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Higher Estimates Are Attainable on Agile Groups


The subject of estimation might be contentious. One large purpose is that, with regards to creating estimates for agile planning, persons are concurrently your biggest asset and biggest impediment.

Higher Estimates Are Constructed on Higher Understanding

Estimating is a human activity, and people might be difficult. Irrespective of how clearly you outline and clarify the method, estimates are influenced by bias, background, and particular person views. Even should you and your staff perceive the speculation behind estimating with story factors, should you don’t account for human nature and persona dynamics, you may nonetheless encounter issues.

I’m not saying your staff members are downside individuals; I’m positive they’re superior. It’s simply that folks convey baggage and preconceived notions to the estimation course of.

How Individuals Issues Trigger Estimation Issues

A staff’s previous experiences with estimation can contribute to future issues with estimation. For instance:

  • That one one who will not budge on an estimate.

  • These one or two individuals who seem to associate with the method, however aren’t actually placing within the effort.

  • These new staff members who’re unsure about estimates, story factors, or are intimidated by extra dominant voices within the room.

  • That one hold-out who refuses to estimate something that is not of their skillset. (The article “3 Roles That Have to Be Concerned with Agile Estimating” goes into why it is so important for the entire staff to take part in giving estimates.)

If you happen to can’t wrangle your particular person staff members’ hidden biases and opinions—to not point out various areas of ability and expertise—you’ll battle to work as a cohesive staff and produce correct estimates.

Different Causes Groups Keep away from the Estimation Course of

Many groups are additionally reluctant to estimate for worry of making a plan that stakeholders will use in opposition to them.

Purchasers and stakeholders will all the time need to know what can be delivered and when, however it is troublesome to foretell this if the work is new or unfamiliar, particularly if these identical stakeholders predict perfection reasonably than accuracy. (One positive method to assist is to guarantee everyone seems to be on the identical web page about what sort of estimate is being offered.)

Groups with a historical past of going by way of the motions of making plans and estimates that they know lack accuracy simply to verify a field are more likely to complain about offering any estimates in any respect. These groups probably complain that they only need to get on with constructing one thing. (This is why, regardless of their protests, estimates might be useful to builders.)

Sound acquainted? Most of the points surrounding estimates stem from the idea that, as people, we’re simply unhealthy at estimating.

However that is not true.

Individuals Are Good at Estimating Sure Issues

Individuals undoubtedly battle to estimate some issues however others they’re surprisingly adept at estimating precisely.

For instance, later as we speak I plan to jot down one other weblog put up. I estimate it can take two hours to finish the primary draft of that. It is unlikely to take precisely two hours however it can in all probability take between one-and-a-half and three hours. For the aim of planning my afternoon, that is a superb estimate.

(Learn “5 Methods to Obtain Correct Estimates Everybody Trusts” for extra on why good is the enemy of excellent, together with why it is finest to specific estimates as a spread.)

Again once I was instructing in-person Licensed ScrumMaster® programs, I’d arrange the room the day earlier than. I’d put a whole lot of provides out for every individual within the class. I needed to cling some posters on the wall. And so forth. From expertise, I might estimate {that a} typical room set-up would take 30-45 minutes. I’ve arrange for therefore many Licensed ScrumMaster programs that I really feel pretty assured in that estimate.

There are in all probability a myriad of comparable duties that you end up estimating (efficiently) most days—whether or not it is fixing dinner, driving to a pal’s home, or going grocery purchasing.

“We’re good at estimating acquainted issues. Estimating unfamiliar issues is tougher.”

We’re fairly good at estimating these items as a result of now we have a sure stage of familiarity with them. We’re not pretty much as good at estimating issues we aren’t aware of.

Proof That Software program Estimates Are Extra Correct Than They Appear

Knowledge helps my declare that people are inclined to estimate effectively.

In a 2004 evaluate of the present analysis on software program estimates, College of Oslo professor and Chief Scientist on the Simula Analysis Laboratory Magne Jørgensen discovered most estimates to be inside 20 to 30% of actuals. And on software program initiatives, he didn’t discover an total tendency for estimates to be too low:

The massive variety of time prediction failures all through historical past could give the impression that our time prediction capability could be very poor and that failures are rather more frequent than the few successes that come to thoughts. That is, we expect, an unfair analysis. The human capability to foretell time utilization is mostly extremely spectacular. It has enabled us to succeed with a wide range of necessary objectives, from controlling advanced development work to coordinating household events. There isn’t any doubt that the human capability for time prediction is amazingly good and intensely helpful. Sadly, it typically fails us. –Magne Jørgensen

Busting the Fantasy That Software program Tasks Are All the time Late

But when we’re truly pretty good at offering correct estimates, why is there a typical notion that we’re unhealthy at it, particularly with regards to estimates on software program initiatives?

