increment means and supports reliable delivery. Development managers should encourage teams to strengthen the Definition of Done over time, aiming for a shippable product each Sprint. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/avoid-the-pick-n-mix-branching-anti-pattern/ Mon, 14 Jul 2014 15:35:35 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/avoid-the-pick-n-mix-branching-anti-pattern/ Explains the risks of the pick-n-mix branching anti-pattern in source control, its impact on code quality, and recommends feature branching and toggles for stability. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-scrum-master-is-accountable-for-delivery/ Thu, 30 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-scrum-master-is-accountable-for-delivery/ The Scrum Master is ultimately accountable for ensuring the Scrum Team delivers a usable product increment every sprint, as delivery is the minimum requirement for team effectiveness. While delivery is a shared team responsibility, the Scrum Master must create the right environment, remove impediments, and enable continuous improvement so delivery becomes inevitable. Development managers should hold Scrum Masters accountable for delivery outcomes and empower them with the authority and resources needed to support team success. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/i-do-continuous-deliver-why-should-i-sprint/ Mon, 13 Jul 2020 18:42:03 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/i-do-continuous-deliver-why-should-i-sprint/ Sprints are not about limiting release frequency but about providing a regular cadence for planning, communication, and predictability, even if you use continuous delivery. Scrum requires a working increment at least every 30 days, but you can release more often; Sprints help structure feedback loops and align teams and stakeholders. To stay competitive and responsive, use Sprints as a planning container while delivering to production as frequently as possible. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/getting-started-with-a-modern-source-control-system-and-devops/ Mon, 13 Jul 2020 18:41:59 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/getting-started-with-a-modern-source-control-system-and-devops/ Modern source control systems are essential for managing not just code but the entire software development lifecycle, supporting DevOps practices and providing critical metadata for process visibility. Key practices include always using source control, automating release pipelines, minimizing branches with feature flags, moving to Git, and ensuring regular feedback and testing. To stay competitive, development managers should ensure all code is in source control, automate releases, and adopt integrated platforms like VSTS that support any technology and enable continuous delivery. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-insufficiency-of-scrum-is-a-fallacy/ Sat, 23 Mar 2013 17:37:31 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-insufficiency-of-scrum-is-a-fallacy/ Scrum alone does not cause project failure; lacking strong engineering practices and effective retrospectives leads to technical debt and poor Agile outcomes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-sprint-is-a-container-for-planning-and-not-necessarily-for-delivery/ Tue, 29 Nov 2011 04:36:22 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-sprint-is-a-container-for-planning-and-not-necessarily-for-delivery/ Explains how Scrum Sprints are primarily for planning, not fixed delivery, and discusses aligning delivery schedules, continuous deployment, and improving software quality. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/estimating-better-in-an-overloaded-system-is-a-poor-man-s-strategy/ Mon, 08 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/estimating-better-in-an-overloaded-system-is-a-poor-man-s-strategy/ Trying to improve estimates in an overloaded system is ineffective because high work in progress causes delays and unpredictability, regardless of estimation accuracy. Real improvements in predictability and throughput come from limiting work in progress, fostering collaboration, and focusing on finishing work rather than starting more. To achieve reliable delivery, reduce WIP and prioritize flow over planning. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-writing-business-logic-in-stored-procedures/ Mon, 23 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-writing-business-logic-in-stored-procedures/ Stop adding business logic to stored procedures and refactor existing logic into application code as you make changes, rather than rewriting everything at once. Keeping business logic in stored procedures makes testing, deployment, version control, scalability, and maintainability much harder, increasing technical debt and risk. Adopt a gradual, pay-as-you-go approach to modernize your codebase, improve engineering practices, and enable faster, more reliable delivery. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/deciphering-the-enigma-of-story-points-across-teams/ Thu, 21 Sep 2023 08:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/deciphering-the-enigma-of-story-points-across-teams/ Story Points are useful for team discussions and backlog refinement but are too subjective for comparing teams or predicting delivery. Focus instead on objective metrics like throughput, cycle time, and work in process to measure and improve team performance, while also considering value delivered using evidence-based management practices. Shift your attention from normalising Story Points to tracking flow metrics and value to make better decisions and optimise outcomes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/hiring-a-professional-scrum-master/ Mon, 15 Mar 2021 14:11:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/hiring-a-professional-scrum-master/ Hiring a Scrum Master is challenging and requires someone who can lead, coach, and support both the team and organization to improve effectiveness and adopt Scrum practices. Key requirements include strong leadership, facilitation, and communication skills, a servant leadership mindset, and relevant certifications, with technical or business domain knowledge as a plus. Focus on candidates who can foster a safe, collaborative environment and drive continuous improvement for reliable product delivery. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-most-companies-operating-models-fail-in-dynamic-markets/ Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-most-companies-operating-models-fail-in-dynamic-markets/ Most organisations still use a Predictive Operating Model built for stable, predictable markets, which now creates massive waste, slow decisions, and disengaged teams in today’s dynamic environment. An Adaptive Operating Model, built on empiricism, rapid learning, decentralised decision-making, and persistent cross-functional teams, is a better fit because it focuses on outcomes, adaptability, and continuous alignment with customers. The real work is redesigning structures, measures, and leadership, not just adopting new processes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/are-technical-skills-required-to-be-a-scrum-master/ Sun, 01 Sep 2019 15:37:41 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/are-technical-skills-required-to-be-a-scrum-master/ Technical skills are not strictly required to be a Scrum Master, but having a solid understanding of technical, business, and organizational contexts makes a Scrum Master much more effective. Mastery in these areas helps Scrum Masters better support their teams, guide Product Owners, and drive meaningful organizational change. Development managers should ensure their Scrum Masters are equipped with broad contextual knowledge to maximize team and business value. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/you-are-doing-scrum-but-the-scrum-master-tells-the-team-what-to-do/ Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:40:07 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/you-are-doing-scrum-but-the-scrum-master-tells-the-team-what-to-do/ Explains why Scrum Masters should not direct teams, emphasising self-organisation, shared responsibility, and the importance of team autonomy in Scrum practices. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-lack-of-agency-is-killing-your-devops-initiatives/ Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-lack-of-agency-is-killing-your-devops-initiatives/ DevOps only works when developers have real control over production environments, deployments, and telemetry; without this operational agency, automation just creates fragile systems and blocks learning from real user feedback. Most DevOps efforts fail because they focus on tools instead of empowering developers to deploy, monitor, and adapt in production. To succeed, give your teams full operational ownership so they can deliver value continuously and respond quickly to real-world issues. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/pragmatism-crushes-dogma-in-the-wild/ Thu, 21 Mar 2024 09:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/pragmatism-crushes-dogma-in-the-wild/ Practical use of Scrum in a mentoring program showed that teams succeed by focusing on adaptability and resilience rather than rigidly following rules. Key insights include the importance of making work visible, inspecting progress, and quickly adapting to change, as outlined in the Scrum Guide. Development managers should prioritize flexibility within Scrum’s essential guardrails to help teams handle real-world challenges effectively. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/big-scrum-all-you-need-and-not-enough/ Wed, 01 Jul 2015 16:33:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/big-scrum-all-you-need-and-not-enough/ Scaling Scrum requires truly professional teams who embody agile values and strong engineering practices, not just following processes superficially. Off-the-shelf frameworks do not fit every organization, so adapting Scrum to your unique context is essential. Focus on building skilled teams, fostering effective communication, and adopting only the practices that support your specific scaling needs. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/getting-started-with-a-definition-of-done-dod/ Mon, 14 Dec 2020 13:03:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/getting-started-with-a-definition-of-done-dod/ A clear Definition of Done (DoD) is essential for ensuring software quality and predictable delivery, as it sets shared criteria for what “done” means for every increment. Involve the whole Scrum Team and relevant experts to create a short, measurable checklist that covers code quality, testing, security, and usability, and review it regularly to keep raising the quality bar. Before starting sprints, make sure your current increment meets the DoD, and continuously improve both your software and your DoD to maintain a working, shippable product. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/metrics-that-matter-with-evidence-based-management/ Tue, 25 Feb 2014 13:29:14 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/metrics-that-matter-with-evidence-based-management/ Explains how evidence-based management uses reliable metrics and KPIs at team and organisational levels to drive better decisions, value delivery, and process improvement. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/building-a-release-pipeline-with-release-management-with-visual-studio-2013/ Tue, 18 Feb 2014 16:30:59 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/building-a-release-pipeline-with-release-management-with-visual-studio-2013/ Explains how to set up a scalable release pipeline using Release Management in Visual Studio 2013, covering continuous release, feedback environments, and DevOps practices. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/quality-enablement-to-achieve-predictable-delivery/ Wed, 24 Jul 2013 09:46:22 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/quality-enablement-to-achieve-predictable-delivery/ Explains how defining quality standards, acceptance criteria, and automation in software delivery leads to predictable outcomes, fewer bugs, and improved team performance. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/storms-of-neglect-the-perils-of-not-delivering-usable-products-in-agile-iterations/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/storms-of-neglect-the-perils-of-not-delivering-usable-products-in-agile-iterations/ If teams do not deliver a usable product at the end of each iteration, trust with stakeholders erodes, technical debt grows, adaptability slows, and expectations become misaligned. This also leads to lower team morale and a lack of feedback, making it hard to improve or stay on track. To avoid these issues, ensure every iteration results in a usable product so you maintain trust, alignment, and the ability to adapt quickly. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-normalizing-unprofessional-behaviour-in-the-name-of-agility/ Mon, 19 Apr 2021 14:04:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/stop-normalizing-unprofessional-behaviour-in-the-name-of-agility/ Unprofessional behavior should not be excused as part of agile practices, as true agility requires professionalism, discipline, and competence. Failing to deliver usable increments, lacking team understanding of goals, and rigid processes undermine agility and can lead to serious consequences. Development managers should actively address and correct unprofessional behaviors to ensure ethical, effective, and sustainable agile delivery. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/big-scrum-are-you-doing-mechanical-scrum/ Wed, 24 Jun 2015 13:43:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/big-scrum-are-you-doing-mechanical-scrum/ Many organizations adopt Scrum hoping for rapid productivity gains but are disappointed when they only follow the motions without embracing its core values and technical excellence. True effectiveness and faster delivery come from practicing Professional Scrum, which means living the principles and focusing on quality, not just the framework. Development managers should ensure their teams go beyond mechanical Scrum and invest in building a professional culture to achieve real results. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/you-can't-stop-the-signal-but-you-can-ignore-it/ Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/you-can't-stop-the-signal-but-you-can-ignore-it/ Agile and Scrum frameworks highlight problems in team processes, but many organizations ignore these signals due to cultural barriers like fear of repercussions and resistance to change. Simply adopting these frameworks is not enough; their effectiveness depends on a culture that encourages transparency, feedback, and continuous improvement. Development managers should focus on building an environment where raising and addressing issues is supported and valued to fully realize the benefits of Agile and Scrum. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/if-your-backlog-is-not-refined-then-you-are-doing-it-wrong/ Thu, 17 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/if-your-backlog-is-not-refined-then-you-are-doing-it-wrong/ If your team starts Sprint Planning with backlog items that are not well understood or sized to fit within a sprint, you are setting up for failure. Regular backlog refinement is essential so developers can confidently select and deliver work, and lack of refinement often leads to missed goals and confusion. Make sure your team spends enough time refining upcoming backlog items so they are clear, appropriately sized, and ready for selection in the next two sprints. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/kalabule-or-a-professional-at-agile-in-africa/ Thu, 27 Oct 2016 18:01:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/kalabule-or-a-professional-at-agile-in-africa/ Many software teams in Africa still operate unprofessionally, delivering poor results and blaming management, but customers should demand regular delivery of working software that meets their needs. Adopting true professionalism requires more than just following Scrum rituals or engineering practices; it means embracing values like courage, focus, commitment, respect, and openness. Development managers should lead by example and foster these values to raise industry standards and deliver better outcomes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/constructing-a-framework-for-the-tfs-automation-platform/ Sun, 12 Jun 2011 04:44:02 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/constructing-a-framework-for-the-tfs-automation-platform/ Outlines the structure and components of a framework for the TFS Automation Platform, detailing its architecture, plugin management, and development approach. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/guidance-branching-for-each-sprint/ Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:34:03 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/guidance-branching-for-each-sprint/ Explains how using a separate version control branch for each sprint in Scrum improves code stability, release management, and team collaboration over using labels. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/live-site-culture-site-reliability-engineering/ Wed, 17 Jun 2020 13:23:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/live-site-culture-site-reliability-engineering/ To stay competitive in a fast-changing market, teams must adopt DevOps and continuous delivery, shifting from infrequent releases to deploying updates daily. This requires faster feedback, shared responsibility for quality and operations, and new ways of working, as shown by Microsoft’s Azure DevOps team. Development managers should consider evolving their team structures and practices to support rapid, customer-focused delivery. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/all-technical-debt-is-a-risk-to-the-product-and-to-your-business/ Mon, 25 Jan 2021 14:55:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/all-technical-debt-is-a-risk-to-the-product-and-to-your-business/ Technical debt is a significant risk to your product and business, as it undermines quality, slows delivery, and can accumulate unnoticed until it becomes a major problem. The Microsoft Team Foundation Server example shows that ignoring technical debt leads to reduced productivity and competitiveness, while addressing it through transparency and shorter feedback cycles enables faster, higher-quality delivery. Development managers should prioritize eliminating technical debt and fostering a culture of quality to protect business value and avoid long-term risks. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/release-management-with-team-foundation-server-2012/ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:38:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/release-management-with-team-foundation-server-2012/ Explains how to automate and streamline software release management using Team Foundation Server 2012, Lab Management, and Octopus, focusing on build, deployment, and quality. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-developer-net-training-in-london/ Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:53:27 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-developer-net-training-in-london/ Intensive five-day course for software developers covering Scrum, Visual Studio 2010, .NET, and Agile practices through hands-on team sprints and real-world case studies. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-missing-lever-in-agile-transformations/ Mon, 02 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-missing-lever-in-agile-transformations/ Agile transformations often fail because they focus on following ceremonies instead of building real agency in people and systems. True agility comes from empowering individuals and teams to make decisions and adapt, supported by evidence-based management to measure outcomes and guide change. To succeed, shift your transformation efforts from compliance to fostering agency and use data to drive continuous improvement. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/decoding-scrum-team-work-balancing-sprint-and-refinement-work/ Thu, 14 Sep 2023 14:25:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/decoding-scrum-team-work-balancing-sprint-and-refinement-work/ Scrum teams need to balance Sprint work, which delivers direct value to stakeholders, with Refinement, which prepares the backlog for future Sprints. Using tools like Azure DevOps to visualise and track both types of work helps teams plan better, avoid unnecessary effort, and stay ready for challenges. Development managers should ensure both work types are visible and managed to improve team efficiency and product outcomes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scaling-professional-scrum-with-visual-studio-team-services/ Wed, 06 Jul 2016 12:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scaling-professional-scrum-with-visual-studio-team-services/ Visual Studio Team Services helps reduce friction and risks when scaling Scrum across multiple teams by providing robust automation and support for organizing work within a Nexus framework. Workshops and webcasts demonstrated how VSTS can be set up to manage many teams effectively, making it a strong choice for enterprise-scale Scrum. Development managers should consider VSTS when coordinating large, distributed Scrum teams to streamline processes and improve visibility. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-want-to-be-an-alm-consultant/ Fri, 14 Jan 2011 21:07:22 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-want-to-be-an-alm-consultant/ Role overview for an ALM Consultant at Northwest Cadence, focusing on software lifecycle management, training, consulting, and technical leadership using Microsoft technologies. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/from-unused-gym-memberships-to-agile-implementation-the-parallels-of-misapplied-investments/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/from-unused-gym-memberships-to-agile-implementation-the-parallels-of-misapplied-investments/ Adopting agile methods is like buying a gym membership; real benefits come only with consistent, committed practice rather than superficial adoption. Key to success are breaking down goals, fostering cross-functional teams, and maintaining quality instead of just following rituals. Development managers should focus on genuine agile implementation and ongoing improvement to avoid wasted investment and missed opportunities. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-usable-working-products-are-your-ultimate-weapon-against-risks/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-usable-working-products-are-your-ultimate-weapon-against-risks/ Continuously delivering a usable working product is the most effective way to reduce risk in Agile development. Focus on releasing functional increments, fixing bugs quickly, automating tests, and keeping documentation lean to stay responsive to market needs. Prioritise regular feedback from users and stakeholders to ensure you are building what truly adds value. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/evidence-based-management-gathering-the-metrics/ Wed, 30 Dec 2020 14:02:07 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/evidence-based-management-gathering-the-metrics/ Evidence-based Management helps software organizations focus on delivering real value by tracking metrics in three areas: current value, time to market, and ability to innovate. Traditional measures like on-time and on-budget delivery miss customer value, so organizations should gather and regularly review these agile-focused metrics to guide improvement. Start collecting baseline data now and reassess quarterly to track progress and demonstrate the impact of agile investments. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-fallacy-of-the-rejected-backlog-item/ Mon, 13 Jul 2020 08:55:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-fallacy-of-the-rejected-backlog-item/ Rejecting individual backlog items at the Sprint Review is a misunderstanding, since the increment is delivered as a whole and removing a single item is complex and risky. The Sprint Review is for feedback and learning, not for accepting or rejecting specific items, and any gaps should inform future backlog updates. Development managers should focus on clear communication, well-structured backlog items, and using feature flags to provide flexibility and faster feedback. