Agile Planning Misconceptions and Two-Level Project Planning in DevCloud

The author, working in Huawei Cloud DevCloud, shares experiences of applying lean‑agile DevOps practices and introduces a series titled "I am in DevCloud" covering various activities such as demand, planning, estimation, development, testing, inspection, integration, and delivery.

Common Misunderstandings about Agile Planning

Misconception 1: Agile means no planning. In reality, planning is lightweight, done Just‑In‑Time and Just‑Enough, focusing on the process rather than a fixed plan.

Misconception 2: Agile allows unlimited requirement changes. Agile controls change by delivering valuable software early, maintaining close collaboration, limiting work‑item granularity, and using time‑boxes.

Misconception 3: Agile planning is trivial. Effective planning must acknowledge uncertainty, use iterative feedback (PDCA), and balance effort with value.

Two‑Level Project Planning

Before demand, activities such as user‑persona analysis, empathy mapping, and design thinking are needed, though they are outside the article’s scope.

Demand originates from customers, market analysis, sales, internal solutions, product ideas, and technical road‑maps, collected via the VOC system in DevCloud.

Product release planning (roadmap) is defined at a yearly, quarterly, and monthly granularity, aligning multiple SaaS services (Agile project management, cloud testing, code hosting, CI/CD, etc.) and is communicated through Release Notes and future Release Plans.

Iteration planning operates on a weekly cadence, with design work a week ahead of development. Teams hold sprint planning meetings to discuss high‑priority items, adjust the backlog, set sprint goals, and allocate tasks using DevCloud’s visual tools (drag‑and‑drop, sub‑task creation, member workload view).

Planning aims to deliver the most valuable features with minimal effort, continuously adjusting based on feedback, deadlines, and customer value.

Scrum Reflections

Scrum provides a structured framework (roles, events, artifacts) but can become dogmatic; understanding its underlying principles—commitment, focus, openness, respect, courage—is essential for successful adoption.

The article concludes that mastering agile planning requires grasping both the “techniques” (the moves) and the “mindset” (the principles) behind them.

References

Mike Cohn – "User Stories Applied to Agile" and "Agile Estimating and Planning"; Jeff Sutherland – "Agile Revolution"; Jim Highsmith – "Adaptive Software Development".