One purpose is that organizations are inclined to inexperienced gentle to underestimated initiatives way more typically than overestimated initiatives. (This weblog put up reveals why groups underestimate and the #1 purpose even agile initiatives are late.)

Situation 1: The Underestimated Undertaking

Think about a boss who describes a brand new product to a staff. The boss needs an estimate earlier than approving or rejecting work on the venture. Let’s suppose the venture, if performed out, would truly take 1,000 hours. In fact, we do not know that but, for the reason that staff is simply now being requested to supply an estimate.

For this instance, lets say the staff estimates the venture will take 500 hours.

The boss is proud of this and approves the venture.

However…ultimately it takes 1,000 hours of labor to finish. It is available in late and everybody concerned is left with a vivid reminiscence of how late it was.

Situation 2: The Overestimated Undertaking

Allow us to now think about one other situation taking part in out in a parallel universe. The boss approaches the staff for an estimate of the identical venture. The staff estimates it can take 1,500 hours.

(Keep in mind, you and I do know this venture is definitely going to take 1,000 hours however the staff does not know that but.)

So what occurs?

Does the staff ship early and have fun?

No. As a result of when the boss hears that the venture goes to take 1,500 hours, they resolve to not do it. This venture by no means sees the sunshine of day so nobody ever is aware of that the staff overestimated.

“Overestimated initiatives are much less more likely to get authorized.”

A venture that’s underestimated is more likely to be authorized than a venture that’s overestimated. This results in a notion that growth groups are all the time late, nevertheless it simply appears that method as a result of groups did not get to run the initiatives that they had probably overestimated.

Overconfidence Can Lead to Inaccurate Estimates

Though we’re not essentially unhealthy at estimation, groups are undoubtedly not as correct as they might be. In my expertise, this often stems from an overconfidence in our capability to estimate precisely.

To assist individuals see how this occurs, I ask a collection of ten questions at school. The directions are easy: Present the reply a spread that you’re 90% assured will include the reply. I clarify that nobody must know the precise reply to supply an accurate reply; the reply can be right whether it is correct, if it falls within the vary.

For instance, I would ask estimators to estimate when the singer Elvis Presley was born: “Give me a spread of years that you’re 90% sure will include the right reply.”

If the estimator is a large Elvis fan, they will know the 12 months he was born. They could even know the precise date, and in consequence, they would not probably want to provide a spread of years to supply an correct reply.

However most time, individuals do not know fairly that a lot about Elvis. Their vary must be wider as a result of they’re much less aware of what they’re estimating. Keep in mind, I desire a vary of years that persons are 90% assured comprises the right 12 months.

They could begin by pondering, “Did not he have some hit information within the fifties? Or was it the sixties?”

They could then suppose that if Elvis was recording on the age of 20, and had hits within the fifties, an early 12 months of his start might be 1930.

And on the higher vary, if he was recording within the sixties, maybe he wasn’t born till 1940.

So they could come again with this estimate: Elvis was born from 1930–1940.

And on this case, they’d be right, since Elvis was born in 1935.

The following 9 questions intentionally ask for solutions that is perhaps harder to slender down. For instance I would ask what number of iPads had been bought in 2019, or what number of athletes competed within the 2016 Olympics, or for the size of the Seine River.

Now, for every query, the parameters stay the identical:

  • Present a spread of numbers (items/athletes/miles, and so forth.) that you just suppose comprises the right reply.

  • Be 90% assured that the right reply is inside that vary.

What occurs is stunning! Regardless that I inform them to provide me ranges which can be 90% sure of, most individuals get most questions unsuitable.

“Regardless that I inform them to provide me ranges which can be 90% sure of, most individuals get most questions unsuitable.”

The ranges they supply are often a lot smaller than they need to be when contemplating their unfamiliarity with the topic.

For instance, lets say that I don’t know what number of iPads had been bought in 2019. If I need to be 90% sure the vary I give comprises the right reply, I ought to present an enormous vary, say zero to at least one billion. That will be extensively exaggerated, however I might be assured in my reply.

In my expertise, the ranges individuals decide are narrower, suggesting that we overestimate our personal capability to estimate precisely.

It is a simplified illustration, however there are quite a few research that recommend persons are overconfident with regards to forecasting.

The Secret to Getting Higher, Extra Correct Estimates

Knowledge reveals that particular person estimators do enhance when introduced with proof that their estimates are unsuitable.

In a single research of software program growth work (“How A lot Does Suggestions and Efficiency Assessment Enhance Software program Improvement Effort Estimation? An Empirical Examine“), researchers discovered that on the primary ten objects groups estimated, programmers had been right solely 64% of the time.