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-courses-for-2016-in-oslo-norway/ Wed, 06 Jan 2016 16:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-courses-for-2016-in-oslo-norway/ Recent Professional Scrum Master and Developer courses in Norway have been highly successful, attracting participants from top companies and leading to additional sessions being scheduled in Oslo and Kongsberg. The Scrum Master course focuses on advanced skills for experienced practitioners, while the Developer course emphasizes practical DevOps and Agile practices using Microsoft tools. Development managers should consider enrolling their teams to enhance Scrum mastery and technical delivery capabilities. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/continuous-value-delivery-with-modern-business-applications/ Tue, 27 Nov 2012 23:00:35 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/continuous-value-delivery-with-modern-business-applications/ Explains how modern business applications use continuous delivery to release new features frequently, reduce risk, and improve customer satisfaction through rapid updates. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-is-for-everyone-in-your-organisation/ Tue, 16 Jan 2018 13:25:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-is-for-everyone-in-your-organisation/ Scrum works best when everyone in the organisation is involved, not just the development teams, as this breaks down old management habits and empowers people at all levels to contribute to value delivery. Training all staff together surfaces misconceptions, encourages open discussion, and creates a shared understanding that drives real change. To maximise the benefits, managers should ensure broad participation in Scrum training and use the resulting organisational change backlog to remove barriers to effective software delivery. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/blocked-columns-on-kanban-boards-obfuscate-workflow-and-undermine-effectiveness/ Tue, 13 Feb 2024 15:44:53 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/blocked-columns-on-kanban-boards-obfuscate-workflow-and-undermine-effectiveness/ Using Blocked columns on Kanban boards hides the true status of work, encourages team disengagement, and leads to stale tasks and inflated work-in-progress limits. Instead, teams should tag blocked items within their current workflow stage and provide clear context, which maintains transparency and accountability. Managers should avoid Blocked columns and use tags or annotations to highlight issues without disrupting the flow or losing critical information. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/story-points-velocity-are-a-sign-of-an-unsuccessful-team/ Mon, 04 Jan 2021 14:20:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/story-points-velocity-are-a-sign-of-an-unsuccessful-team/ Story points and velocity are not required by Scrum and relying on them long-term signals a team’s lack of maturity and adaptability. While they can help new teams start conversations and build shared understanding, they do not provide real predictability or confidence in delivery. Development managers should focus on transparency, concrete data, and metrics like cycle time to build true confidence and improve predictability for stakeholders. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/who-broke-the-build/ Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:47:08 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/who-broke-the-build/ Explains the importance of passing builds, common causes of build failures, how to identify issues and responsible users, and best practices for build ownership. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/alm-consulting-in-scotland-uk-scandinavia-amp-europe/ Mon, 11 Nov 2013 15:08:44 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/alm-consulting-in-scotland-uk-scandinavia-amp-europe/ Provides ALM consulting, training, and assessments across Scotland, UK, and Europe, specialising in lean-agile, TFS, Visual Studio, Scrum, and process improvement. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/team-foundation-server-2013-is-production-ready/ Tue, 23 Jul 2013 09:44:42 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/team-foundation-server-2013-is-production-ready/ Team Foundation Server 2013 is stable for production use, addressing past update issues with improved agility, technical debt management, and enhanced ALM features. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/presenting-visual-studio-alm-and-upgrading-tfs-2010-to-tfs-2012-in-production-%E2%80%93-done/ Sun, 10 Jun 2012 19:03:56 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/presenting-visual-studio-alm-and-upgrading-tfs-2010-to-tfs-2012-in-production-%E2%80%93-done/ Covers presenting Visual Studio ALM features and the process of upgrading from TFS 2010 to TFS 2012, including benefits, challenges, and key considerations for organisations. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-change-for-the-better-3/ Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:58:36 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-change-for-the-better-3/ Reflects on lessons learned at SSW in software process, technology, and communication, and details a career move to an ALM consultant role at Northwest Cadence in Seattle. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/you-are-doing-it-wrong-if-you-are-not-using-test-first/ Mon, 07 Dec 2020 12:00:58 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/you-are-doing-it-wrong-if-you-are-not-using-test-first/ Using test-first approaches like Test Driven Development helps teams deliver software that meets customer needs, reduces maintenance costs, and prevents bugs from reaching production. Writing tests before coding ensures validation at every step, shortens feedback loops, and makes it easier and cheaper to fix issues early. To improve quality and enable confident continuous delivery, development managers should encourage their teams to adopt test-first practices. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/there-is-no-do-agile-there-is-only-be-agile/ Sun, 01 Sep 2013 22:31:31 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/there-is-no-do-agile-there-is-only-be-agile/ Explores the difference between adopting agile practices superficially and truly embracing agile values, highlighting the need for deep organisational change and continuous learning. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/testing-in-the-modern-application-lifecycle/ Tue, 25 Sep 2012 02:00:46 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/testing-in-the-modern-application-lifecycle/ Explores challenges and solutions for manual testing in agile software development, focusing on tracking, automation, actionable bugs, and integrated test management tools. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/balance-of-leadership-and-control-in-scrum/ Mon, 17 Mar 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/balance-of-leadership-and-control-in-scrum/ Scrum Masters and Product Owners are expected to deliver results, so they need both influence and enough authority to remove obstacles, enforce alignment, and ensure accountability. Too much control stifles team autonomy, but too little makes teams ineffective; the right balance depends on the organisation and situation. Development managers should empower these roles with the authority needed to drive change while maintaining team ownership and continuous improvement. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/should-the-scrum-master-always-remove-impediments/ Mon, 23 Sep 2019 18:49:49 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/should-the-scrum-master-always-remove-impediments/ The Scrum Master is responsible for removing impediments, but should only step in when the team cannot resolve the issue themselves. Their focus should be on enabling the team to handle similar problems independently in the future, building self-sufficiency. Development managers should encourage Scrum Masters to coach teams rather than always solving problems for them. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-training-for-the-ghana-police-service/ Mon, 30 Oct 2017 19:26:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-training-for-the-ghana-police-service/ The Ghana Police Service began grassroots Scrum training with its first Professional Scrum Foundations classes, introducing officers with little IT experience to agile practices through hands-on software sprints. Key outcomes included increased engagement, practical understanding of Scrum, and improved alignment between training and police work after adjusting the approach based on feedback. For future success, ensure participants receive clear pre-class communication about objectives and context, especially when introducing agile methods to non-technical teams. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-your-own-path-to-organisational-agility/ Thu, 11 Jan 2018 13:28:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-your-own-path-to-organisational-agility/ A one-size-fits-all agile framework rarely works because every organisation’s path to agility is unique; instead, you should define a clear vision, form a cross-functional change team, and use an incremental, evidence-based approach to improvement. Broad, consistent training across all levels ensures everyone understands and supports the change, while involving stakeholders in identifying and prioritising impediments helps create a relevant organisational change backlog. To succeed, secure executive buy-in, empower teams to drive change, and focus on continuous, measurable improvements tailored to your context. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/ndc-london-second-look-team-foundation-server-amp-vso/ Wed, 15 Oct 2014 14:49:05 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/ndc-london-second-look-team-foundation-server-amp-vso/ The speaker will present a demo-heavy session at NDC London to showcase major improvements in Team Foundation Server and Visual Studio Online since 2012, targeting developers who previously found TFS lacking. Key insights include end-to-end demonstrations of new features for agile project management, coding, testing, release, and monitoring, with scenarios covering both new features and bug fixes. Development managers should consider revisiting TFS/VSO for .NET projects and can provide feedback on which features or scenarios they want prioritized in the session. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/risk-mitigation-agile-usable-products-vs-documentation-in-traditional-project-management/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/risk-mitigation-agile-usable-products-vs-documentation-in-traditional-project-management/ Delivering working software in small increments helps teams identify and address risks early, adapt to changes quickly, and get real feedback from users, while relying mainly on documentation can slow response to shifting needs. Documentation is still important, but focusing on usable products provides more value in fast-changing environments. Development managers should prioritize building and validating working software while maintaining just enough documentation to support adaptation and clarity. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/dod-has-made-it-illegal-to-do-waterfall/ Tue, 01 May 2018 01:02:03 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/dod-has-made-it-illegal-to-do-waterfall/ The US Department of Defense has updated its procurement rules to require agile, iterative development instead of traditional waterfall methods, following high-profile failures like the FBI’s Sentinel project. Agile approaches have proven to deliver higher success rates, lower costs, and reduced risk, and these changes are now influencing government and vendor practices across the US and UK. Development managers working with government clients should adopt agile methods to align with new regulations and improve project outcomes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/my-journey-into-professional-scrum/ Wed, 04 Feb 2015 10:53:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/my-journey-into-professional-scrum/ Professional Scrum has been key to my success in software development and consulting, showing that most team challenges are cultural rather than technical. Building professional, adaptable individuals and teams leads to greater business agility and consistent delivery of valuable software. Avoid one-size-fits-all approaches to scaling Scrum; instead, tailor frameworks and practices to your organisation’s unique culture and needs. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-high-of-release/ Sat, 05 Dec 2015 14:49:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-high-of-release/ Microsoft’s new web-based Release Management tools let teams build flexible, integrated release pipelines in VSTS or TFS without being locked into specific deployment tools. The focus is on orchestration and integration, allowing you to use your preferred technologies like Chef, Puppet, Docker, or PowerShell. These tools are now in public preview, so consider evaluating them to streamline your release process and support cloud or on-premises deployments. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-release-management-pipeline-for-professional-developers/ Thu, 04 Dec 2014 12:15:56 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-release-management-pipeline-for-professional-developers/ This guide walks through setting up an automated release management pipeline using TFS/VSO and Azure, showing how to build, deploy, and parameterize a legacy web app across multiple feedback environments. Key takeaways include the importance of automating builds and releases, using environment-specific parameters, and streamlining approvals for smoother deployments. Development managers should consider investing time upfront to automate and parameterize their pipelines, as this reduces manual errors and accelerates feedback cycles. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/avoid-bug-task-anti-pattern-tfs/ Wed, 06 Aug 2014 14:46:41 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/avoid-bug-task-anti-pattern-tfs/ Explains why treating bugs as tasks in Azure DevOps is an anti-pattern, its impact on transparency, quality, and planning, and offers guidance for agile teams to avoid it. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/does-your-company-culture-resemble-survivor/ Wed, 10 Jul 2013 19:37:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/does-your-company-culture-resemble-survivor/ Explores how individualistic, competitive company cultures hinder collaboration and agility, and highlights the benefits of fostering teamwork in software development. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/guidance-a-branching-strategy-for-scrum-teams/ Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:11:36 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/guidance-a-branching-strategy-for-scrum-teams/ Explains an effective branching strategy for Scrum teams, covering best practices, common pitfalls, and step-by-step guidance for managing code, releases, and bug fixes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/sprint-goal-is-an-immediate-tactical-goal/ Mon, 11 Jan 2021 14:36:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/sprint-goal-is-an-immediate-tactical-goal/ The Sprint Goal should be a clear, high-level statement that explains the purpose of the Sprint and connects directly to the Product Goal, guiding the team’s immediate tactical efforts. Product Owners should use tools like Lean Canvas to define business objectives and user behaviors, formulating hypotheses with measurable outcomes to maximize value. Focus on solving users’ current problems and iteratively anticipate their needs to drive engagement and deliver impactful features. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-my-father-taught-me-about-evidence-based-management-34-years-before-it-was-invented/ Mon, 13 Jul 2020 18:42:12 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-my-father-taught-me-about-evidence-based-management-34-years-before-it-was-invented/ Explores how evidence-based management uses data-driven practices to improve organisational agility, value delivery, and decision-making in both business and software contexts. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/no-estimates-and-is-it-advisable-for-a-scrum-team-to-adopt-it/ Thu, 22 Aug 2019 12:55:28 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/no-estimates-and-is-it-advisable-for-a-scrum-team-to-adopt-it/ Estimation is valuable mainly for the team discussions it generates, not the numbers themselves. New Scrum Teams benefit from using Story Points and Velocity, but as they mature, they should shift to flow-based metrics like Cycle Time and Throughput and consider dropping traditional estimation. Teams should regularly review and adapt their process, moving toward simpler sizing and continuous improvement as they gain experience. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-for-cross-team-and-cross-business-line-work-item-tracking/ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 16:34:13 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-for-cross-team-and-cross-business-line-work-item-tracking/ Explains how to use a single Team Project and Team Field in TFS to streamline cross-team work item tracking, reporting, and collaboration across business lines. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/there-is-no-place-like-production/ Mon, 28 Dec 2020 14:12:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/there-is-no-place-like-production/ To deliver real value and reduce risk, teams must release features to production quickly so real users can provide feedback, since assumptions and testing environments cannot replace actual usage. Key measures like customer satisfaction, product usage, and employee satisfaction help validate value, and releasing early also offers financial benefits through capital expenditure write-downs. Prioritize getting small increments into production to maximize learning, value, and organizational savings. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-is-your-perspective-on-collocation/ Mon, 21 Oct 2019 13:05:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-is-your-perspective-on-collocation/ Collocation, where all team members work together in the same space, is not required for Scrum but is strongly recommended, especially for new teams, as it improves communication, focus, and team ownership. While remote work is possible with the right technology, it often requires extra effort to replicate the benefits of in-person interaction. If collocation is not feasible, managers should support teams with tools and practices to minimize communication challenges and continuously improve team effectiveness. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/is-alm-a-useful-term/ Sat, 25 Feb 2012 03:41:53 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/is-alm-a-useful-term/ Explores whether Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) is a useful term, its role in agile software delivery, and differences in adoption across organisations and regions. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/evolution-not-transformation-this-is-the-inevitability-of-change/ Mon, 13 Jul 2020 12:58:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/evolution-not-transformation-this-is-the-inevitability-of-change/ Change in software organizations is not a one-time transformation but an ongoing evolution that requires continuous experimentation, adaptation, and learning. Leaders must drive this process from within by fostering a culture of agility, empowering teams, and regularly reassessing goals and practices to stay competitive in a fast-changing market. The key takeaway is to embrace continuous improvement and own the change process rather than relying on external solutions or static best practices. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/sculpting-the-product-backlog-a-delicate-balance-between-lean-inventory-and-future-readiness/ Thu, 24 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/sculpting-the-product-backlog-a-delicate-balance-between-lean-inventory-and-future-readiness/ Keep your product backlog minimal but sufficient, ensuring it is clear and transparent for all stakeholders while also considering future needs to avoid surprises. Regularly review and reflect on completed work and unexpected issues to refine your backlog and adapt to changing circumstances. Aim for a balance that supports both current priorities and readiness for what lies ahead. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-is-made-up-of-influencers-entrepreneurs-and-makers/ Mon, 01 Mar 2021 14:02:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-is-made-up-of-influencers-entrepreneurs-and-makers/ Scrum teams need a balance of three key roles: Influencers who lead and shape the environment, Entrepreneurs who define and communicate the product vision, and Makers who build the product. Each role has its own growth path and is essential for delivering high-value products. Development managers should ensure all three tracks are present and balanced in their teams to maximize success. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/luddites-have-no-place-in-the-modern-organisation/ Mon, 06 Jul 2020 12:18:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/luddites-have-no-place-in-the-modern-organisation/ To build a modern, adaptable software organization, you need to hire people open to change and innovation and be willing to let go of those who resist new ways of working. Cultural resistance from “Luddites” will slow or undermine your agile evolution, as seen in Microsoft’s transformation under Satya Nadella. Review your hiring and team composition to ensure you have the right people to support continuous learning and agility. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-organisational-change-at-the-ghana-police-service/ Mon, 04 Sep 2017 13:09:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-organisational-change-at-the-ghana-police-service/ The Ghana Police Service is undergoing a major transformation to address long-standing issues by adopting a clear vision, a strategic framework based on Scrum, and empowering change agents across the organization. Top leadership, including the IGP and the President, are fully committed, and the approach emphasizes servant leadership, transparency, and adapting frameworks like Kanban to fit unique team needs. Development managers should note that lasting change requires a flexible framework rather than rigid methodologies, with leadership focused on enabling teams rather than controlling them. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/update-to-the-scrum-guide-on-the-25th-anniversary-of-the-scrum-framework/ Wed, 18 Nov 2020 16:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/update-to-the-scrum-guide-on-the-25th-anniversary-of-the-scrum-framework/ The 2020 update to the Scrum Guide simplifies language and reduces prescriptive rules, emphasizing that Scrum Teams are self-managing and collectively accountable for delivering value each Sprint. Key changes include clear commitments for Product Goal, Sprint Goal, and Definition of Done, as well as a focus on cross-functional teams and improved Sprint Planning. Development managers should review the new guide to align their teams with these streamlined practices. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-do-you-handle-conflict-in-a-scrum-team/ Mon, 07 Oct 2019 16:32:19 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-do-you-handle-conflict-in-a-scrum-team/ When conflict arises in a Scrum Team, first encourage the team to resolve it themselves and use facilitation techniques that ensure everyone is heard, such as structured group discussions. The Scrum Master should coach team members and escalate only if necessary, involving HR or considering team changes as a last resort. Focus on building conflict resolution skills within the team and iteratively adapt your approach to find the best solution. