Manufacturing runs more than 8 hours a day. So should development.
Relay developement is a software project management approach that optimizes the speed of each programmer. It brings a manufacturing mindset to software development.
Imgaine optimizing the most basic task - Moving a rock from point A to point B. What is the fastest way to move the rock? The answer depends on the size of the rock.
Some software projects are very large rocks. They require a team of coordinated individuals working in concert with complex tools.
Most software projects are smaller rocks that can be carried by a single developer. Projects like these can be passed like a runner's baton. The fastest way to move these smaller rocks can be modeled as a relay race - Each developer sprints alone and then passes the project to the next developer.
The global spread of the information age has led to the analogy that the world is flat. Many organizations attempt to leverage this by contracting entire projects out to offshore software developers where wages are lower. This can cause more problems than it solves. Transferring your business intelligence to remote developers is costly and time consuming. Current developers are often thrust into unwanted project management roles.
The world is still round. It's 8AM somewhere. A distinct advantage of offshore development is to increase the speed of software iteration via relay development. Working with remote resources means the lead developer can skip tasks that don't involve business logic. These tasks are passed to the next time zone and often completed overnight.
GSDware has experience using relay development methods on multiple projects. We know that relays are faster than sprints.