When supplied with suggestions that their estimates had been unsuitable, these identical programmers improved to 70% right on the second set of ten objects. After which to 81% on the third set, after further suggestions on their accuracy.

It is clear that understanding how shut estimates match actuality might help you and your staff enhance at estimating initiatives.

One other method you and your staff can get higher at creating correct estimates and plans is thru coaching. Mountain Goat gives private and non-private estimating and planning coaching, in addition to on-demand video programs, that can assist you and your staff enhance at creating agile estimates and plans.

I encourage you to discover all of our estimating and planning course choices to search out the one which works finest on your scenario.

Final replace: June tenth, 2025

A product supervisor’s information to adapting Android apps throughout units | by Android Builders | Android Builders | Jun, 2025


With new type components rising frequently, the Android ecosystem is extra dynamic than ever.

From telephones and foldables to tablets, Chromebooks, TVs, automobiles, Put on and XR, Android customers anticipate their apps to run seamlessly throughout an more and more various vary of type components. But, many Android apps fall wanting these expectations as they’re constructed with UI constraints equivalent to being locked to a single orientation or restricted in resizability.

With this in thoughts, Android 16 launched API modifications for apps focusing on SDK degree 36 to disregard orientation and resizability restrictions beginning with giant display units, shifting towards a unified mannequin the place adaptive apps are the norm. That is the second to maneuver forward. Adaptive apps aren’t simply the way forward for Android, they’re the expectation to your app to face out throughout Android type components.

500+ devices including foldables, tablets, Chromebooks, and mobile-app capable cars
Supply: inner Google knowledge

Prioritizing optimizations to make your app adaptive isn’t nearly maintaining with the orientation and resizability API modifications in Android 16 for apps focusing on SDK 36. Adaptive apps unlock tangible advantages throughout person expertise, growth effectivity, and market attain.

  • Cellular apps can now attain customers on over 500 million lively giant display units: Cellular apps run on foldables, tablets, Chromebooks, and even appropriate automobiles, with minimal modifications. Android 16 will introduce vital developments in desktop windowing for a real desktop-like expertise on giant screens, together with related shows. And Android XR opens a brand new dimension, permitting your current apps to be accessible in immersive environments. The person expectation is obvious: a constant, high-quality expertise that intelligently adapts to any display — be it a foldable, a pill with a keyboard, or a movable, resizable window on a Chromebook.
  • “The brand new baseline” with orientation and resizability API modifications in Android 16: We imagine cellular apps are present process a shift to have UI adapt responsively to any display measurement, similar to web sites. Android 16 will ignore app-defined restrictions like fastened orientation (portrait-only) and non-resizable home windows, starting with giant screens (smallest width of the gadget is >= 600dp) together with tablets and inside shows on foldables. For many apps, it’s key to serving to them stretch to any display measurement. In some circumstances in case your app isn’t adaptive, it may ship a damaged person expertise on these screens. This strikes adaptive design from a nice-to-have to a foundational requirement.
Side by side displays of non-adaptive app UI with on the left with text reading Goodbye ‘mobile-only’ apps and adaptive app UI on the right with text reads Hello adaptive apps
  • Enhance person attain and app discoverability in Play: Adaptive apps are higher positioned to be ranked larger in Play, and featured in editorial articles throughout type components, reaching a wider viewers throughout Play search and homepages. Moreover, Google Play Retailer surfaces scores and critiques throughout all type components. In case your app just isn’t optimized, a possible person’s first impression is perhaps tainted by a 1-star overview complaining a few stretched UI on a tool they don’t even personal but. Customers are additionally extra more likely to interact with apps that present a fantastic expertise throughout their units.
  • Elevated engagement on giant screens: Customers on giant display units usually have completely different interplay patterns. On giant screens, customers might interact for longer classes, carry out extra advanced duties, and devour extra content material.

Ideas noticed a 70% improve in person engagement on giant screens after optimizing.

Utilization for six main media streaming apps within the US was as much as 3x extra for pill and telephone customers, as in comparison with telephone solely customers.

  • Extra accessible app experiences: In response to the World Financial institution, 15% of the world’s inhabitants has some kind of incapacity. Folks with disabilities depend upon apps and providers that help accessibility to speak, be taught, and work. Matching the person’s most well-liked orientation improves the accessibility of functions, serving to to create an inclusive expertise for all.
A display of varying Android form factors, including a tablet, a desktop monitor, a laptop, a large-screen mobile, hand-held device, and an in-car app screen

“…wanting on the variety of customers, the ROI doesn’t justify the funding”.

That’s a frequent pushback from product managers and decision-makers, and should you’re simply taking a look at top-line analytics evaluating the variety of pill classes to smartphone classes, it would look like a closed case.

