How can "Customer Collaboration" be achieved when the actual end-users are inaccessible to the team?

All answers to this question.

This is a common "Agile-in-name-only" trap. If you can't talk to users, you are just guessing. I recommend "User Proxy Shadowing." If the manager won't let you talk to users, ask to see the support tickets they submit or watch a recording of them using the current system. You can also use "Beta Groups" of friendly users who are willing to test features under the radar. The goal is to get data, not just opinions from a middle manager. If you can show that direct feedback reduces rework, the business will usually open the doors to more direct collaboration.

   Answered 2024-04-05 by Dorothy Lewis

What is the "Contract" in your situation? Is it a formal SLA or just a rigid requirements document that the manager is holding the team to?

   Answered 2024-04-08 by Richard Moore

• Richard, it’s a rigid requirements document. The manager treats it like a Bible. We’ve started using "A/B Testing" on small features to prove when the "official" requirements are actually confusing the users. Once we presented the data, the manager became much more open to us suggesting changes based on actual user behavior.

     Commented 2024-04-10 by Kevin Hall

Try inviting one actual user to your Sprint Review. Just one. Their feedback in front of the stakeholders is often enough to shift the entire dynamic of the project.

   Answered 2024-04-13 by Elizabeth Young

• That is a bold move, Elizabeth, but it works! I did this once and the user’s' honest feedback saved us three months of building a feature that nobody wanted.

     Commented 2024-04-15 by Christopher Evans