Pivotal’s Paul Puckett: Lean Methodologies Could Help Agencies Advance Modern Software Development

Paul Puckett, chief technology officer for federal at Pivotal Software (NYSE: PVTL), has said the development of the U.S. Air Force™s tanker refueling application indicated that the service can deploy scalable software using lean methodologies.

œThat approach involves combining agile practices with pair programming, test-driven development and user-centered design to create software that meets a mission need, Puckett wrote.

He said two things occur when a team within an agency is trained in lean methodologies.

œFirst, the outcomes begin to change the culture and the way that people look at problems. Second, leaders cultivate more teams that think this way.

He discussed the Air Force™s collaboration with the Defense Innovation Unit, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and Pivotal to build the tanker refueling app as well as the service™s creation of the Kessel Run Experimentation Lab to advance the use of modern processes in software development.

Puckett noted that agencies should deal with the right challenges and cited factors to consider when it comes to Agile development.

œTo keep agile techniques on track, they must be paired with other disciplines, such as user-centered design. In short, modern software must align with the mission and with the user™s needs, he added.

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