Whereas top-line analytics would possibly present decrease session numbers on tablets in comparison with smartphones, concluding that enormous screens aren’t well worth the effort based mostly solely on present quantity generally is a entice, inflicting you to overlook out on invaluable engagement and future alternatives.

Let’s take a deeper look into why:

  1. The person expertise ‘hen and egg’ loop: Is it attainable that the low utilization is a symptom moderately than the basis trigger? Customers are fast to desert apps that really feel clunky or damaged. In case your app on giant screens is a stretched-out telephone interface, the app seemingly offers a detrimental person expertise. The shortage of customers would possibly replicate the dearth of a superb expertise, not at all times essentially lack of potential customers.
  2. Past person quantity, have a look at person engagement: Don’t simply rely customers, analyze their price. Customers work together with apps on giant screens in another way. The massive display usually results in longer classes and extra immersive experiences. As talked about above, utilization knowledge exhibits that engagement time will increase considerably for customers who work together with apps on each their telephone and pill, as in comparison with telephone solely customers.
  3. Market evolution: The Android gadget ecosystem is constant to evolve. With the rise of foldables, upcoming related shows help in Android 16, and type components like XR and Android Auto, adaptive design is now extra crucial than ever. Constructing for a selected display measurement creates technical debt, and should sluggish your growth velocity and compromise the product high quality in the long term.
A three-step workflow outlines how to optimize your Android app to be adaptive

For organizations prepared to maneuver ahead, Android gives many sources and developer instruments to optimize apps to be adaptive. See under for methods to get began:

1: Verify how your app appears on giant screens at present

Start by taking a look at your app’s present state on tablets, foldables (in numerous postures), Chromebooks, and environments like desktop windowing. Verify in case your app is out there on these units or in case you are unintentionally leaving out these customers by requiring pointless options inside your app.

2: Tackle widespread UI points

Assess what feels awkward in your app UI at present. We now have a whole lot of steering accessible on how one can simply translate your cellular app to different screens.

a) Verify the Massive screens design gallery for inspiration and understanding how your app UI can evolve throughout units utilizing confirmed options to widespread UI challenges.

b) Begin with fast wins. For instance, forestall buttons from stretching to the complete display width, or change to a vertical navigation bar on giant screens to enhance ergonomics.

c) Determine patterns the place canonical layouts (e.g. list-detail) may clear up any UI awkwardness you recognized. Might a list-detail view enhance your app’s navigation? Would a supporting pane on the facet make higher use of the additional house than a backside sheet?

3: Optimize your app incrementally, display by display

It might be useful to prioritize the way you method optimization as a result of not the whole lot must be completely adaptive on day one. Incrementally enhance your app based mostly on what issues most — it’s not all or nothing.

a) Begin with the foundations. Take a look at the giant display app high quality pointers which tier and prioritize the fixes which are most crucial to customers. Take away orientation restrictions to help portrait and panorama, and guarantee help for resizability (for when customers are in cut up display), and forestall main stretching of buttons, textual content fields, and pictures. These foundational fixes are crucial, particularly with API modifications in Android 16 that can make these elements much more necessary.

b) Implement adaptive structure optimizations with a concentrate on core person journeys or screens first.

i. Determine screens the place optimizations (for instance a two-pane structure) supply the largest UX win

ii. After which proceed to screens or elements of the app that aren’t as usually used on giant screens

c) Help enter strategies past contact, together with keyboard, mouse, trackpad, and stylus enter. With new type components and related shows help, this units customers as much as work together along with your UI seamlessly.

d) Add differentiating hero person experiences like help for tabletop mode or dual-screen mode on foldables. This will occur on a per-use-case foundation — for instance, tabletop mode is nice for watching movies, and twin display mode is nice for video calls.

Whereas there’s an upfront funding in adopting adaptive ideas (utilizing instruments like Jetpack Compose and window measurement courses), the long-term payoff could also be vital. By designing and constructing options as soon as, and letting them adapt throughout display sizes, the advantages outweigh the price of creating a number of bespoke layouts. Take a look at the adaptive apps developer steering for extra.

The message for my fellow product managers, decision-makers, and companies is obvious: adaptive design will uplevel your app for high-quality Android experiences in 2025 and past. An adaptive, responsive UI is the scalable approach to help the various units in Android with out growing on a per-form issue foundation. When you ignore the varied gadget ecosystem of foldables, tablets, Chromebooks, and rising type components like XR and automobiles, your enterprise is accepting hidden prices from detrimental person critiques, decrease discovery in Play, elevated technical debt, and missed alternatives for elevated person engagement and person acquisition.

Maximize your apps’ impression and unlock new person experiences. Be taught extra about constructing adaptive apps at present.