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what's-the-best-way-to-work-around-multiple-po/ Mon, 16 Sep 2019 17:57:53 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what's-the-best-way-to-work-around-multiple-po/ If multiple people are acting as Product Owners but are not providing clear direction or attending key meetings, your team lacks true ownership of the product backlog and value delivery. This leads to wasted effort on features that may not matter, with industry data showing up to 65 percent of time spent on the wrong work. Raise this issue with management and ensure someone is clearly accountable for prioritizing and validating work, even if it means temporarily assigning the role until a suitable Product Owner is found. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/finding-the-problem-on-a-partially-succeeded-build-on-team-foundation-build-services-2010/ Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:48:28 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/finding-the-problem-on-a-partially-succeeded-build-on-team-foundation-build-services-2010/ Learn how to diagnose and resolve partially succeeded builds in Team Foundation Build Services 2010 by tracing test failures, identifying code issues, and managing bugs. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/round-up-for-2017-and-beyond-agility-devops-and-everything-in-between/ Tue, 28 Nov 2017 17:10:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/round-up-for-2017-and-beyond-agility-devops-and-everything-in-between/ The author reflects on a busy year of speaking at global conferences and delivering workshops focused on Agile, Scrum, and DevOps, noting that training provides more lasting value to clients than consulting. Key insights include the importance of stepping out of comfort zones, sharing practical knowledge to empower teams, and prioritizing structured, engaging training. Development managers should consider investing in team training to build internal capability and drive better outcomes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/branch-policies-for-tfvc/ Wed, 13 Jan 2016 15:49:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/branch-policies-for-tfvc/ A new branch policy tool for TFVC allows you to apply policies like branch locks, code reviews, and work item requirements across multiple branches using simple patterns, making policy management much easier for large, complex codebases. This approach avoids cumbersome path-based setups and helps ensure key quality steps are not missed without overburdening developers. You can try the tool, provide feedback, or contribute to its development on GitHub. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/open-source-with-vsts-or-tfs-and-github-for-better-devops/ Tue, 10 May 2016 16:19:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/open-source-with-vsts-or-tfs-and-github-for-better-devops/ You can use VSTS or TFS for full DevOps and agile capabilities while keeping your open-source code on Github by setting up automated two-way synchronization between the platforms. This approach lets you manage private work and processes in VSTS, then publish selected branches to Github for public access and contributions. Set up automated builds in VSTS to sync code in both directions, using personal tokens for authentication, so you get the best of both tools without extra manual effort. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-new-normal-of-the-modern-application-lifecycle/ Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:00:16 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-new-normal-of-the-modern-application-lifecycle/ Explores how rapid technological change, consumer expectations, and agile practices are reshaping software development, IT roles, and business relevance in the digital era. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/guidance-how-to-layout-you-files-for-an-ideal-solution/ Mon, 17 May 2010 11:08:16 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/guidance-how-to-layout-you-files-for-an-ideal-solution/ Learn best practices for organising solution and project files in version control, including folder structure, naming conventions, and branching for maintainable code. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/become-the-leader-that-you-were-meant-to-to-be/ Thu, 04 Feb 2021 13:10:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/become-the-leader-that-you-were-meant-to-to-be/ Leadership in modern software development is about inspiring and enabling teams rather than controlling them; managers should focus on leading people and improving effectiveness. The Scrum Master is a leadership role that supports the team and organization, not a manager or administrator. To drive better results, shift from traditional hierarchy to servant leadership and lead by example. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/rethinking-product-backlog-navigating-through-the-weeds-of-complexity/ Thu, 17 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/rethinking-product-backlog-navigating-through-the-weeds-of-complexity/ Relying on rigid hierarchies in the Product Backlog can hinder transparency and adaptability in complex product development. Instead, focus on a flat backlog that highlights valuable, deliverable items, supports team autonomy, and leverages emergent practices over fixed best practices. Empower your teams to structure the backlog in ways that foster learning, innovation, and resilience in changing environments. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/delivering-live-virtual-classes-in-microsoft-teams-and-mural/ Sun, 21 Jun 2020 21:40:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/delivering-live-virtual-classes-in-microsoft-teams-and-mural/ Delivering live virtual classes using Microsoft Teams and Mural offers strong security, flexibility, and features that support self-organising teams and foster a safe, collaborative learning environment. Running a tech check before classes saves time and sets expectations, while Teams enables students to manage their own breakout sessions and resources, promoting autonomy and engagement. For best results, set up Teams in advance and use Mural to create structured, interactive exercises that mirror in-person collaboration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/getting-started-with-objectives-key-results/ Mon, 18 Aug 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/getting-started-with-objectives-key-results/ OKRs only work when there is a clear strategy, a culture of transparency and adaptation, empowered teams, and a focus on outcomes over output. They help connect strategy to execution but require ongoing review, learning, and refinement to be effective. Before adopting OKRs, ensure your leadership, culture, and processes support these foundations or the framework will not deliver real value. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/announcing-professional-agile-leadership-with-evidence-based-management-training-pal-ebm-from-scrum-org/ Wed, 21 Jul 2021 14:06:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/announcing-professional-agile-leadership-with-evidence-based-management-training-pal-ebm-from-scrum-org/ Scrum.org is launching a new one-day Professional Agile Leadership with Evidence-Based Management (PAL-EBM) training and certification, designed to help leaders make decisions based on evidence rather than intuition. The course emphasizes creating custom metrics suited to each business context and highlights the importance of clearly communicating vision and strategic goals to all team members. Development managers should consider this training to improve alignment, measurement, and decision-making in their organizations. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/you-can't-stack-rank-hierarchical-work-items/ Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:41:29 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/you-can't-stack-rank-hierarchical-work-items/ Explains why stack ranking hierarchical work items is challenging in agile software development, highlighting issues with ordering, parent-child links, and best practices. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/an-adoption-strategy-for-testing-with-visual-studio-2010/ Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:41:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/an-adoption-strategy-for-testing-with-visual-studio-2010/ Guidance on adopting Visual Studio 2010 test tools, including Microsoft Test Manager, hands-on labs, and agile training to improve collaboration and software quality. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/are-you-doing-scrum-really/ Sat, 19 Nov 2011 16:41:45 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/are-you-doing-scrum-really/ Explains recent changes to Scrum aimed at reducing rigidity, clarifying core practices, and providing a checklist to help teams assess if they are truly following Scrum. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-future-of-software-development/ Sat, 14 Jul 2007 19:03:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-future-of-software-development/ Explores how software factories, web services, and specialised development teams can speed up software delivery, improve adaptability, and meet fast-changing business needs. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-do-you-make-a-good-forecast/ Mon, 09 Sep 2019 11:20:33 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-do-you-make-a-good-forecast/ To make better forecasts in agile projects, shift from using metrics like story points and velocity to flow-based metrics such as cycle time, throughput, and work in process, which improve predictability by encouraging smaller, more manageable work items. For budgeting and staffing, calculate team costs per sprint and extrapolate for annual needs, moving from project-based to team-based budgeting. Involve stakeholders early in this transition to address concerns and ensure smoother adoption. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-do-you-incorporate-a-design-sprint-in-scrum/ Fri, 16 Aug 2019 12:35:31 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-do-you-incorporate-a-design-sprint-in-scrum/ Design Sprints should not be treated as separate or special sprints in Scrum; instead, design and UX work should be integrated into regular sprints as part of the team’s ongoing activities or handled during backlog refinement for future work. All team members should collaborate on these tasks, leveraging individual skills without creating silos or specialist-only phases. Development managers should ensure design activities are visible, collaborative, and aligned with sprint goals, using communities of practice to share knowledge across teams. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-in-immingham-uk/ Wed, 11 Dec 2013 09:34:45 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-in-immingham-uk/ Summary of a multi-team Professional Scrum training at DFDS Seaways in Immingham, UK, highlighting co-located learning, cross-team collaboration, and agile best practices. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/quality-enablement-with-visual-studio-2012/ Wed, 15 May 2013 03:13:20 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/quality-enablement-with-visual-studio-2012/ Explores how Visual Studio 2012 supports continuous quality enablement, automated testing, and rapid delivery in modern software development for higher user satisfaction. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/naked-alm-starting-with-why-and-getting-naked/ Thu, 02 May 2013 03:06:42 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/naked-alm-starting-with-why-and-getting-naked/ Explores the importance of understanding purpose in Application Lifecycle Management, focusing on transparency, customer value, and continuous improvement in software delivery. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-foundations-in-alameda-california/ Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:30:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-foundations-in-alameda-california/ Covers a two-day, hands-on Scrum.org course in Alameda, teaching Scrum principles, teamwork, and practical software delivery for all roles in the development process. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what's-in-a-burndown/ Wed, 28 Mar 2012 03:52:22 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what's-in-a-burndown/ Explains burndown charts in Scrum, their purpose, common issues, and compares tracking by hours, story points, and acceptance tests to improve team progress visibility. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-foundations-in-salt-lake-city-utah/ Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:56:23 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-foundations-in-salt-lake-city-utah/ Covers hands-on experiences teaching the Professional Scrum Foundations course in Salt Lake City, highlighting teamwork, agile practices, and real-world Scrum challenges. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/my-first-scrum-team-in-the-wild/ Sun, 03 Apr 2011 21:44:22 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/my-first-scrum-team-in-the-wild/ A real-world account of guiding a new Scrum team through their first sprint, covering estimation, story points, sprint planning, and handling unfinished work. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/embrace-uniqueness-why-creating-your-own-scaling-practices-leads-to-business-success/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 15:34:57 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/embrace-uniqueness-why-creating-your-own-scaling-practices-leads-to-business-success/ Relying on generic scaling frameworks can dilute what makes your organization successful, so it is better to develop your own scaling practices tailored to your unique culture, challenges, and goals. This approach preserves your competitive edge, increases adaptability, and fosters team ownership and engagement. Learn from others but create solutions that fit your context to achieve sustainable growth. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/product-goal-is-an-intermediate-strategic-goal/ Mon, 21 Dec 2020 14:27:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/product-goal-is-an-intermediate-strategic-goal/ Product Goals serve as intermediate steps that help teams evaluate and adapt progress toward broader strategic objectives, especially in uncertain environments. Focusing on outcomes over outputs, investing in discovery through flexible team allocation, and running hypothesis-driven experiments are key to delivering real value. Development managers should shift away from traditional project management and factory-style practices, adopting a data-driven, experimental approach to stay competitive and responsive. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/standard-environments-for-automated-deployment-and-testing/ Sun, 17 Mar 2013 06:23:45 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/standard-environments-for-automated-deployment-and-testing/ Explains how to set up and use Standard Environments in Visual Studio 2012 TFS for automated software deployment and testing, enabling consistent, repeatable pipelines. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/automated-testing-in-a-modern-application-lifecycle/ Tue, 25 Sep 2012 04:33:30 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/automated-testing-in-a-modern-application-lifecycle/ Explains the role of automated testing in modern software development, covering types, integration, benefits, challenges, and tools for maintaining code quality. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/human-and-ai-agency-in-adaptive-systems-strategy-before-optimisation/ Mon, 30 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/human-and-ai-agency-in-adaptive-systems-strategy-before-optimisation/ Human decision-making is essential for setting strategy, purpose, and adapting to change, while AI should be used for tactical optimisation within clear human-defined boundaries. Over-relying on AI for adaptation leads to fragile systems, loss of accountability, and strategic obsolescence. Development managers should ensure humans remain responsible for strategic direction and adaptation, using AI only to optimise within those parameters. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/hiring-a-professional-product-owner/ Mon, 17 May 2021 14:17:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/hiring-a-professional-product-owner/ Hiring a professional Product Owner is increasingly valued, with companies seeking external candidates who bring fresh perspectives and strong business understanding. The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing product value by setting vision, managing stakeholders, collaborating with teams, making key decisions, and using evidence-based approaches to drive outcomes. Ensure candidates have both certification and practical experience, but remember that while responsibilities can be delegated, ultimate accountability always remains with the Product Owner. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/navigating-the-future-with-a-fine-tuned-product-backlog/ Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/navigating-the-future-with-a-fine-tuned-product-backlog/ A well-ordered and regularly refined Product Backlog is essential for guiding teams toward delivering customer value, as it ensures everyone understands priorities and next steps. Key practices include clear articulation, ongoing refinement, and sizing of backlog items, which help teams focus on the most valuable work and align with strategic goals. Development managers should prioritize maintaining a transparent and evolving backlog to support effective planning and value delivery. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/introducing-kanban-for-professional-scrum-teams/ Mon, 26 Feb 2018 15:00:08 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/introducing-kanban-for-professional-scrum-teams/ A new Professional Scrum with Kanban class and guide now enable Scrum teams to integrate Kanban practices like workflow visualization, limiting work in progress, and flow-based metrics without changing Scrum itself. This approach helps teams focus on value delivery and can replace traditional metrics like velocity with more actionable measures such as throughput and cycle time. Development managers should consider reviewing the Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams and exploring the training to enhance their teams’ effectiveness. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-change-for-the-better-4/ Mon, 19 Aug 2013 10:50:51 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-change-for-the-better-4/ Details a move from the USA back to Scotland for family and education reasons, continuing ALM consulting, and plans to offer agile coaching and training in Europe. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-definition-of-done-ensuring-quality-without-compromising-value/ Wed, 27 Sep 2023 09:59:46 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-definition-of-done-ensuring-quality-without-compromising-value/ The Definition of Done (DoD) ensures every release meets clear quality standards, while acceptance criteria define specific content requirements. Mixing acceptance criteria into the DoD can undermine transparency and adaptability, but consistently required quality measures should be added to the DoD itself. Review your acceptance criteria regularly and only update the DoD if it preserves both clarity and flexibility in your team’s delivery. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-sprint-goal-is-a-commitment-for-the-sprint-backlog/ Fri, 27 Nov 2020 13:09:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-sprint-goal-is-a-commitment-for-the-sprint-backlog/ The Sprint Goal is a clear, single objective for each Sprint that guides the team’s focus and aligns their work toward the Product Goal. It is set during Sprint Planning, helps teams adapt their work as needed without losing sight of the main purpose, and should be specific to your business context. Ensure your Product Owner proposes a meaningful Sprint Goal for each Sprint to keep the team aligned and working toward valuable outcomes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/unit-testing-against-the-team-foundation-server-2012-api/ Mon, 02 Apr 2012 03:52:55 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/unit-testing-against-the-team-foundation-server-2012-api/ Explains how to unit test applications against the Team Foundation Server 2012 API, focusing on handling authentication for automated and unattended test scenarios. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-the-minimum-builds-to-create-on-any-branch/ Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:51:42 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-the-minimum-builds-to-create-on-any-branch/ Explains the essential three build types, Gate, CI, and Nightly, needed per branch to ensure code quality, test coverage, and collaboration in team projects. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/solution-testing-web-services-with-mstest-on-team-foundation-build-services-2010/ Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:15:31 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/solution-testing-web-services-with-mstest-on-team-foundation-build-services-2010/ Explains how to configure MSTest for automated testing of web services on Team Foundation Build Services 2010, including handling dynamic server ports and build environments. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/developer-day-scotland/ Sun, 03 May 2009 21:42:33 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/developer-day-scotland/ Summary of sessions from a Glasgow developer event, covering refactoring, dynamic languages in .NET, MVVM for WPF, architecture, and ASP.NET 4.0 insights. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/does-test-driven-development-speed-up-development/ Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:55:51 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/does-test-driven-development-speed-up-development/ Explores whether test-driven development (TDD) accelerates software delivery by reducing complexity, rework, and design flaws, and improving adaptability and productivity. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-urgent-call-for-agile-organisational-transformation/ Thu, 29 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-urgent-call-for-agile-organisational-transformation/ Traditional hierarchical structures are holding back organisations from adapting to today’s fast-changing markets, leading to slow responses and missed opportunities. Superficial agile transformations fail because they do not address deep-rooted command-and-control habits, causing apathy and repeated failure. To stay competitive, leaders should drive genuine organisational change by adopting decentralised, network-based models and commit to ongoing organisational refactoring and hygiene. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-evolution-of-agile-learning-insights-from-scrum-org's-webinar/ Thu, 14 Dec 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-evolution-of-agile-learning-insights-from-scrum-org's-webinar/ Immersive learning, which combines incremental classroom sessions, real-world assignments, and facilitated reflection over several weeks, is proving far more effective than traditional short-term training for Agile and Scrum. This approach leads to better knowledge retention, practical application, and lasting change in participants’ skills and mindsets. Development managers should consider shifting from traditional workshops to immersive programs to achieve meaningful improvements in team performance and learning outcomes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-foundations-coming-to-glasgow-scotland-in-november-2013/ Wed, 04 Sep 2013 19:22:39 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-scrum-foundations-coming-to-glasgow-scotland-in-november-2013/ Professional Scrum training courses in Glasgow, Scotland, offer foundational and advanced Scrum skills for teams, Scrum Masters, and developers adopting agile practices. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/working-within-a-single-team-project-with-team-foundation-server-2012/ Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:53:43 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/working-within-a-single-team-project-with-team-foundation-server-2012/ Explains how to organise teams, products, and projects within a single Team Project in Team Foundation Server 2012, covering design, security, and workflow considerations. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/one-team-project/ Sun, 15 Jul 2012 03:53:46 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/one-team-project/ Explains how to manage multiple teams and projects in Team Foundation Server using a single Team Project, with tips on Agile planning, backlogs, and process templates. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/deploying-team-server/ Tue, 30 Jan 2007 13:48:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/deploying-team-server/ Discusses the challenges, costs, and benefits of implementing Team Foundation Server (TFS) for large development teams in a corporate investment banking environment. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-tyranny-of-taylorism-and-how-to-detect-agile-bs/ Wed, 01 Apr 2020 15:53:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-tyranny-of-taylorism-and-how-to-detect-agile-bs/ Many organizations still use outdated management practices from the industrial era that focus on control and repetition, which do not fit modern software development. Although most teams claim to be agile, very few actually use key agile practices like short iterations, ordered backlogs, or regular retrospectives, mainly because they lack effective feedback loops. Development managers should critically assess whether their teams are truly agile and prioritize building real feedback mechanisms to improve outcomes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-build-vnext-build-definition/ Wed, 04 Mar 2015 17:37:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-build-vnext-build-definition/ Microsoft’s new Build vNext system for TFS and VSO is more modular and user-friendly, offering a wide range of out-of-the-box build and deployment tasks, improved configuration options, and better auditability of changes. It currently supports only Git repositories and continuous integration triggers, with plans for greater extensibility and additional features in the future. Development managers should consider evaluating Build vNext in test environments to prepare for its eventual adoption and to explore its enhanced flexibility and control. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configure-a-build-vnext-agent/ Wed, 14 Jan 2015 14:55:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configure-a-build-vnext-agent/ Microsoft’s new modular build system for TFS and VSO, currently in early preview, replaces the old controller model with a more flexible pool and queue approach, simplifying agent management and permissions. Setting up a vNext Build Agent requires spinning up your own VM, installing Visual Studio 2013 or 2015, and configuring the agent via PowerShell. Development managers should prepare for a shift to this new system and consider early testing to understand its benefits and requirements. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-should-i-use-visual-studio-alm/ Wed, 07 Jan 2015 15:39:20 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-should-i-use-visual-studio-alm/ Visual Studio ALM offers a comprehensive set of features beyond just source control and build, covering requirements, project, change, quality, feedback, defect, release, and analytics management in one integrated platform. Replacing it with tools like Git and Jenkins means losing most of this functionality and facing significant integration and maintenance challenges. Development managers should carefully assess what capabilities they need and consider the long-term effort required to replicate Visual Studio ALM’s end-to-end support before switching tools. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-standard-environment-for-release-management-in-azure/ Thu, 04 Dec 2014 11:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-standard-environment-for-release-management-in-azure/ Setting up a standard release management environment in Azure is straightforward, cost-effective, and closely mirrors on-premises setups by using VMs, resource groups, and Application Insights for analytics. Using the old Azure portal gives better control over naming and resource organization, while Azure’s flexibility allows quick scaling and isolation for multiple environments. Development managers should consider scripting environment setup for repeatability and use Application Insights to track application usage and feedback. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/migrating-source-from-perforce-to-git-on-vso/ Wed, 20 Aug 2014 14:06:13 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/migrating-source-from-perforce-to-git-on-vso/ Step-by-step guide to migrating source code from Perforce to Git on VSO, covering repository setup, dependency management, build processes, and key migration tips. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/execute-tests-with-release-management-for-visual-studio-2013/ Mon, 27 Jan 2014 11:29:14 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/execute-tests-with-release-management-for-visual-studio-2013/ Learn how to automate test execution during deployments using Release Management for Visual Studio 2013, including setup steps, environment tips, and common issues. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/searching-for-self-organisation/ Wed, 31 Jul 2013 09:38:34 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/searching-for-self-organisation/ Explores the challenges and benefits of self-organising teams, highlighting key factors like team accountability, identity, size, and consistency for effective collaboration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/team-foundation-build-2012-issue-the-target-cleanworkspacepackagetempdir-does-not-exist/ Sat, 20 Oct 2012 17:30:11 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/team-foundation-build-2012-issue-the-target-cleanworkspacepackagetempdir-does-not-exist/ Explains how to resolve the “CleanWorkspacePackageTempDir does not exist” build error in Team Foundation Build 2012 for upgraded ASP.NET MVC projects by updating project targets. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/virtual-labs-in-the-modern-application-lifecycle/ Sat, 22 Sep 2012 05:22:14 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/virtual-labs-in-the-modern-application-lifecycle/ Explores how virtual labs help development and operations teams manage, test, and automate complex modern application environments using virtualisation technologies. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/full-fidelity-history-and-data-migration-are-mutually-exclusive/ Tue, 29 May 2012 01:24:56 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/full-fidelity-history-and-data-migration-are-mutually-exclusive/ Explains why preserving complete historical data and accurate dates is often incompatible with data migration, especially for compliance and traceability in regulated industries. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-code-management-and-build/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:34:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-code-management-and-build/ Explains branching, merging, and build strategies in Visual Studio 2010, including integration with Team Foundation Server and new tools for code management and ALM. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-intellitrace-and-test-impact-analysis/ Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:21:55 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-intellitrace-and-test-impact-analysis/ Explains how IntelliTrace aids bug diagnosis and how Test Impact Analysis helps prioritise regression tests in Visual Studio 2010 for efficient debugging and testing. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-is-hard-to-adopt-and-disruptive-to-your-organisation/ Thu, 22 Sep 2011 01:17:15 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-is-hard-to-adopt-and-disruptive-to-your-organisation/ Explains why adopting Scrum is challenging and disruptive, highlighting the need for training, mentoring, and dedication for successful organisational change and Agile adoption. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-about-the-visual-studio-2010-database-projects-guidance/ Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:40:07 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-about-the-visual-studio-2010-database-projects-guidance/ Guidance on using Visual Studio 2010 Database Projects, covering project management, source control, deployment automation, integration, and database testing. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-visual-studio-2010-and-team-foundation-server-enable-compliance/ Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:04:04 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-visual-studio-2010-and-team-foundation-server-enable-compliance/ Explains how Visual Studio 2010 and Team Foundation Server support compliance by enabling traceability, audit trails, and linking code changes to requirements and tests. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-you-need-to-tag-your-build-servers-in-tfs/ Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:11:55 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/why-you-need-to-tag-your-build-servers-in-tfs/ Tagging build servers in TFS helps manage dependencies, assign builds to suitable agents, and streamline workflows across teams and regions for reliable automation. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/log-elmah-errors-in-team-foundation-server/ Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/log-elmah-errors-in-team-foundation-server/ Explains how to log Elmah error reports as work items in Team Foundation Server, including attaching error logs, using templates, and retrieving error details. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/msbuild-and-business-intelligence-packages-ahhhhhh/ Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/msbuild-and-business-intelligence-packages-ahhhhhh/ Discusses challenges in automating builds, testing, and deployment for SQL Server BI solutions, focusing on SSIS and SSAS packages and gaps in MSBuild support. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/post-event-developer-day-scotland/ Mon, 12 May 2008 10:32:21 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/post-event-developer-day-scotland/ Highlights from Developer Day Scotland, featuring sessions on ADO.NET Data Services, anti-patterns, continuous integration, and test-driven development by expert speakers. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/robots-and-ai-are-not-taking-our-jobs-they-are-giving-us-our-dignity-back/ Mon, 19 May 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/robots-and-ai-are-not-taking-our-jobs-they-are-giving-us-our-dignity-back/ AI and automation are not threats to jobs but are removing repetitive, dehumanising work, allowing people to focus on creative and meaningful tasks. Organisations that cling to outdated management practices like bonuses, rigid hierarchies, and output-based measures risk becoming obsolete, while those that foster autonomy and purpose will thrive. Development managers should embrace AI to elevate human potential and shift their teams toward work that requires critical thinking and innovation. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/choosing-a-process-template-for-your-team-project/ Tue, 16 May 2017 10:40:46 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/choosing-a-process-template-for-your-team-project/ For agile software teams using TFS or VSTS, choose the Scrum process template to minimize friction and avoid legacy constraints found in the Agile and CMMI templates. The Scrum template is lightweight, flexible, and easier to customize for your team’s needs, while the other templates enforce outdated practices and create unnecessary barriers. Start with the Scrum template and tailor it as needed to support your workflow and adoption. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/access-denied-for-orchestration-plan-on-build/ Wed, 16 Dec 2015 14:18:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/access-denied-for-orchestration-plan-on-build/ When setting up a TFS build agent for a high-volume customer, a permissions error blocked builds because the “Project Collection Build Service” lacked write access to the orchestration plan. The issue is tied to permission inheritance and a known bug in TFS 2015 RTM, and can be fixed by ensuring both “Project Build Service” and “Project Collection Build Service” have inherited permissions on build definitions via Visual Studio. Development managers should verify these permissions to avoid similar build failures and streamline onboarding to new build systems. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-build-reports-licencies-licx-unable-to-load-type/ Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:09:04 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-build-reports-licencies-licx-unable-to-load-type/ A build error caused by mismatched component versions in the licenses.licx file blocked successful automated builds, even though local builds worked due to developers having multiple versions installed. The issue was traced to inconsistent component versions between developer machines and the build server, highlighting the risks of unmanaged dependencies. To avoid similar problems, regularly clean up or reimage developer workstations and prioritize setting up automated builds to catch these issues early. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2012-rtm-available-installed/ Wed, 15 Aug 2012 18:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2012-rtm-available-installed/ Covers installing and upgrading to Visual Studio 2012 RTM and Team Foundation Server, key new features, upgrade tips, common issues, and practical migration advice. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/in-nexus-with-5-scrum-teams-how-can-the-product-owner-attend-all-sprint-planning-events/ Mon, 30 Sep 2019 18:35:14 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/in-nexus-with-5-scrum-teams-how-can-the-product-owner-attend-all-sprint-planning-events/ When managing multiple Scrum teams in a Nexus, the Product Owner should focus on high-level vision and attend only the Nexus Sprint Planning, delegating detailed planning to designated Team Owners or Area Owners for each team. This approach reduces overload, maintains alignment with the product vision, and relies on strong communication and autonomy within teams. To implement this, assign a representative for each team to handle their Sprint Planning and ensure ongoing coordination with the Product Owner. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/engaging-with-complexity-team-foundation-server-edition/ Mon, 01 Jul 2013 17:00:31 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/engaging-with-complexity-team-foundation-server-edition/ Detailed walkthrough of a complex Team Foundation Server migration, covering remediation, hardware moves, upgrades, user management, and validation in large enterprise environments. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/improvements-in-visual-studio-alm-from-the-alm-summit/ Fri, 08 Feb 2013 03:18:22 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/improvements-in-visual-studio-alm-from-the-alm-summit/ Highlights new Visual Studio ALM features from the ALM Summit, including Git support, web-based test management, Kanban swim lanes, and flexible work item tagging. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/in-place-upgrade-of-tfs-2008-to-tfs-2010-with-move-to-new-domain/ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:57:41 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/in-place-upgrade-of-tfs-2008-to-tfs-2010-with-move-to-new-domain/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading Team Foundation Server 2008 to 2010, including in-place upgrade, build server update, and migrating to a new domain with key troubleshooting tips. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/project-of-projects-with-team-foundation-server-2010/ Tue, 04 Jan 2011 23:51:49 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/project-of-projects-with-team-foundation-server-2010/ Guidance on structuring projects in Team Foundation Server 2010 using Areas, Iterations, source code organisation, work item queries, and build naming for clarity and scalability. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/syncing-many-dynamics-ax-instances-to-a-single-tfs-2010-team-project/ Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:20:46 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/syncing-many-dynamics-ax-instances-to-a-single-tfs-2010-team-project/ Explains how to configure multiple Dynamics AX instances to sync with a single TFS 2010 Team Project, streamlining source control and work item management for many clients. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-to-deal-with-a-stuck-or-infinitely-queued-build/ Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:59:23 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-to-deal-with-a-stuck-or-infinitely-queued-build/ Learn how to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve stuck or infinitely queued builds in Team Foundation Build, including tips for monitoring and restarting build services. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/rangers-shipped-visual-studio-2010-database-guide/ Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:04:14 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/rangers-shipped-visual-studio-2010-database-guide/ Comprehensive guidance and hands-on labs for managing, testing, and deploying Visual Studio 2010 Database projects, including source control and automation tips. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-in-net-3-5-part-1-the-architecture/ Tue, 21 Aug 2007 21:10:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-in-net-3-5-part-1-the-architecture/ Explains designing a resilient, scalable TFS event handler in .NET 3.5, focusing on system architecture using Visual Studio diagrams for planning and deployment. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-wit-adapter-for-the-tfs-integration-platform-for-a-source-with-no-history/ Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:25:32 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-wit-adapter-for-the-tfs-integration-platform-for-a-source-with-no-history/ Explains how to build a TFS Integration Platform Work Item Tracking (WIT) adapter for a source system without history, covering versioning, field mapping, and error handling. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/green-to-orange%E2%80%93joining-the-vsip-team-as-a-technical-product-manager/ Thu, 02 Aug 2012 21:12:46 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/green-to-orange%E2%80%93joining-the-vsip-team-as-a-technical-product-manager/ Explains the role of a Technical Product Manager in the Visual Studio Industry Partner Program, focusing on partner collaboration, extensibility, and ecosystem growth. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-tapas-scrum-and-continuous-delivery/ Wed, 28 Jun 2017 13:16:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-tapas-scrum-and-continuous-delivery/ Scrum and Continuous Delivery work well together and can enhance each other’s benefits. Using both allows teams to deliver value more frequently and respond to change faster. Consider combining these approaches to improve your team’s delivery speed and adaptability. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-benefits-of-visual-studio-online-for-the-enterprise/ Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:13:11 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-benefits-of-visual-studio-online-for-the-enterprise/ Visual Studio Online offers enterprises always up-to-date tools, integrated build and release management, global access, and reduced infrastructure overhead, enabling greater agility and faster feature delivery. While some customisation and reporting features from TFS are still missing, Microsoft is actively addressing these gaps, and most teams can work around them using tags and new reporting options. Development managers should consider VSO to streamline operations, lower support costs, and keep pace with evolving business needs, provided they are ready for the cultural shift to cloud-based development. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-log-entries-in-release-management/ Fri, 12 Dec 2014 17:13:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-log-entries-in-release-management/ Creating log entries in Release Management can be challenging because standard output commands like Write-Host and Write-Output do not appear in deployment logs. To capture log information, you need to use Write-Verbose with the -verbose flag in your PowerShell scripts. Ensure your deployment scripts use this approach so you have logs for both successful and failed steps, which is important for troubleshooting and auditing. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/ndc-london-2014-why-tfs-no-longer-sucks-and-vso-is-awesome/ Wed, 10 Dec 2014 16:23:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/ndc-london-2014-why-tfs-no-longer-sucks-and-vso-is-awesome/ Team Foundation Server has significantly improved since 2012, and Visual Studio Online now offers a streamlined, cloud-based experience that eliminates many previous pain points. Recent demos showed that setup is fast, workflows are smoother, and release management is much easier, though some minor technical issues can still occur. Development managers should consider revisiting TFS and VSO for modern, efficient project and release management. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/bug-in-the-visual-studio-git-integration-that-results-in-a-merge-conflict/ Thu, 09 Oct 2014 15:20:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/bug-in-the-visual-studio-git-integration-that-results-in-a-merge-conflict/ A bug in Visual Studio 2013.3’s Git integration causes merge conflicts when developers pull from a remote branch with local commits, even if there are no uncommitted changes. The issue disrupts teams migrating from older systems and can only be worked around by moving changes to a temporary branch and rolling back the local branch, or by adopting a workflow where all work is done on feature or hotfix branches. Installing Visual Studio 2013.4 CTP resolves the bug, so upgrading is recommended to avoid these conflicts and streamline development. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/maven-release-prepare-fails-with-detected-changes-in-jenkins/ Wed, 09 Jul 2014 13:03:50 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/maven-release-prepare-fails-with-detected-changes-in-jenkins/ Explains how to fix Maven release prepare failures in Jenkins with TFS by using .tfignore files to exclude generated files like release.properties from source control. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/mask-password-in-jenkins-when-calling-tee/ Wed, 21 May 2014 13:49:04 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/mask-password-in-jenkins-when-calling-tee/ Learn how to securely mask passwords in Jenkins logs when using Team Explorer Everywhere (TEE), preventing sensitive credentials from being exposed during build processes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configuring-jenkins-to-talk-to-tfs-2013/ Wed, 07 May 2014 09:51:59 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configuring-jenkins-to-talk-to-tfs-2013/ Guide to integrating Jenkins with TFS 2013 using the Team Foundation Server plugin, covering installation, configuration, and key differences from TF Build. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/reserve-an-agent-for-a-special-build-in-team-foundation-server-2012/ Thu, 04 Apr 2013 01:37:57 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/reserve-an-agent-for-a-special-build-in-team-foundation-server-2012/ Explains how to reserve a build agent in Team Foundation Server 2012 using custom activities, agent tagging, and workflow changes to ensure reliable, isolated build execution. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-tfs-automation-platform-is-dead-long-live-the-tfplugable/ Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:52:16 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-tfs-automation-platform-is-dead-long-live-the-tfplugable/ Explores the shift from TFS Automation Platform to TfPlugable, aiming to simplify discovery, deployment, and management of Team Foundation Server extensions. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-to-team-foundation-server-2012-update-1-in-production-%E2%80%93-done/ Mon, 31 Dec 2012 18:47:34 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-to-team-foundation-server-2012-update-1-in-production-%E2%80%93-done/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading Team Foundation Server 2012 to Update 1, including prerequisites, backup, disk space, configuration, troubleshooting, and build server setup. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/teams-without-areas-using-a-team-field-in-tfs/ Wed, 19 Dec 2012 06:51:44 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/teams-without-areas-using-a-team-field-in-tfs/ Explains how to configure TFS to manage teams using a custom team field instead of area paths, enabling flexible team-product assignments and streamlined backlogs. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2012-launch-roadshows-around-the-world/ Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:08:33 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2012-launch-roadshows-around-the-world/ Global Visual Studio 2012 launch events featuring keynotes on IT consumerisation and agile development, with sessions in the UK, US, and Netherlands. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-issue-stuck-builds-in-team-foundation-build-with-no-build-number/ Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:40:19 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-issue-stuck-builds-in-team-foundation-build-with-no-build-number/ Explains how to resolve stuck builds in TFS 2012 where no build number is assigned, caused by IIS multiple site bindings, with steps to fix via web.config settings. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/deploy-from-visual-studio-2012-to-ios-windows-phone-android-and-windows/ Fri, 03 Aug 2012 01:00:56 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/deploy-from-visual-studio-2012-to-ios-windows-phone-android-and-windows/ Learn how to use Visual Studio 2012 and C# to build and deploy a single codebase to iOS, Android, Windows, and more, with options for generic or platform-specific UIs. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/migrating-data-from-fogbugz-to-tfs-2012-using-the-tfs-integration-platform/ Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:54:29 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/migrating-data-from-fogbugz-to-tfs-2012-using-the-tfs-integration-platform/ Step-by-step guide to migrating FogBugz data to TFS 2012 using a custom CSV adapter with the TFS Integration Platform, including setup, mapping, and import tips. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-tfs-2010-to-tfs-2012-with-vss-migration-and-process-template-consolidation/ Sat, 30 Jun 2012 02:38:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-tfs-2010-to-tfs-2012-with-vss-migration-and-process-template-consolidation/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading TFS 2010 to TFS 2012, migrating VSS data, consolidating process templates, and resolving common issues during team project integration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-damentals-webcast-on-17th-february-2012/ Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:56:44 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-damentals-webcast-on-17th-february-2012/ Explore common challenges in Scrum adoption, practical strategies for overcoming them, and proven practices to help teams implement Scrum more effectively. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-reporting-process/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:00:03 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-reporting-process/ Learn how to customise Visual Studio 2010 process templates and use reporting tools to track, adapt, and improve team workflows with TFS for better project management. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/product-owners-are-not-a-myth/ Tue, 18 Oct 2011 01:56:06 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/product-owners-are-not-a-myth/ Explains the Product Owner role in Scrum, common challenges with proxies, and how support teams like Business Analysts can help manage large product backlogs effectively. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/are-scrum-masters-agents-for-change/ Fri, 30 Sep 2011 22:59:22 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/are-scrum-masters-agents-for-change/ Explores the role of Scrum Masters in driving organisational change, effective Scrum adoption, and the importance of experience in leading successful agile transformations. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/not-just-happy-but-ecstatic/ Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:01:51 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/not-just-happy-but-ecstatic/ A consultant reflects on a successful Microsoft Dynamics deployment, improved build automation, and positive client feedback, inspiring interest in future UK and European projects. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-tfs-2008-and-wss-v3-0-with-sftsv2-to-tfs-2010-and-sf-2010-with-sftsv3/ Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-tfs-2008-and-wss-v3-0-with-sftsv2-to-tfs-2010-and-sf-2010-with-sftsv3/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading TFS 2008 and WSS v3.0 with SfTSv2 to TFS 2010 and SharePoint 2010, including process template migration and data handling. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-working-test-track-pro-adapter-for-the-tfs-integration-platform/ Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:23:09 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-working-test-track-pro-adapter-for-the-tfs-integration-platform/ Describes building a working Test Track Pro Adapter for the TFS Integration Platform, detailing code changes, conflict handling, and incremental work item migration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/test-track-pro-and-the-case-of-the-missing-data/ Mon, 06 Jun 2011 05:24:51 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/test-track-pro-and-the-case-of-the-missing-data/ Explains issues with Test Track Pro data queries in TFS Integration, highlighting problems with date filters causing missing records and suggesting hourly filtering as a fix. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/anatomy-of-an-automation-for-the-tfs-automation-platform/ Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:25:46 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/anatomy-of-an-automation-for-the-tfs-automation-platform/ Explains how to build, install, configure, and run automations for TFS, covering plugin deployment, activation, settings, UI integration, and job processing steps. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-might-we-implement-the-change-iteration-automation-for-the-tfs-automation-platform/ Wed, 01 Jun 2011 06:09:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-might-we-implement-the-change-iteration-automation-for-the-tfs-automation-platform/ Explains automating the update of WIQL queries during sprint or iteration changes in the TFS Automation Platform, covering UI, configuration, and job execution details. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/ssw-brain-quest-team-foundation-server-and-sharepoint-2010-london/ Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:05:43 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/ssw-brain-quest-team-foundation-server-and-sharepoint-2010-london/ Full-day training covering new features and best practices in Visual Studio 2010, Team Foundation Server 2010, and SharePoint 2010 for project management and integration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/solution-getting-silverlight-to-build-on-team-foundation-build-services-2010/ Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:46:08 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/solution-getting-silverlight-to-build-on-team-foundation-build-services-2010/ Step-by-step guide to resolving build failures when compiling Silverlight 3 projects with Team Foundation Build Services 2010, including SDK, MSBuild, and code analysis fixes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/unity-and-asp-net/ Fri, 08 May 2009 17:31:10 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/unity-and-asp-net/ Explains how to use Unity for dependency injection in ASP.NET, enabling runtime component swapping without redeploying, with practical code and config examples. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/fail-a-build-if-tests-fail/ Fri, 01 May 2009 11:11:37 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/fail-a-build-if-tests-fail/ Explains how to configure TFS 2008 builds to automatically fail if any tests fail by setting TreatTestFailureAsBuildFailure to true in the build project file. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-team-test-quick-reference-guide-1-0/ Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:28:13 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-team-test-quick-reference-guide-1-0/ A practical guide offering solutions, workarounds, and troubleshooting tips for Microsoft Visual Studio Team Test, based on real-world testing experience and expert advice. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/deployment-documentation/ Mon, 23 Jul 2007 11:13:53 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/deployment-documentation/ Outlines steps to document and improve deployment for a complex business app, focusing on automation, rollback, vendor updates, and multi-environment management. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/vsts-sync-migration-tool-update-and-bugfix/ Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:08:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/vsts-sync-migration-tool-update-and-bugfix/ The VSTS Sync Migration Tool has been updated with new features like work item history and query migration, plus important bug fixes such as resolving closed date issues. Community contributions have improved bulk updates and project migrations, and users now receive update notifications automatically. Development managers should install the latest version to benefit from these enhancements and stay informed about future updates. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/caffeinating-your-development-lifecycle-in-bellevue-on-october-13th/ Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:53:04 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/caffeinating-your-development-lifecycle-in-bellevue-on-october-13th/ Join an in-person morning event in Bellevue for live Visual Studio demos, Agile discussions, and practical ALM tips to boost your development process and team collaboration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-to-set-and-achieve-effective-sprint-goals/ Fri, 29 Sep 2023 12:12:59 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/how-to-set-and-achieve-effective-sprint-goals/ Sprint Goals are essential for guiding teams toward delivering real value each Sprint, acting as a clear commitment that balances detail and big-picture alignment. Effective Sprint Goals are collaboratively crafted, reviewed by stakeholders, and should be specific, measurable, and relevant to the product vision. Development managers should ensure their teams focus on creating meaningful Sprint Goals that drive value and accountability, using frameworks like SMART or OKR as needed. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what's-new-in-visual-studio-2013-team-foundation-server-preview/ Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:00:21 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what's-new-in-visual-studio-2013-team-foundation-server-preview/ Highlights new features in Visual Studio 2013 Team Foundation Server, including agile portfolio management, enhanced team collaboration, and web-based test management. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/migrating-from-codeplex-to-github/ Wed, 02 Mar 2016 14:29:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/migrating-from-codeplex-to-github/ Migrating a Codeplex repository to GitHub is necessary due to declining support and features on Codeplex, but GitHub’s import tool is unreliable and does not handle folder selection or branches well. Using Git-TF with Chocolatey provides a more flexible and effective migration, allowing you to select specific folders and preserve history, though some manual steps are needed for wiki pages and other content. Development managers should use Git-TF for smoother migrations and plan for some manual adjustments, especially for documentation. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upcomming-scrum-at-scale-workshop-from-scrum-org/ Wed, 22 Oct 2014 12:45:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upcomming-scrum-at-scale-workshop-from-scrum-org/ Scaling Scrum in large organizations is challenging mainly due to cultural resistance and lack of commitment to change. Scrum.org’s Scrum at Scale Workshop offers practical tools like the Agility Index and practices assessment to help you measure, guide, and sustain organizational change. Development managers leading agile transformation should consider this workshop to effectively drive and monitor enterprise-level agility. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/does-your-organisation-have-both-project-mangers-as-well-as-product-owners/ Thu, 10 Apr 2014 15:33:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/does-your-organisation-have-both-project-mangers-as-well-as-product-owners/ Explores the challenges of having both Project Managers and Product Owners in teams, highlighting conflicts, reporting issues, and impacts on agile delivery and team focus. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/can-you-really-commit-to-delivering-work/ Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:24:42 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/can-you-really-commit-to-delivering-work/ Explores why Scrum shifted from “commitment” to “forecasting” work delivery, highlighting the risks of overpromising and the benefits of transparency in Agile teams. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/adventures-in-scrum-lesson-1-%E2%80%93-the-failed-sprint/ Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:08:59 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/adventures-in-scrum-lesson-1-%E2%80%93-the-failed-sprint/ Explores common pitfalls in early Scrum adoption, highlighting why full team involvement in sprint planning is crucial and lessons learned from a failed first sprint. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-kanban-trainer-for-applying-professional-kanban/ Tue, 19 Jan 2021 14:49:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-kanban-trainer-for-applying-professional-kanban/ The new Kanban Guide provides a clear, open framework for optimizing value flow in software teams, complementing Scrum and fostering collaboration between the two communities. Professional Kanban training now offers focused, in-depth learning on Kanban principles and practices, with certification and resources available independently of the course. Development managers can leverage these guides and training to improve workflow efficiency and team performance. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-tapas-the-importance-of-professionalism/ Wed, 14 Jun 2017 13:41:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-tapas-the-importance-of-professionalism/ Professionalism is essential for building great software, yet many teams lack it by not following best practices or core values. Teams that commit to professional standards and engineering excellence deliver better results. Development managers should ensure their teams adopt and uphold professional practices to improve software quality. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/using-the-build-vnext-capabilities-and-demands-system/ Wed, 11 Mar 2015 14:10:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/using-the-build-vnext-capabilities-and-demands-system/ Build vNext in TFS 2015 introduces a capabilities and demands system that replaces the old agent tagging approach, making it easier to match build agents to specific build requirements. Agents now auto-detect many capabilities, and you can add custom ones like OS version to ensure builds run on suitable machines. This streamlines build configuration and targeting, so managers should explore Build vNext to improve build reliability and agent management. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configuring-a-dc-in-azure-for-aad-integrated-release-management/ Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:24:52 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configuring-a-dc-in-azure-for-aad-integrated-release-management/ Setting up a domain controller in Azure for Azure Active Directory integrated release management enables realistic cloud-based demos and infrastructure. The process involves creating a virtual machine, installing Active Directory and DNS roles, configuring a static IP, and promoting the VM to a domain controller, after which you can scale down resources to save costs. This approach provides a practical, cost-effective way to build and manage cloud-based environments for development and training; consider adopting similar steps for your own cloud infrastructure needs. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/maven-release-perform-tries-to-do-a-get-to-a-workspace-sub-folder-in-tfs/ Wed, 23 Jul 2014 14:26:31 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/maven-release-perform-tries-to-do-a-get-to-a-workspace-sub-folder-in-tfs/ Explains issues with Maven release perform in TFS workspaces, causes of build failures, and solutions for workspace mapping, concurrency, and label handling during migration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-application-lifecycle-management-with-visual-studio-2013/ Mon, 07 Apr 2014 17:11:35 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/professional-application-lifecycle-management-with-visual-studio-2013/ Guide to using Visual Studio 2013 for application lifecycle management, covering new ALM features, agile practices, Git integration, and cross-platform development. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/should-i-upgrade-to-tfs-2013-update-2/ Thu, 03 Apr 2014 19:26:22 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/should-i-upgrade-to-tfs-2013-update-2/ Covers new features and upgrade steps for Team Foundation Server 2013 Update 2, including improvements in backlog, test, release, and version management. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/powershell-tfs-2013-api-2-adding-to-a-globallist/ Wed, 16 Oct 2013 10:30:57 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/powershell-tfs-2013-api-2-adding-to-a-globallist/ Learn how to use PowerShell and the TFS 2013 API to automate adding items to a GlobalList by exporting, editing, and re-importing global lists as XML. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/review-the-professional-scrum-masters-handbook/ Wed, 28 Aug 2013 10:41:37 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/review-the-professional-scrum-masters-handbook/ A critical review of The Professional Scrum Masters Handbook, highlighting its practical tips for new Scrum Masters and common Scrum misconceptions to avoid. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-custom-activity-for-team-foundation-build/ Mon, 22 Jul 2013 08:56:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-custom-activity-for-team-foundation-build/ Learn how to create and integrate custom activities in Team Foundation Build, including class library setup, workflow design, argument handling, and build configuration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/connect-a-test-controller-to-team-foundation-service/ Wed, 27 Mar 2013 03:20:07 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/connect-a-test-controller-to-team-foundation-service/ Explains how to install and configure a Test Controller to connect with Team Foundation Service for automated deployment and testing in cloud-based environments. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/one-team-project-collection-to-rule-them-all-consolidating-team-projects/ Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:20:29 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/one-team-project-collection-to-rule-them-all-consolidating-team-projects/ Step-by-step guide to consolidating multiple Team Projects and Collections in TFS 2012 using the TFS Integration Platform, covering migration, mapping, and troubleshooting. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-integration-tools-%E2%80%93-issue-error-occurred-during-the-code-review-of-change-group/ Wed, 11 Jul 2012 20:51:03 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-integration-tools-%E2%80%93-issue-error-occurred-during-the-code-review-of-change-group/ Explains causes and solutions for the “Error occurred during the code review of change group” in TFS Integration Tools, including common triggers and recommended workarounds. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrade-to-visual-studio-11-team-foundation-service-done/ Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:26:30 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrade-to-visual-studio-11-team-foundation-service-done/ Explains migrating source control and work item tracking to Visual Studio 11 Team Foundation Service, highlighting cloud benefits, limitations, and steps for a smooth upgrade. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-architecture/ Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:10:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-architecture/ Explains how Visual Studio 2010 supports teams in visualising, analysing, and maintaining software architecture, with tools for design, standards, and verification. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-microsoft-test-manager/ Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:57:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-microsoft-test-manager/ Covers using Microsoft Test Manager with Visual Studio 2010 and TFS to create, run, and manage manual and automated tests, including real-time test data collection. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/coffee-talk-introduction-to-scrum-webcast-event-this-friday/ Tue, 16 Aug 2011 02:57:11 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/coffee-talk-introduction-to-scrum-webcast-event-this-friday/ Learn the basics of Scrum, including its key roles and processes, with practical tips for adoption. Ideal for those new to agile or seeking to improve team performance. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configuring-a-powershell-adapter-for-the-tfs-integration-platform/ Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:58:19 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configuring-a-powershell-adapter-for-the-tfs-integration-platform/ Explains how to set up and configure a PowerShell adapter in the TFS Integration Platform to automate source control migrations, with custom scripts for each change type. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-is-the-tfs-automation-platform/ Tue, 31 May 2011 18:00:04 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-is-the-tfs-automation-platform/ A platform for automating Team Foundation Server tasks, enabling scheduled, event-driven, and on-demand workflows, with extensible package and Visual Studio integration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-about-the-visual-studio-2010-architecture-guidance/ Fri, 04 Feb 2011 01:08:04 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-about-the-visual-studio-2010-architecture-guidance/ Provides practical samples, checklists, and hands-on labs to help developers and architects use Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate’s architecture modelling tools effectively. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-with-team-foundation-server-2010-done/ Sun, 09 May 2010 22:32:39 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-with-team-foundation-server-2010-done/ Explains how to use Scrum with Team Foundation Server 2010 for better project management, including practical tips, presentation slides, and real-world experiences. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/even-scrum-should-have-detailed-task-descriptions/ Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:25:57 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/even-scrum-should-have-detailed-task-descriptions/ Scrum tasks should include detailed descriptions so anyone can complete them, ensuring project continuity if team members are unavailable or leave unexpectedly. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/silverlight-4-mvvm-and-test-driven-development/ Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:54:56 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/silverlight-4-mvvm-and-test-driven-development/ Learn how to use Silverlight 4 and the MVVM pattern for test-driven development, including refactoring, dependency injection, and building real-world applications. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-have-a-contract-between-the-product-owner-and-the-team/ Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:46:09 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-have-a-contract-between-the-product-owner-and-the-team/ Explains the benefits of a Sprint Contract in Scrum, clarifying roles and agreements between Product Owner and Team to improve collaboration and manage scope during each Sprint. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-that-every-user-story-should-have-an-owner/ Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:34:08 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-that-every-user-story-should-have-an-owner/ Assigning an owner to each user story in Scrum ensures clear responsibility, better communication, and accountability throughout the sprint for both teams and stakeholders. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/adventures-in-scrum-lesson-2-for-the-record/ Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:28:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/adventures-in-scrum-lesson-2-for-the-record/ Highlights the importance of clear communication and documenting disagreements in Scrum to prevent misunderstandings and failed sprints, especially with proxy Product Owners. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/when-should-i-use-areas-in-tfs-instead-of-team-projects-in-team-foundation-server-2010/ Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:27:20 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/when-should-i-use-areas-in-tfs-instead-of-team-projects-in-team-foundation-server-2010/ Explains when to use Areas versus Team Projects in TFS 2010, comparing benefits, drawbacks, and best practices for managing multiple projects and process templates. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/mvvm-for-dummies/ Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:54:54 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/mvvm-for-dummies/ Explains the MVVM pattern in WPF and Silverlight, highlighting separation of concerns, code structure, and the roles of commanding, dependency injection, and design patterns. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/updating-the-command-line-parser/ Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:11:08 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/updating-the-command-line-parser/ Explains how to enhance a .NET command line parser to support multiple and nested commands, custom switches, and delegate-based execution for flexible CLI applications. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/wpf-drag-drop-behaviour/ Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:16:04 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/wpf-drag-drop-behaviour/ Explains how to implement flexible drag and drop in WPF using MVVM, with customisable drop behaviour and bindable options for ItemsControls, including code examples. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-perfect-match-tfs-and-dlr/ Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:25:25 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-perfect-match-tfs-and-dlr/ Explores integrating Team Foundation Server check-in policies with the Dynamic Language Runtime to enable flexible, centralised policy management across clients. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-team-system-2008-database-edition-gdr-has-been-released/ Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:55:11 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-team-system-2008-database-edition-gdr-has-been-released/ The new Database Edition GDR for Visual Studio Team System 2008 adds model-based SQL schema design, extensibility, provider support, and standalone deployment tools. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/branch-madness/ Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:44:57 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/branch-madness/ Describes a complex source control issue in TFS involving branch mismanagement, its impact on merging, and step-by-step actions taken to restore proper branch structure. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/heat-itsm/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:35:30 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/heat-itsm/ Describes integrating Heat ITSM with Team Foundation Server to sync and manage support calls, automate work item creation, and streamline IT support workflows. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-better-tfs-sticky-buddy-core/ Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:36:36 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-better-tfs-sticky-buddy-core/ Explains building a flexible WPF data model in VB.NET for visualising hierarchical relationships using generics, ObservableCollections, and INotifyPropertyChanged. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/microsoft's-internal-uptake-of-team-foundation-server/ Sun, 05 Aug 2007 12:19:04 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/microsoft's-internal-uptake-of-team-foundation-server/ Microsoft widely adopted Team Foundation Server internally, with 21 instances supporting 734 projects and 5,600 users, driving rapid product development and updates. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-managed-service-factory/ Tue, 19 Jun 2007 20:28:07 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-managed-service-factory/ Explains how to build a managed service factory to access and manage local or remote services across multiple servers, supporting flexible service discovery and integration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/custom-wcf-proxy/ Tue, 29 May 2007 23:41:16 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/custom-wcf-proxy/ Explains how to create custom WCF proxies in .NET to avoid redundant class generation and object conversion when consuming Windows Communication Foundation services. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/software-development-industrial-revolution/ Tue, 30 Jan 2007 13:55:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/software-development-industrial-revolution/ Explores how industrialising software development with tools like Team Foundation Server boosts speed, collaboration, and scalability in competitive industries. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-product-goal-is-a-commitment-for-the-product-backlog/ Mon, 23 Nov 2020 14:01:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-product-goal-is-a-commitment-for-the-product-backlog/ The Product Goal is a clear, measurable long-term objective in the Product Backlog that guides the Scrum Team’s focus and progress. It should be understood by everyone involved, align Sprint Goals, and can be changed if it no longer delivers value. Development managers should ensure their teams have a well-defined Product Goal to drive alignment and transparency. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/slaying-the-dragons-and-how-to-successfully-descale-at-scale/ Mon, 30 Mar 2020 08:21:59 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/slaying-the-dragons-and-how-to-successfully-descale-at-scale/ Most organizations fail to improve software delivery because they resist real change and try to scale without embracing core agile values and principles. The few that succeed focus on small, meaningful changes rather than just scaling existing practices. To achieve true improvement at scale, prioritize genuine transformation over superficial scaling. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/live-virtual-classroom's-and-the-new-normal/ Thu, 18 Jun 2020 12:28:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/live-virtual-classroom's-and-the-new-normal/ Virtual training has proven to be as effective as, or even better than, in-person classes, with similar participation and only slightly lower pass rates. Modern video conferencing tools and interactive techniques enable high-quality learning experiences without the need for physical colocation. Development managers should embrace virtual delivery as the new normal, leveraging its flexibility and environmental benefits while adapting team practices to maximize engagement and outcomes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-7-deadly-sins-of-agile-a-grecian-odyssey-through-modern-software-development/ Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:14:20 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-7-deadly-sins-of-agile-a-grecian-odyssey-through-modern-software-development/ The article draws parallels between the seven deadly sins of ancient Greece and common pitfalls in agile software development, highlighting issues like pride, envy, gluttony, lust, greed, sloth, and wrath as barriers to true agility. Key insights include the dangers of overconfidence, blind imitation, overloading backlogs, chasing quick fixes, prioritising short-term gains, lack of motivation, and blame culture. Development managers should regularly reflect on team behaviours, focus on genuine value delivery, and foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement to avoid these traps. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/rethinking-'user-stories'-a-call-for-clarity-in-product-backlog-management/ Thu, 31 Aug 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/rethinking-'user-stories'-a-call-for-clarity-in-product-backlog-management/ The author argues that using the term “User Stories” for all work items leads to confusion and unnecessary complexity, as not all tasks fit this format. Switching to a more generic term like “Product Backlog Item” allows teams to describe work more clearly and flexibly, improving communication and transparency. Development managers should consider updating their backlog terminology to better reflect the true nature of their work and support more effective product development. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/vsts-sync-migration-tools/ Wed, 26 Oct 2016 13:56:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/vsts-sync-migration-tools/ VSTS Sync Migration Tools help teams move work items, test plans, and team structures between TFS and VSTS or consolidate projects without migrating code. The tool focuses on essential data like work items and test configurations, with ongoing improvements based on user needs. Development managers can use or contribute to these free tools to streamline migrations and reduce manual setup when moving to VSTS. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/install-tfs-2015-today/ Thu, 30 Apr 2015 05:50:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/install-tfs-2015-today/ If your team is still using TFS 2010 or earlier, you need to upgrade soon as support ends in July; TFS 2015 offers a streamlined installation, reduced setup time, and improved features, including a new build system. The Basic Server option makes it easy to get started with minimal configuration, and you can use SQL Express or your own SQL Server. Plan to upgrade to TFS 2015 now to ensure continued support and take advantage of the latest improvements. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-to-tfs-2015-in-production-done/ Wed, 29 Apr 2015 18:45:30 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-to-tfs-2015-in-production-done/ A production upgrade to TFS 2015 was completed smoothly for a customer with careful backups and preparation, despite some non-standard configurations. Key points include the need for sufficient disk space due to significant schema changes, ensuring all permissions and credentials are ready, and verifying backups before proceeding. With TFS 2010 support ending soon, managers should plan upgrades to TFS 2015 to benefit from new features and ongoing support. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/unable-to-load-task-handler-powershell-for-task-vsbuild/ Wed, 18 Mar 2015 14:12:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/unable-to-load-task-handler-powershell-for-task-vsbuild/ When setting up TFS 2015’s vNext build system on Windows Server Technical Preview, you may encounter a “Unable to load task handler PowerShell for task VSBuild” error due to missing dependencies or blocked files. The issue is often caused by downloaded zip files being blocked by Windows, which prevents the build agent from working properly. To resolve this, ensure you unblock any downloaded zip files before extracting and configuring your build agent. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-need-an-expert-in-visual-studio-alm-tfs-or-scrum/ Wed, 21 Jan 2015 14:03:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-need-an-expert-in-visual-studio-alm-tfs-or-scrum/ An experienced consultant and trainer in Visual Studio ALM, TFS, and Scrum is unexpectedly available for onsite engagements in February due to a client postponement. He offers flexible, value-focused training and consulting for development teams, with rapid setup and a proven track record across Europe and the USA. If you need expert support in these areas next month, consider reaching out to fill this short-term availability. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/could-not-find-mappings-for-all-states-defined-in-'test-suit'-work-item-type/ Tue, 11 Nov 2014 15:46:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/could-not-find-mappings-for-all-states-defined-in-'test-suit'-work-item-type/ After upgrading to TFS 2013.3, users may see errors related to state mappings in Test Suite work items, often due to case sensitivity issues in custom process templates, such as using “In process” instead of “In Process.” The problem can be fixed by correcting the state names to match the expected casing or by adding a custom process configuration override. This mainly affects older clients, so updating users to the latest version is also a recommended solution. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/uncommitted-changes-messing-up-your-sync-in-git-with-visual-studio/ Thu, 16 Oct 2014 15:11:58 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/uncommitted-changes-messing-up-your-sync-in-git-with-visual-studio/ When moving from server-based to distributed version control like Git, you may encounter errors when pulling changes if you have uncommitted local changes. Unlike older systems, Git requires you to either commit or discard your changes before syncing, which helps prevent accidental code loss. Encourage your team to adapt to this workflow for safer and more reliable version control. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/bruce-lee-on-scrum-and-agile/ Tue, 07 Oct 2014 11:20:58 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/bruce-lee-on-scrum-and-agile/ Scrum and Agile should be seen as flexible tools, not rigid frameworks; their value lies in simplicity, adaptability, and directness. Teams should learn and master the principles but avoid being constrained by them, instead tailoring processes to fit their unique needs. Focus on using these methods to continuously improve and better serve your customers. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/install-of-tfs-2013-3-with-sharepoint-2013-on-windows-server-2012-r2-update-1/ Tue, 30 Sep 2014 15:00:53 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/install-of-tfs-2013-3-with-sharepoint-2013-on-windows-server-2012-r2-update-1/ For a smooth TFS 2013.3 and SharePoint 2013 install on Windows Server 2012 R2, start with a clean, fully updated OS and avoid pre-installing SQL or TFS, as this often leads to extra rework. Key steps include using the advanced configuration for flexibility, ensuring all required service packs and features like full text search are present, and manually updating SharePoint to a supported version. To save time and avoid issues, always follow official documentation, use default options where possible, and rerun readiness checks after resolving errors. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/you-can't-use-witadmin-on-versions-older-than-tfs-2010/ Wed, 13 Aug 2014 13:02:50 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/you-can't-use-witadmin-on-versions-older-than-tfs-2010/ Explains troubleshooting WITADMIN errors with TFS versions, highlighting the need for TFS 2010 SP1 or newer for compatibility with work item type changes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/getting-a-service-account-for-vso-with-tfs-service-credential-viewer/ Wed, 18 Jun 2014 14:41:22 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/getting-a-service-account-for-vso-with-tfs-service-credential-viewer/ Learn how to use TFS Service Credential Viewer to generate service accounts for Visual Studio Online, enabling secure, automated access without frequent re-authentication. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-process-template-migration-script-updated/ Wed, 11 Jun 2014 14:20:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-process-template-migration-script-updated/ Provides a step-by-step PowerShell script for migrating and updating TFS process templates, including customisations, work item types, categories, and configurations. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/team-foundation-server-2013-update-2-rc-is-coming-are-you-ready/ Thu, 20 Feb 2014 16:01:40 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/team-foundation-server-2013-update-2-rc-is-coming-are-you-ready/ Learn about the free Microsoft-supported TFS 2013 Update 2 RC upgrade event, key new features like tag management, and how to register before the deadline. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/installing-release-management-server-for-tfs-2013/ Thu, 30 Jan 2014 11:30:07 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/installing-release-management-server-for-tfs-2013/ Step-by-step guide to downloading, installing, and configuring Release Management Server for Team Foundation Server 2013, including offline setup and key configuration tips. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/issue-tfs-2013-value-cannot-be-null-parameter-name-key/ Wed, 23 Oct 2013 10:56:25 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/issue-tfs-2013-value-cannot-be-null-parameter-name-key/ Explains how a missing required Team Field in customised TFS 2013 work item templates causes “Value cannot be null” errors, and how to resolve it by making the field mandatory. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/powershell-tfs-2013-api-1-get-tfscollection-and-tfs-services/ Wed, 02 Oct 2013 10:55:58 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/powershell-tfs-2013-api-1-get-tfscollection-and-tfs-services/ Learn how to use PowerShell to connect to TFS 2013, import required assemblies, and access core TFS services like Work Item Store, Version Control, and project settings. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-the-tfs-2013-preview-to-tfs-2013-rc/ Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:30:38 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-the-tfs-2013-preview-to-tfs-2013-rc/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading from TFS 2013 Preview to TFS 2013 RC, covering prerequisites, trial upgrades, installation, configuration, and best practices. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what's-new-in-visual-studio-2013-and-tfs-2013-rc/ Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:00:12 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what's-new-in-visual-studio-2013-and-tfs-2013-rc/ Overview of new features in Visual Studio 2013 and TFS 2013 RC, including Team Explorer updates, agile tools, test management, charting, and improved collaboration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-great-team-foundation-server-2013-upgrade-weekend/ Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:36:49 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-great-team-foundation-server-2013-upgrade-weekend/ Microsoft experts will provide free support for upgrading, installing, or configuring Team Foundation Server 2013 during a special event on 13–15 September 2013. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/modelling-teams-in-team-foundation-server-2013/ Tue, 16 Jul 2013 08:57:50 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/modelling-teams-in-team-foundation-server-2013/ Guidance on structuring teams, areas, iterations, source control, and security in Team Foundation Server 2013 to support project management and reporting needs. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/issue-tfs-2013-you-get-tf400324-when-connecting-inrelease-to-tfs/ Thu, 11 Jul 2013 17:02:46 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/issue-tfs-2013-you-get-tf400324-when-connecting-inrelease-to-tfs/ Explains how to resolve TF400324 errors when connecting InRelease 3 to TFS 2013, including correct URL usage and a supported PowerShell fix for collection paths. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-portfolio-backlog-hierarchy-in-team-foundation-server-2013/ Mon, 08 Jul 2013 21:35:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/create-a-portfolio-backlog-hierarchy-in-team-foundation-server-2013/ Learn how to customise Team Foundation Server 2013 to add a multi-level Portfolio Backlog hierarchy by editing work item types, categories, and process configuration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-to-team-foundation-server-2013/ Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:35:10 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-to-team-foundation-server-2013/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading to Team Foundation Server 2013, including backup, installation, configuration, validation, and estimated upgrade times for various scenarios. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/issue-tfs-2012-2-detaching-collection-fails-on-snapshotidentities-with-object-reference-not-set-to-an-instance-of-an-object/ Mon, 24 Jun 2013 09:35:36 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/issue-tfs-2012-2-detaching-collection-fails-on-snapshotidentities-with-object-reference-not-set-to-an-instance-of-an-object/ Explains how detaching a Team Project Collection in TFS 2012.x can fail due to orphaned identities, causing a NullReferenceException, and outlines steps for diagnosis and support. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/restore-tfs-backups-from-sql-enterprise-to-sql-express/ Mon, 27 May 2013 08:52:27 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/restore-tfs-backups-from-sql-enterprise-to-sql-express/ Explains how to resolve errors when restoring TFS backups from SQL Enterprise to SQL Express by removing unsupported data compression features from the database. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configure-test-plans-for-web-access-in-tfs-2012-2/ Fri, 10 May 2013 20:42:16 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configure-test-plans-for-web-access-in-tfs-2012-2/ Explains how to configure Test Plans for web access in TFS 2012.2, focusing on Area Path, team field settings, visibility issues, and workarounds for team-based access. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs2012-2-issue-object-not-set-to-instance-of-object-with-tf400898-tf53010-tf30065/ Wed, 08 May 2013 17:51:03 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs2012-2-issue-object-not-set-to-instance-of-object-with-tf400898-tf53010-tf30065/ Explains causes and solutions for “Object reference not set to an instance of an object” errors (TF400898, TF53010, TF30065) in TFS 2012.2, fixed in Update 3. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-your-process-template-from-msf-for-agile-4-to-visual-studio-scrum-2-x/ Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:37:42 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-your-process-template-from-msf-for-agile-4-to-visual-studio-scrum-2-x/ Step-by-step guide to safely upgrade from MSF for Agile 4 to Visual Studio Scrum 2.x process templates in TFS, including handling customisations and preserving work items. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/new-un-versioned-repository-in-tfs-2012/ Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:34:03 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/new-un-versioned-repository-in-tfs-2012/ Explains how TFS 2012 introduced an un-versioned repository for build outputs, reducing version control clutter and offering easier storage and cleanup options for build drops. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-issue-tf215097-an-error-occurred-while-initializing-a-build-for-build-definition/ Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:35:20 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-issue-tf215097-an-error-occurred-while-initializing-a-build-for-build-definition/ Explains the TF215097 error in TFS 2012 builds, its cause, missing custom assemblies, and how to resolve it by configuring the build controller to reference those assemblies. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/migration-from-tf-service-to-tf-server-with-the-tfs-integration-platform/ Thu, 18 Apr 2013 03:28:29 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/migration-from-tf-service-to-tf-server-with-the-tfs-integration-platform/ Guide to migrating data from Team Foundation Service to Team Foundation Server using the TFS Integration Platform, including user and work item mapping steps. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2012-update-2-supports-2010-build-servers/ Fri, 22 Mar 2013 02:02:39 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2012-update-2-supports-2010-build-servers/ Explains how Visual Studio 2012 Update 2 and later let you use existing 2010 Build Servers with newer TFS, easing upgrades without workflow or OS changes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/migrating-source-code-with-history-to-tfs-2012-with-git-tf/ Tue, 19 Mar 2013 03:15:17 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/migrating-source-code-with-history-to-tfs-2012-with-git-tf/ Guide to migrating source code and preserving history from one Team Foundation Server (TFS) 2012 instance to another using Git-Tf and Git command-line tools. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/quality-centre-to-team-foundation-server-in-one-complex-step/ Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:58:58 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/quality-centre-to-team-foundation-server-in-one-complex-step/ Compares tools for migrating or synchronising data from HP Quality Centre to Team Foundation Server, outlining features, limitations, and best options for each approach. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-update-1-tf255430-the-database-was-partially-upgraded-during-a-failed-upgrade/ Mon, 03 Dec 2012 18:25:07 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-update-1-tf255430-the-database-was-partially-upgraded-during-a-failed-upgrade/ Explains how to resolve Team Foundation Server 2012 upgrade failures caused by partial database upgrades, SQL connectivity issues, and Analysis Services errors. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-agile-planning-tools-issue-nested-tasks-makes-the-parent-task-disappear/ Sun, 14 Oct 2012 19:35:30 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-agile-planning-tools-issue-nested-tasks-makes-the-parent-task-disappear/ Explains why nesting tasks in TFS 2012 Agile Planning Tools causes parent tasks to disappear, and recommends using nested Product Backlog Items instead for proper visibility. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/requirement-management-in-the-modern-application-lifecycle/ Sun, 09 Sep 2012 17:51:34 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/requirement-management-in-the-modern-application-lifecycle/ Explains how Team Foundation Server supports requirement management in modern app development, including traceability, integration, and partner tools for agile and compliance needs. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-evolution-of-a-blog-the-race-for-responsiveness-and-even-a-little-support-from-wp-engine/ Sun, 02 Sep 2012 06:48:16 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-evolution-of-a-blog-the-race-for-responsiveness-and-even-a-little-support-from-wp-engine/ Covers migrating a WordPress blog to improve speed and reliability, comparing hosts, plugin choices, and the impact of WP Engine’s support and performance features. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-integration-tools-issue-tf10141-no-files-checked-in-as-a-result-of-a-tfs-check-in-failure/ Wed, 22 Aug 2012 01:25:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-integration-tools-issue-tf10141-no-files-checked-in-as-a-result-of-a-tfs-check-in-failure/ Explains how to resolve TFS Integration Tools check-in failures (TF10141), covering conflict identification, manual resolution steps, and handling workspace issues. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-integration-tools-issue-tf205022-the-following-path-contains-more-than-the-allowed-259-characters/ Mon, 20 Aug 2012 21:54:14 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-integration-tools-issue-tf205022-the-following-path-contains-more-than-the-allowed-259-characters/ Explains how to resolve the TFS error caused by file paths exceeding 259 characters during migration, with steps to shorten paths and adjust workspace settings. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-integration-tools-issue-tf14009-cannot-merge-source-into-target-because-the-target-is-underneath-source/ Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:19:36 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-integration-tools-issue-tf14009-cannot-merge-source-into-target-because-the-target-is-underneath-source/ Explains the TF14009 error in TFS when merging a source into a subfolder of itself, its causes during migration, and practical workarounds to resolve the issue. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-issue-manage-group-membership-missing-from-admin-after-tfs-2008-to-tfs-2012-upgrade/ Thu, 16 Aug 2012 21:46:10 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2012-issue-manage-group-membership-missing-from-admin-after-tfs-2008-to-tfs-2012-upgrade/ Explains how to restore missing group membership management in TFS 2012 after upgrading from TFS 2008 by manually adding permissions using TFS Security commands. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-preview-issue-tf400898-the-underlying-connection-was-closed/ Thu, 16 Aug 2012 19:52:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-preview-issue-tf400898-the-underlying-connection-was-closed/ Explains the TF400898 error in TFS Preview, its causes, troubleshooting steps, and how a bug in the version control subsystem led to file loss and its resolution. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-integration-tools-issue-tfs-wit-bypass-rule-submission-is-enabled/ Thu, 09 Aug 2012 23:33:15 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-integration-tools-issue-tfs-wit-bypass-rule-submission-is-enabled/ Explains how to resolve TFS Integration Platform errors caused by missing permissions for bypass-rule submission by adding accounts to the Team Foundation Service Accounts group. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-tfs-2008-to-tfs-2010-overview/ Tue, 31 Jul 2012 18:35:45 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-tfs-2008-to-tfs-2010-overview/ Guides the upgrade from TFS 2008 to TFS 2010, covering technical steps, process template migration, challenges, and best practices for a smooth transition. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/installing-tfs-2012-with-lab-management-2012/ Wed, 20 Jun 2012 02:30:18 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/installing-tfs-2012-with-lab-management-2012/ Step-by-step guide to installing and configuring TFS 2012 with Lab Management, including SQL Server, SCVMM integration, troubleshooting, and environment setup tips. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/process-template-upgrade-7-%E2%80%93-rename-work-items-and-import-new-ones/ Sat, 12 May 2012 00:25:23 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/process-template-upgrade-7-%E2%80%93-rename-work-items-and-import-new-ones/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading TFS process templates by renaming and importing work item types, preserving data, updating fields, categories, configs, and reports. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-a-day-in-the-life-of/ Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:00:42 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-a-day-in-the-life-of/ Explore how developers, testers, and managers use Visual Studio 2010 and TFS for planning, coding, testing, bug fixes, and sprint management in real project workflows. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-webcasts/ Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:18:06 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2010-overview-webcasts/ Series of webcasts providing high-level overviews of Visual Studio 2010 and Team Foundation Server features, including ALM, testing, code management, and daily workflows. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/process-template-upgrade-3-destroy-all-work-items-and-import-new-ones/ Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:42:04 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/process-template-upgrade-3-destroy-all-work-items-and-import-new-ones/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading a process template in TFS by deleting all existing work items, archiving queries and reports, and importing new template elements. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/testing-with-test-professional-2010-and-visual-studio-2010-ultimate/ Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:48:31 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/testing-with-test-professional-2010-and-visual-studio-2010-ultimate/ Learn how to use Microsoft Test Manager, Visual Studio 2010, and TFS for software testing, test management, bug tracking, and automated test workflows in this remote course. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/subversion-to-tfs-2010-the-migration-engine-is-unable-to-resolve-a-conflict-where-two-changes-have-the-same-target-item/ Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:18:04 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/subversion-to-tfs-2010-the-migration-engine-is-unable-to-resolve-a-conflict-where-two-changes-have-the-same-target-item/ Explains how to resolve case sensitivity conflicts when migrating from Subversion to TFS 2010, including tools and steps to handle duplicate target item errors. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-your-process-template-in-team-foundation-server/ Thu, 28 Jul 2011 22:00:39 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-your-process-template-in-team-foundation-server/ Explains methods for upgrading process templates in Team Foundation Server, comparing pros and cons of each approach, and highlighting risks, data integrity, and best practices. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-do-you-do-with-a-work-item-history-not-found-conflict-type-details/ Sat, 04 Jun 2011 00:50:02 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-do-you-do-with-a-work-item-history-not-found-conflict-type-details/ Explains how missing or non-consecutive work item revision history during TFS migrations causes conflicts, and details troubleshooting steps and unresolved backlog issues. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-about-hosting-the-tfs-automation-platform/ Tue, 31 May 2011 20:57:52 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-about-hosting-the-tfs-automation-platform/ Explores options for hosting the TFS Automation Platform, comparing server-side and client-only setups, and discusses impacts on functionality, resilience, and multi-user support. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-alm-mvp-of-the-year-2011/ Sun, 06 Mar 2011 17:07:34 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-alm-mvp-of-the-year-2011/ Recognition for contributions to the Visual Studio ALM community, including sharing Team Foundation Server solutions, blogging, and collaborating on key projects. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-how-to-move-the-team-foundation-server-cache/ Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:21:26 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-how-to-move-the-team-foundation-server-cache/ Learn how to safely move the Team Foundation Server cache to a new drive, update permissions, and configure web.config for better storage management and performance. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-about-the-visual-studio-alm-rangers-guidance/ Fri, 04 Feb 2011 23:11:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/do-you-know-about-the-visual-studio-alm-rangers-guidance/ Overview of official Visual Studio 2010 ALM Rangers guidance, including solutions, projects, and resources to help users get the most from Visual Studio tools. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/free-training-at-northwest-cadence/ Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:09:03 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/free-training-at-northwest-cadence/ Learn about free online training sessions from Northwest Cadence, including interactive Coffee Talks on ALM, TFS 2010, and quality assurance, suitable for UK developers. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-to-do-after-a-servicing-fails-on-tfs-2010/ Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:10:46 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-to-do-after-a-servicing-fails-on-tfs-2010/ Guidance on troubleshooting failed servicing in TFS 2010, including schema version issues, recovery steps, and risks of database repair versus starting over. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2010-work-item-seed-tfs-work-item-system-id-at-a-predefined-number/ Wed, 20 Oct 2010 23:17:43 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-2010-work-item-seed-tfs-work-item-system-id-at-a-predefined-number/ Explains how to use the TFS 2010 API to set the starting Work Item ID by programmatically creating and deleting items, avoiding ID conflicts with other systems. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-vs-subversion-fact-check/ Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:30:53 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-vs-subversion-fact-check/ Compares TFS and Subversion, addressing common misconceptions, feature differences, platform support, installation, cost, and challenges for SVN users moving to TFS. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/team-foundation-server-2010-event-handling-with-subscribers/ Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:28:20 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/team-foundation-server-2010-event-handling-with-subscribers/ Explains how to create and deploy server-side event subscribers in Team Foundation Server 2010 using the ISubscriber interface to handle and process TFS events. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/active-directory-groups-not-syncing-with-team-foundation-server-2010/ Wed, 07 Jul 2010 23:02:11 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/active-directory-groups-not-syncing-with-team-foundation-server-2010/ Explains why Active Directory groups may not sync with Team Foundation Server 2010, how to diagnose sync issues, and steps to resolve identity synchronisation problems. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-for-team-foundation-server-2010/ Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:20:44 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-for-team-foundation-server-2010/ Explains how to create and customise event handlers for Team Foundation Server 2010, covering supported events for version control, builds, work items, and test management. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/changing-the-team-project-collection-of-the-team-build-controller/ Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:57:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/changing-the-team-project-collection-of-the-team-build-controller/ Explains how to reconfigure a Team Build Controller in TFS 2010 to connect to a different Team Project Collection using the Administration Console and Build Service settings. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/ghost-build-controllers-in-team-foundation-server/ Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:54:36 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/ghost-build-controllers-in-team-foundation-server/ Learn how to identify and remove undeletable ghost build controllers in Team Foundation Server by updating build status in the database, avoiding unsupported deletions. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-team-foundation-server-2008-to-2010/ Mon, 03 May 2010 13:04:01 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-team-foundation-server-2008-to-2010/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading Team Foundation Server 2008 to 2010, covering database backup, migration, verification, compatibility, and post-upgrade testing. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/combining-scrum-tfs2010-and-email-to-keep-everyone-in-the-loop/ Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:21:06 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/combining-scrum-tfs2010-and-email-to-keep-everyone-in-the-loop/ Explains how to integrate Scrum, TFS 2010, and email to share task details, maintain history, and keep all stakeholders informed throughout project workflows. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-tfs-2010-rc-to-tfs-2010-rtm-done/ Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:39:40 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-tfs-2010-rc-to-tfs-2010-rtm-done/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading from TFS 2010 RC to RTM, including backup, uninstall, install, configuration, SharePoint and build server updates, and post-upgrade testing. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-for-team-foundation-server-2010/ Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:42:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/scrum-for-team-foundation-server-2010/ Learn how to implement Scrum practices using Team Foundation Server 2010 and Visual Studio ALM, including project planning, backlog management, and progress tracking. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-tfs-2010-beta-2-to-tfs-2010-rc-done/ Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:55:34 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/upgrading-from-tfs-2010-beta-2-to-tfs-2010-rc-done/ Step-by-step guide to upgrading from TFS 2010 Beta 2 to TFS 2010 RC, including best practices, troubleshooting tips, and post-upgrade checks for developers. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/solution-seo-permanent-redirects-for-old-url-s/ Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:34:55 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/solution-seo-permanent-redirects-for-old-url-s/ Explains how to set up SEO-friendly permanent redirects for old URLs to new ones in ASP.NET, covering best practices and code examples for preserving search rankings. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/investigation-seo-permanent-redirects-for-old-url-s/ Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:27:33 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/investigation-seo-permanent-redirects-for-old-url-s/ Explains how to implement SEO-friendly permanent 301 redirects for old URLs to preserve search rankings, comparing IIS tools and custom solutions for database-driven mapping. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/deploying-visual-studio-2010-team-foundation-server-beta-2-done/ Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:46:44 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/deploying-visual-studio-2010-team-foundation-server-beta-2-done/ Covers the step-by-step process and team effort involved in migrating from TFS 2008 to Visual Studio 2010 Team Foundation Server Beta 2, including key lessons learned. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-change-for-the-better-2/ Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:39:07 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-change-for-the-better-2/ Describes a career move from Aggreko to SSW, focusing on software architecture, ALM, TFS migrations, and applying productivity rules in team environments. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/wpf-ninject-dojo-the-data-provider/ Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:43:35 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/wpf-ninject-dojo-the-data-provider/ Explains how to use a custom NinjectDataProvider in WPF to enable dependency injection for ViewModels, improving flexibility and design-time support in MVVM projects. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-data-access-layer-using-unity/ Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:57:53 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-data-access-layer-using-unity/ Learn how to build a flexible data access layer in .NET using Unity for dependency injection, interface mapping, and factory patterns with configuration support. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/disable-a-timer-at-every-level-of-your-asp-net-control-hierarchy/ Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:26:25 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/disable-a-timer-at-every-level-of-your-asp-net-control-hierarchy/ Learn how to recursively find and disable all Timer controls in an ASP.NET page, even without knowing their IDs, to prevent unwanted UI updates and interference. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/list-all-files-changed-under-an-iteration/ Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:56:26 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/list-all-files-changed-under-an-iteration/ Shows how to use TFS API calls to list all files changed in a specific iteration, including querying work items and extracting changesets to a text file. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-team-system-2010-beta-1-ships/ Mon, 18 May 2009 16:28:21 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-team-system-2010-beta-1-ships/ Microsoft releases the first beta of Visual Studio Team System 2010, featuring new tools for architecture, testing, lab management, TFS, and a redesigned WPF interface. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/my-unity-resolve-of-ninja/ Fri, 08 May 2009 14:17:40 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/my-unity-resolve-of-ninja/ Shows how to create a shared UnityContainer singleton in VB.NET using the “My” namespace, enabling dependency injection across WPF and ASP.NET applications. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/reformat-your-css-on-the-fly/ Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:50:29 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/reformat-your-css-on-the-fly/ Learn how to use a .NET HTTP handler to dynamically adjust CSS file paths, ensuring images and resources load correctly across different web application locations. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/retrieving-an-identity-from-team-foundation-server-using-only-the-display-name/ Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:30:26 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/retrieving-an-identity-from-team-foundation-server-using-only-the-display-name/ Explains how to retrieve a user or group identity from Team Foundation Server using only a display name, including handling Active Directory lookups and group assignments. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/advice-on-using-xamribbon-with-composite-wpf/ Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:03:42 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/advice-on-using-xamribbon-with-composite-wpf/ Provides guidance and code examples for integrating Infragistics XamRibbon with Composite WPF, including custom region adapters for dynamic tab and menu management. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-sticky-buddy-2-0-development-started/ Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:43:53 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-sticky-buddy-2-0-development-started/ Development of TFS Sticky Buddy 2.0 has begun, focusing on modular WPF architecture and new navigation features. Early CTP version and updates are available for download. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/sync-extension-for-lists-collections-or-whatever/ Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:11:14 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/sync-extension-for-lists-collections-or-whatever/ Explains how to synchronise two .NET collections by applying differences, with thread safety using locks, ensuring target lists match source lists efficiently. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-wpf-work-item-control/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:14:21 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-wpf-work-item-control/ Learn how to build a custom WPF work item control for Visual Studio Team System, enabling WPF UI integration in work item forms using a generic wrapper and IWorkItemControl. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/ooooh-rtm-delight/ Tue, 12 Aug 2008 06:52:16 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/ooooh-rtm-delight/ Visual Studio 2008, .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, and Team Foundation Server 2008 Beta 1 released, featuring major improvements for developers in data, performance, and deployment. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/ihandlerfactory/ Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:11:13 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/ihandlerfactory/ Explains how to use a custom IHttpHandler and handler factory in ASP.NET to redirect old URLs to a new site, preserving links and SEO with permanent redirects. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-error-msb4018-the-buildshadowtask-task-failed-unexpectedly/ Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:54:05 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-error-msb4018-the-buildshadowtask-task-failed-unexpectedly/ Explains the MSB4018 “BuildShadowTask” error in TFS when using Accessors in unit test projects, its cause, and how removing .accessor files resolves build issues. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-sharepoint-solution/ Mon, 19 May 2008 17:03:38 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-sharepoint-solution/ Follow the development of a .NET 3.5 SharePoint Time Off Management app using WebParts, Workflow, InfoPath, SQL Server, and test-driven development techniques. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/major-deadline/ Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:39:41 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/major-deadline/ A critical SharePoint migration project faces urgent deadlines after performance issues, requiring rapid deployment of a new MOSS portal to support key business functions. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/bug-in-observablecollection/ Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:17:08 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/bug-in-observablecollection/ Explains issues using ObservableCollection with generic types in .NET, why errors occur, and discusses workarounds and limitations when working with custom classes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/new-event-handlers/ Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:20:28 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/new-event-handlers/ Adds two event handlers for TFS: one emails users when assigned a work item, the other notifies users when work is reassigned. Includes setup and deployment steps. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-prototype-refresh/ Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:04:33 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-prototype-refresh/ Bug fixes and updates for the TFS Event Handler Prototype, now supporting .NET 3.5 and Visual Studio 2008. Includes installer refresh and event handler examples. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/removing-acl's-for-dead-ad-accounts/ Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:54:23 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/removing-acl's-for-dead-ad-accounts/ Explains how to identify and remove access control entries (ACLs) for deleted Active Directory accounts using .NET, including challenges and code examples for automation. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/my-first-extension-method/ Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:27:27 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/my-first-extension-method/ Explains how to create and use extension methods in VB.NET, with an example for enhancing the XboxInfo class to display and track Xbox Live status changes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/where-am-i/ Fri, 09 Nov 2007 10:47:22 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/where-am-i/ Describes a .NET application that tracks users’ locations via IP, updates Active Directory, and uses LINQ for database queries, aiding internal office presence visibility. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/amusing-job-requirements/ Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:45:54 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/amusing-job-requirements/ A humorous look at unrealistic job requirements for analyst programmers, highlighting the pitfalls of overloaded skill lists and offering practical advice for employers and job seekers. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/interviewing-for-microsoft/ Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:38:49 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/interviewing-for-microsoft/ A personal account of interviewing for a Microsoft Application Developer Consultant role, detailing the process, technical requirements, and lessons learned from the experience. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-in-net-3-5-part-2-handling-team-foundation-server-events/ Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:08:57 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-in-net-3-5-part-2-handling-team-foundation-server-events/ Guide to implementing a resilient Team Foundation Server event handler in .NET 3.5 using WCF, including service contracts, endpoints, configuration, and event parsing. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-custom-proxy-class/ Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:20:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-a-custom-proxy-class/ Learn how to build a custom proxy class in .NET 3.0 for duplex communication, enabling maintainable code and easy updates when service interfaces change. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/becoming-a-better-developer/ Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:39:25 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/becoming-a-better-developer/ Practical steps for improving as a developer, including ongoing learning, project work, community involvement, blogging, and embracing neurodiversity in tech. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/solution-to-sub-sites-in-sharepoint-3-0-with-team-foundation-server/ Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:45:31 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/solution-to-sub-sites-in-sharepoint-3-0-with-team-foundation-server/ Explains how to configure Team Foundation Server to create SharePoint 3.0 project portals as sub-sites, including manual and automated setup steps and key considerations. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-your-own-event-handler/ Mon, 18 Jun 2007 23:12:26 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-your-own-event-handler/ Learn how to create custom event handlers for Team Foundation Server by inheriting from AEventHandler, implementing IsValid and Run methods, and handling event data securely. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-ctp-1-delayed/ Sun, 17 Jun 2007 22:29:30 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-ctp-1-delayed/ The first Community Technology Preview of the TFS Event Handler is delayed, with updates on framework enhancements, current progress, and pending development tasks. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-process-templates/ Thu, 07 Jun 2007 23:25:41 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-process-templates/ Explains how Team Foundation Server process templates enable custom workflows, highlights their flexibility, and offers advice for effective configuration and management. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-gotcha-exception-handling/ Wed, 30 May 2007 09:55:41 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-gotcha-exception-handling/ Explains how to handle non-serialisable Team Foundation Server exceptions in WCF by creating custom serialisable exceptions for reliable cross-service error handling. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-wcf-service-host-programmatically/ Wed, 30 May 2007 00:23:24 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-wcf-service-host-programmatically/ Explains how to programmatically create and configure a WCF Service Host in .NET, including base addresses, endpoints, bindings, and service behaviours for secure hosting. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-speed-problems/ Mon, 28 May 2007 14:27:13 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-speed-problems/ Advice on diagnosing and resolving Team Foundation Server speed issues, including network checks, server specifications, and common causes of slow performance. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-progress/ Mon, 07 May 2007 12:40:09 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-progress/ Update on TFS Event Handler project progress, focusing on resolving security issues, improving error handling in WCF services, and finalising the admin system. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-eventhandler-msmq-refactor/ Mon, 30 Apr 2007 23:48:43 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-eventhandler-msmq-refactor/ Refactoring a TFS Event Handler to use MSMQ, splitting it into modular services for event queuing and handling, improving maintainability and administration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-eventhandler-now-on-codeplex/ Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:00:51 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-eventhandler-now-on-codeplex/ Team Foundation Server EventHandler is now available on CodePlex, with ongoing updates to use Message Queuing and a Windows Service. Source code and forums are open to contributors. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-eventhandler-message-queuing/ Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:41:58 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-eventhandler-message-queuing/ Explains using message queues in Team Foundation Server EventHandler to manage events reliably, ensuring no data loss during handler updates or service changes. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/team-server-event-handlers-made-easy/ Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:08:18 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/team-server-event-handlers-made-easy/ Explains a simple way for power users to create, upload, and manage custom event handlers for Team Foundation Server events using an admin interface and web services. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/some-thoughts-on-net-3-0-from-linkedin/ Tue, 06 Feb 2007 16:37:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/some-thoughts-on-net-3-0-from-linkedin/ Insights on adopting .NET 3.0 for new applications, its features like WPF, WF, WCF, CardSpace, and comparisons with BizTalk, plus upgrade considerations for organisations. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/net-framework-3-0/ Sat, 11 Nov 2006 10:56:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/net-framework-3-0/ Explains the benefits of .NET Framework 3.0, focusing on WCF for cleaner, more efficient code and improved developer productivity in service-oriented applications. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/windows-communication-framework-evaluation/ Wed, 09 Aug 2006 05:59:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/windows-communication-framework-evaluation/ Assessment of Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) for enterprise web services, focusing on security, compatibility, and benefits over previous .NET frameworks. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/adding-toolstrippanel-ui-adapter-support-to-the-composite-ui-application-block/ Thu, 22 Jun 2006 06:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/adding-toolstrippanel-ui-adapter-support-to-the-composite-ui-application-block/ Explains how to extend the Composite UI Application Block to support ToolStripPanel UI adapters, enabling dynamic ToolStrip integration and customisation in CAB applications. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/many-organisations-are-lured-to-safe-by-the-song-of-the-sirens/ Wed, 01 Jul 2020 14:30:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/many-organisations-are-lured-to-safe-by-the-song-of-the-sirens/ Many organisations adopt SAFe hoping for quick agility but end up replacing old rigid processes with new ones, without addressing real business challenges or fostering true innovation. SAFe often reinforces bureaucracy and stifles the adaptability needed in today’s fast-changing environment. Development managers should focus on evolving their organisations for genuine business agility rather than relying on prescriptive frameworks. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/live-webcast-q-amp-a-with-martin-hinshelwood-on-27th-march-2020/ Fri, 27 Mar 2020 13:54:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/live-webcast-q-amp-a-with-martin-hinshelwood-on-27th-march-2020/ Martin Hinshelwood discusses how to effectively integrate user experience into Scrum teams, drawing on his experience teaching Professional Scrum with UX. He shares practical starting points for combining UX and Scrum practices. Development managers should consider watching the webcast for actionable guidance on improving team collaboration and product outcomes through better UX integration. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-titanic-misfit-the-alpha-organization's-wasteful-endeavor-in-red-markets/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/a-titanic-misfit-the-alpha-organization's-wasteful-endeavor-in-red-markets/ Traditional hierarchical organizations that thrived in stable markets are now struggling in today’s fast-paced, innovation-driven environments, leading to wasted resources, stifled creativity, and missed customer needs. Slow decision-making and rigid structures prevent them from adapting quickly, leaving talent and opportunities untapped. Development managers should consider shifting toward more agile, decentralized models to stay competitive and reduce waste. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-training-virtual-machines-in-azure/ Tue, 07 Oct 2014 15:06:37 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/creating-training-virtual-machines-in-azure/ Setting up training environments for a technical course is much easier using Azure, though uploading large VHDs and configuring storage can be time-consuming and require troubleshooting. Once the VHD is uploaded and a template image is created, you can automate or manually create multiple VM instances with the right specs for your needs. Using Azure for training labs is cost-effective if you manage VM uptime carefully, and the process can be streamlined further with PowerShell automation if done regularly. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2013-and-tfs-2013-are-released-get-yours-now-oh-and-windows-8-1/ Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:16:36 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/visual-studio-2013-and-tfs-2013-are-released-get-yours-now-oh-and-windows-8-1/ Visual Studio 2013, Team Foundation Server 2013, and Windows 8.1 are now available, offering new ALM features, upgrade options, and installation guidance for developers. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/sharepoint-2013-issue-after-migration-from-2010-user-permission-not-working/ Fri, 21 Jun 2013 08:45:22 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/sharepoint-2013-issue-after-migration-from-2010-user-permission-not-working/ After migrating from SharePoint 2010 to 2013, users may face permission and authentication issues due to changes in claims-based authentication settings. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/data-dude-r2-is-out/ Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:29:30 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/data-dude-r2-is-out/ Visual Studio Team System 2008 Database Edition GDR R2 adds new features, improved SQL Server 2008 support, enhancements, and bug fixes for database development. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/calling-an-object-method-in-a-data-trigger/ Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:16:18 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/calling-an-object-method-in-a-data-trigger/ Explains how to call an object method in a WPF DataTrigger, the limitations with extension methods, and common errors when binding methods in XAML templates. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-sticky-buddy-layout-fun/ Mon, 11 Feb 2008 08:51:58 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-sticky-buddy-layout-fun/ A developer shares challenges and insights from building a TFS Sticky Buddy UI in WinForms and WPF, comparing layout issues and ease of use between the two frameworks. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-prototype-configuration-demystified/ Mon, 18 Jun 2007 14:05:37 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/tfs-event-handler-prototype-configuration-demystified/ Explains how to configure the TFS Event Handler Prototype, covering service setup, team server options, event subscriptions, handlers, and URL replacements. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-race-for-market-responsiveness-a-fresh-perspective-on-organisational-agility/ Thu, 07 Sep 2023 14:01:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/the-race-for-market-responsiveness-a-fresh-perspective-on-organisational-agility/ The main point is that true organisational agility is about responding to market changes faster than competitors, not about adopting specific frameworks like SAFe or Scrum. Successful companies build processes tailored to their unique needs rather than copying others, and relying on outdated rules or hybrid models slows adaptation. Development managers should focus on creating flexible, custom processes that enable rapid response and continuous adaptation to stay competitive. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/agile-in-africa-2016/ Wed, 27 Jan 2016 14:46:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/agile-in-africa-2016/ Agile in Africa 2016 brought together genuine Agile experts to West Africa, moving beyond past efforts that focused on profit rather than real improvement. Speakers invested their own time and resources, and the event featured multiple days of sessions, strong community engagement, and positive social impact. Development managers interested in authentic Agile transformation and networking in Africa should consider attending or viewing the recorded sessions. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configuring-microsoft-teams-for-live-virtual-training/ Mon, 22 Jun 2020 16:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/configuring-microsoft-teams-for-live-virtual-training/ To deliver effective live virtual training in Microsoft Teams, you need to set up Azure Active Directory, a Microsoft 365 subscription, and enable guest and external access for full collaboration features. Proper configuration allows both internal and external participants to access files, chat, and breakout rooms, and recent updates make guest authentication easier. Investing time in setup ensures a smoother, more professional experience for your training sessions, so plan and configure these elements before your first class. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/installing-release-management-client-for-visual-studio-2013/ Fri, 10 Jan 2014 10:35:19 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/installing-release-management-client-for-visual-studio-2013/ Step-by-step guide to downloading, installing, and configuring the Release Management Client for Visual Studio 2013, including setup tips and troubleshooting advice. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/using-visual-studio-2008/ Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:22:18 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/using-visual-studio-2008/ Overview of Visual Studio 2008 features, including multi-.NET Framework targeting, project upgrade notes, source control tips, and new debugging and workflow options. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/online-is-the-new-co-located/ Mon, 16 Nov 2020 15:00:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/online-is-the-new-co-located/ With modern video technology and fast internet, online meetings can now provide the same level of non-verbal communication as being in the same room, so keeping cameras on is essential for team transparency and engagement. Development managers should encourage camera use during online events to maximize communication and adapt interactions, but also respect occasional needs for cameras off. If team members cannot use video reliably, consider in-person participation instead. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/managing-your-azure-vm's-with-your-phone/ Wed, 28 Jan 2015 16:50:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/managing-your-azure-vm's-with-your-phone/ Mobile Azure Manager lets you easily start and stop Azure virtual machines and cloud services from your phone, saving time and reducing costs, especially when managing multiple VMs for training or development. Key features include managing individual VMs or groups, quick access to core information, and responsive support, though cost estimates may be inaccurate. Busy managers can use this app to efficiently control Azure resources on the go and avoid unnecessary cloud expenses. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/moving-onedrive-for-business-files-to-a-different-drive/ Wed, 03 Feb 2016 14:24:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/moving-onedrive-for-business-files-to-a-different-drive/ If your OneDrive files are taking up too much space on your main drive, you can move them to another drive by unlinking your account, copying the files to the new location, and then relinking OneDrive to that folder. This avoids re-downloading large amounts of data and frees up significant space without risking your system recovery setup. Development managers should consider this approach to optimize storage and maintain system reliability for their teams. https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-is-taylorism-and-why-waterfall-is-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg/ Mon, 18 Jan 2021 14:02:00 +0000 https://engineering-leadership-preview.hinshelwood.com/articles/what-is-taylorism-and-why-waterfall-is-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg/ Traditional management practices like Waterfall are just symptoms of deeper, outdated Tayloristic approaches that treat people as replaceable cogs, stifle innovation, and create disengaged teams. These practices persist through rigid hierarchies, siloed departments, best practices, and incentive systems that work against autonomy, mastery, and purpose. To improve outcomes and employee engagement, development managers should move toward cross-functional teams, empower those closest to the work to define practices, and focus on intrinsic motivators rather than outdated control mechanisms.