Hi,

The team I work with is moving toward Agile. I've read articles on the best practices, comparisons, etc. The ones available on this site are really great.

In addition I would like to hear from you guys some off-the-trenches suggestions, guidelines and experience advices about embarking on the Agile train. Is there anything we should be aware of? How should we start? Etc...

Thank  you,

-Vessela

Topny,

Thank you for the quick response.

Our systems are complex, with plenty of business rules. It is the healthcare domain.

I would like to continue using use cases and UML.

-Vessela

I have seen some great work done with activity diagrams and use cases on smallish systems.  However, it has always been my experience that  mixing the UML functional modeling techniques with larger scale efforts spells big-time trouble.  Proper analysis requires postponement of implementation aspects until the appropriate time.   Use cases, by their very nature, are implementation oriented; they force the analyst think of solutions too soon.

Remember, agile does not propose any new modeling techniques, and proper use of modeling is key to success.  Don't let the latest buzz word cause undue confusion.   I would focus on gaining a clear understanding of what the important differences are between functional modeling techniques.  

Tony