Splunk + Cisco ThousandEyes: New Integration for Finish-to-Finish Digital Resilience


Cisco unifies observability and assurance to supply readability and resilience throughout the digital footprint, serving to to resolve points sooner.

To unlock the complete potential of AI and automation, groups can’t afford to waste time stitching collectively siloed insights. That’s why we’re bringing Splunk Observability and Cisco ThousandEyes Assurance nearer along with new bidirectional integrations that join the dots throughout your digital stack – from utility to infrastructure to community. Whereas many purchasers already use each options by means of open requirements like OpenTelemetry, these new integrations go additional – designed to make sure shared context for sooner root trigger evaluation, faster restoration instances, and in the end higher efficiency and reliability for finish customers.

Digital resilience means with the ability to keep forward of points earlier than they escalate and responding quick once they do – serving to what you are promoting or group keep up and operating, irrespective of the disruption. With Splunk and ThousandEyes collectively, you get sooner, smarter insights that assist resolve incidents earlier than customers ever really feel the affect. It’s a serious step ahead towards unified observability and assurance – serving to you anticipate issues, speed up response, and ship resilient, always-on digital experiences.

Proactive difficulty decision throughout the complete digital footprint

Whereas Splunk empowers you to construct a number one observability apply, with visibility throughout purposes and infrastructure to see the enterprise affect of efficiency issues, ThousandEyes Assurance extends this visibility with deep intelligence throughout owned networks you management and unowned networks you don’t (similar to ISPs and cloud suppliers) so you may see, perceive, and enhance each linked expertise.

By combining real-time observability with deep community intelligence throughout your digital footprint, Cisco allows ITOps, networking, and engineering groups to correlate telemetry information from purposes, infrastructure, and exterior networks like ISPs right into a single, unified view. With superior analytics, AI-driven incident administration, and automatic workflows, the integrations assist groups forestall issues, resolve points sooner, and ship dependable digital experiences for customers.

Collectively, Splunk and ThousandEyes are serving to organizations obtain stronger digital resilience by offering a unified view throughout utility, infrastructure, and networking domains. These integrations embody:

  • The Splunk IT Service Intelligence (ITSI) integration with Cisco ThousandEyes: Splunk IT Service Intelligence (ITSI) is a premium AIOps resolution for clever IT operations, offering AI-driven occasion correlation, service well being and enterprise KPI monitoring, predictive analytics and automation. With the brand new bidirectional integration between Splunk ITSI and ThousandEyes, ITSI clients acquire deeper visibility into each owned and unowned networks, in addition to crucial digital expertise insights for sooner, smarter root trigger evaluation– now seamlessly built-in into their current views. On the similar time, ThousandEyes clients profit from enriched information by accessing their community well being correlated with Splunk ITSI’s service well being and enterprise affect evaluation immediately throughout the ThousandEyes platform. The consequence: NetOps, ITOps, and engineering groups are higher outfitted to stop and include points, delivering AI-driven incident administration throughout all purposes, infrastructure, and networks.
  • Splunk Observability Cloud integration with Cisco ThousandEyes: This integration brings collectively ThousandEyes Assurance capabilities and Splunk Observability Cloud to supply clients a full view of the complete digital stack. Now, networking and engineering groups get shared context and visibility that empower them to collaborate to unravel points sooner. This integration leverages new ThousandEyes distributed tracing assist to tug hint information from Splunk APM into the ThousandEyes platform, displaying the backend utility companies and interactions between them. And with in-context cross-launching capabilities, you may seamlessly navigate between platforms to additional examine points. Now joint clients get a unified view from community to cloud to utility, breaking down silos between groups to allow them to resolve points sooner.
  • Cisco ThousandEyes App for Splunk: The Cisco ThousandEyes App for Splunk empowers clients to mechanically acquire, map, and visualize digital expertise intelligence from ThousandEyes inside Splunk dashboards. Unlock speedy insights with seamless integration of ThousandEyes information and pre-built, customizable visualizations for fast worth.

One supply of reality throughout groups

Whether or not troubleshooting gradual apps, a community difficulty, or AI-enabled purposes – Splunk and ThousandEyes are empowering organizations to get to the basis reason for cascading issues sooner inside their tech stack, with much less guesswork.​

To maximise the approaching potential of AI and automation, organizations have to consolidate information and visibility. Via these mixed capabilities throughout Splunk and ThousandEyes, organizations can knock down silos and obtain stronger digital resilience to anticipate the wants of each at the moment’s and tomorrow’s environments.

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The state of strategic portfolio administration


A current examine by Broadcom concerning the state of strategic portfolio administration revealed the affect of digital transformations and AI on the position of the challenge administration workplace (PMO). Additional, it revealed frequent challenges in software program improvement, equivalent to price range constraints, ability shortages, and group coordination points. 

Broadcom’s Brian Nathanson, head of product administration for Readability, sat down with SD Occasions editor-in-chief David Rubinstein to debate all this, in addition to the outcomes of the examine itself. The next dialog has been edited for readability and size.

DR: So, what was the impetus for this examine? Was it one thing you do yearly?

BN: We don’t essentially do the very same examine yearly, however we do an analogous sort of examine yearly, simply to search out out business traits, to substantiate a couple of of the directional issues that we’re seeing amongst prospects, and to get an thought of whether or not the traits that we’re seeing are rising or whether or not they’re receding, and simply to get a really feel for a way the market is enjoying out in the mean time.

DR: Have been there any surprises within the findings?

BN: Most likely essentially the most stunning factor was the power of the response across the PMO rising in significance and the PMO increasing. These are traits that we’ve got seen available in the market. Nevertheless, within the examine, it signifies that 98% of the respondents mentioned that the PMO is rising in significance, and 96% are aspiring to develop their PMO, which once more, the power of these numbers was stunning, as a result of whereas we had seen that development, it’s laborious to search out numbers that top in nearly any examine or survey. I feel the opposite facet of the examine that we have been pleasantly stunned by is the variety of organizations which might be trying past Agile. There was about 80% that mentioned they’ve executed sufficient with Agile, and so they’re shifting past it. And I feel that these two issues coincide, that the perceived significance of the PMO and of strategic portfolio administration as associated to that’s tied to the pondering that we’re trying past Aagile now. We bought our Agile groups. We’ve bought everyone doing incremental work. Now let’s truly determine what that work needs to be doing, proper? 

DR: It appears like a number of the downside areas which might be cited on this examine may principally be present in each examine of each space of software program improvement that we cope with. Folks say they don’t come up with the money for, they don’t have the precise expertise, they’ll’t coordinate between groups. There’s too many silos. There’s too many dependencies. You understand, these are points which might be business broad, not something particular to, you realize, challenge administration. So how are organizations making an attempt to take these issues on, and the way do they overcome them? 

BN: I feel there’s been a rising recognition of the truth that organizations must develop the methodologies that they bring about to bear once they’re making an attempt to execute on any such work. So whereas traditionally, folks have defaulted to a challenge mannequin, loads of that’s tied to accounting guidelines and such. So that they attempt to do all the things with initiatives. One of many challenges, particularly in terms of software program improvement particularly, is getting organizations to see that they’d profit from seeing issues extra operationally, moderately than as one-time initiatives. And in order that’s a part of the enlargement that we name it, from initiatives to merchandise. This type of a product mannequin, or a worth stream mannequin, is extra of an operational mannequin. 

DR: Are you able to communicate to the PMO position? What was it previous to digital transformations and AI, and the place is it now?

BN: Positive, completely. So I feel that previous to transformation and traditionally, the PMO has primarily been a governance position. It normally derived from the IT finance position. So the PMO was supposed to offer controls over how the cash was being spent. Proper now, in some organizations, the extra forward-thinking PMOs perceive that if we wrap it in form of a PR blanket of, “I’m not right here to look over your shoulder. I’m right here that will help you,” then it’s extra simply accepted. However there have been some that also simply form of seemed issues over. It’s like, okay, it’s essential to make sure that this will get categorised accurately, as a result of in any other case it’s not gonna get accounted for accurately. And so PMOs have been seen as form of the monster overhead. 

What we’re seeing now’s forward-thinking organizations that took the service position of trying to assist. “Look, I’m right here that will help you. You wish to get extra executed. I wish to provide help to get extra executed. Let’s work that out.” And by making that sort of a change, they discovered that the response they bought was considerably completely different. It modified the general notion of the PMO as any person who may truly be part of the answer, as a substitute of being seen as this type of gum within the works. 

I’m form of specializing in the adverse points. There have been some optimistic points by way of visibility and transparency that the PMO sometimes gave efforts that have been being monitored that different components of the enterprise are literally searching for. A variety of it additionally has to just do with expertise merging with the enterprise. It’s not fairly the arms-length relationship it was even 10, 15, 20 years in the past.

DR: Within the survey, an enormous majority of the respondents mentioned they’re trying ahead to the potential position of AI in challenge administration, and what would that position be? What are they searching for AI to do this would free them as much as be extra environment friendly and productive?

BN: Probably the most important discovering, as I recall from the examine, was that persons are hoping that AI will have the ability to take their historic knowledge and provides them higher perception into how future efforts will carry out.  The good thing about what they’re making an attempt to see is the predictive energy of the info, and that AI will help them with the concept that, hey, if we knew somebody may study from our previous stuff, we may make higher estimates and predictions of what’s going to occur sooner or later. I feel the problem is simply going to be, since AI depends on having a big amount of excellent high quality knowledge accessible, the query goes to be learn how to just remember to have sufficient of a amount of the info for AI to actually present that sort of perception.

DR: How does worth stream administration play into the PMO? 

BN: There’s positively a connection between the PMO and the evolution of the PMO and the enlargement of strategic portfolio administration and worth stream administration. The core, for those who consider in core tenets of elevated effectivity, visibility and agility, that are all issues that you simply’re making an attempt to get out of the operation or improvement worth stream—these are the identical sorts of issues that the organizations that responded to the survey round SPM are searching for. I feel that it’s coinciding by way of how organizations understand the idea of this operational mannequin along with the challenge mannequin. And I feel worth streams is a technique that individuals have tried to take a look at that, and I feel that it helps, as a result of it adjustments folks’s notion of what we’re right here to perform. We’re right here to perform a enterprise objective. We’re not right here to only be on time and on price range, even when it’s not the precise factor that we’re delivering.

I feel the enlargement of strategic portfolio administration is in service of the identical pursuit, which is that we wish to have expertise organizations perceive and align themselves with undertaking the enterprise targets, versus having to inform them what to construct, after which it’s as much as us to make it work for the enterprise targets. That’s normally what causes the disconnect, is that we inform them what to construct, they construct it, however the enterprise targets have modified, and so what they’ve constructed is not as related as it will have been after we began. What we attempt to do is use the precise steadiness of, okay, I’m going to decide to what I’m constructing. I wish to make it possible for that factor is in alignment with what you need as a buyer, as a enterprise. 

DR: We hear on a regular basis that organizations are having problem discovering tech employees with the precise expertise for contemporary software improvement. Is that an issue on this house?

BN: The time period that’s come out recently is expertise administration. And so I feel that we’ll see a continued enhance in curiosity in that facet of the strategic portfolio administration set, which is principally round useful resource capability planning and workforce modeling. And so I feel that one of many key issues is that individuals consider that AI will assist with that.

 

Enhanced Android desktop experiences with linked shows



Posted by Francesco Romano – Developer Relations Engineer on Android, and Fahd Imtiaz – Product Supervisor, Android Developer

Right now, Android is launching a number of updates throughout the platform! This consists of the beginning of Android 16’s rollout, with particulars for each builders and customers, a Developer Preview for enhanced Android desktop experiences with linked shows, and updates for Android customers throughout Google apps and extra, plus the June Pixel Drop. We’re additionally recapping all of the Google I/O updates for Android builders targeted on constructing glorious, adaptive Android apps.

Android has continued to evolve to allow customers to be extra productive on giant screens.

Right now, we’re excited to share that linked shows help on suitable Android gadgets is now in developer preview with the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 launch. As proven at Google I/O 2025, linked shows allow customers to connect an exterior show to their Android system and remodel a small display system into a robust software with a big display. This evolution offers customers the flexibility to maneuver apps past a single display to unlock Android’s full productiveness potential on exterior shows.

The linked show replace builds on our desktop windowing expertise, a functionality we previewed final yr. Desktop windowing is about to launch later this yr for customers on suitable tablets working Android 16. Desktop windowing allows customers to run a number of apps concurrently and resize home windows for optimum multitasking. This new windowing functionality works seamlessly with break up display and different multitasking options customers already love on Android and would not require switching to a particular mode.

Google and Samsung have collaborated to deliver a extra seamless and highly effective desktop windowing expertise to giant display gadgets and telephones with linked shows in Android 16 throughout the Android ecosystem. These developments will improve Samsung DeX, and in addition lengthen to different Android gadgets.

For builders, linked shows and desktop windowing current new alternatives for constructing extra partaking and extra productive app experiences that seamlessly adapt throughout kind components. You’ll be able to check out these options at present in your linked show with the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 on choose Pixel gadgets.

What’s new in linked shows help?

When a supported Android telephone or foldable is linked to an exterior show by means of a DisplayPort connection, a brand new desktop session begins on the linked show. The telephone and the exterior show function independently, and apps are particular to the show on which they’re working.

The expertise on the linked show is just like the expertise on a desktop, together with a job bar that exhibits working apps and lets customers pin apps for fast entry. Customers are capable of run a number of apps facet by facet concurrently in freely resizable home windows on the linked show.

moving image of a phone connected to an external display, with a desktop session on the display while the phone maintains its own state.

Telephone linked to an exterior show, with a desktop session on the show whereas the telephone maintains its personal state.

When a desktop windowing enabled system (like a pill) is linked to an exterior show, the desktop session is prolonged throughout each shows, unlocking an much more expansive workspace. The 2 shows then operate as one steady system, permitting app home windows, content material, and the cursor to maneuver freely between the shows.

moving image of a tablet connected to an external display, extending the desktop session across both displays.

Pill linked to an exterior show, extending the desktop session throughout each shows.

A cornerstone of this effort is the evolution of desktop windowing, which is steady in Android 16 and is full of enhancements and new capabilities.

Desktop windowing steady launch

We have made substantial enhancements within the stability and efficiency of desktop windowing in Android 16. This implies customers will encounter a smoother, extra dependable expertise when managing app home windows on linked shows. Past common stability enhancements, we’re introducing a number of new options:

    • Versatile window tiling: Multitasking will get a lift with extra intuitive window tiling choices. Customers can extra simply organize a number of app home windows facet by facet or in varied configurations, making it less complicated to work throughout totally different purposes concurrently on a big display.
    • A number of desktops: Customers can arrange a number of desktop periods to match their distinct productiveness necessities and change between the desktops utilizing keyboard shortcuts, trackpad gestures, and Overview.
    • Enhanced app compatibility therapies: New compatibility therapies be certain that even legacy apps behave extra predictably and look higher on exterior shows by default. This reduces the burden on builders whereas offering a greater out-of-the-box expertise for customers.
    • Multi-instance administration: Customers can handle a number of cases of supporting purposes (for instance, Chrome or, Maintain) by means of the app header button or taskbar context menu.
      This enables for fast switching between totally different cases of the identical app.
    • Desktop persistence: Android can now higher preserve window sizes, positions, and states throughout totally different desktops. This implies customers can arrange their most well-liked workspace and have it restored throughout periods, providing a extra constant and environment friendly workflow.

Finest practices for optimum app experiences on linked shows

With the introduction of linked show help in Android, it is necessary to make sure your apps take full benefit of the brand new show capabilities. That can assist you construct apps that shine on this enhanced atmosphere, listed here are some key growth practices to observe:

Construct apps optimized for desktop

    • Design for any window dimension: With telephones now connecting to exterior shows, your cellular app can run in a window of just about any dimension and facet ratio. This implies the app window might be as large because the display of the linked show but additionally flex to suit a smaller window. In desktop windowing, the minimal window dimension is 386 x 352 dp, which is smaller than most telephones. This essentially modifications how it is advisable take into consideration UI. With orientation and resizability modifications in Android 16, it turns into much more vital so that you can replace your apps to help resizability and portrait and panorama orientations for an optimum expertise with desktop windowing and linked shows. Be certain your app helps any window dimension by following the greatest practices on adaptive growth.

Deal with dynamic show modifications

    • Do not assume a relentless Show object: The Show object related together with your app’s context can change when an app window is moved to an exterior show or if the show configuration modifications. Your app ought to gracefully deal with configuration change occasions and question show metrics dynamically fairly than caching them.
    • Account for density configuration modifications: Exterior shows can have vastly totally different pixel densities than the first system display. Guarantee your layouts and sources adapt accurately to those modifications to take care of UI readability and usefulness. Use density-independent pixels (dp) for layouts, present density-specific sources, and guarantee your UI scales appropriately.

Transcend simply the display

    • Accurately help exterior peripherals: When customers connect with an exterior monitor, they typically create a extra desktop-like atmosphere. This incessantly entails utilizing exterior keyboards, mice, trackpads, webcams, microphones, and audio system. In case your app makes use of digicam or microphone enter, the app ought to be capable to detect and make the most of peripherals linked by means of the exterior show or a docking station.
    • Deal with keyboard actions: Desktop customers rely closely on keyboard shortcuts for effectivity. Implement commonplace shortcuts (for instance, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+Z) and contemplate app-specific shortcuts that make sense in a windowed atmosphere. Be certain your app helps keyboard navigation.
    • Help mouse interactions: Past easy clicks, guarantee your app responds accurately to mouse hover occasions (for instance, for tooltips or visible suggestions), right-clicks (for contextual menus), and exact scrolling. Think about implementing customized pointers to point totally different actions.

Getting began

Discover the linked shows and enhanced desktop windowing options within the newest Android Beta. Get Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 on a supported Pixel system (Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 collection) to begin testing your app at present. Then allow desktop expertise options within the developer settings.

Help for linked shows within the Android Emulator is coming quickly, so keep tuned for updates!

Dive into the up to date documentation on multi-display help and window administration to study extra about implementing these greatest practices.

Suggestions

Your suggestions is essential as we proceed to refine these experiences. Please share your ideas and report any points by means of our official suggestions channels.

We’re dedicated to creating Android a flexible platform that adapts to the various methods customers wish to work together with their apps and gadgets. The enhancements to linked show help are one other step in that course, and we will not wait to see the superb experiences you may construct!