Equinox IT Blog

The core of wellbeing, productivity and health in uncertain times

What you're feeling? - that's probably normal

Transform your team's behaviour with a working agreement or culture canvas

Equinox IT's Bill Ross appointed as NZ DASA DevOps ambassador

Sustaining our new ways of working

How strong team foundations are helping to provide business continuity

Remote working is all about the people

Using basic prioritisation rules to improve self-organisation when working from home

Managing anxiety in these unprecedented times

Staying connected to our work and colleagues

How visual workflow management can help your team collaborate remotely

Collaborate to Innovate - 5 tips to help you and your team work-from-home

Equinox IT adopts new client-centric Co-CEO model

Who manages the overall product picture? - Certified Scrum Meetup

Overcome the challenges of the ScrumMaster role - Certified Scrum Meetup

DASA - introducing a framework for DevOps success

Equinox IT becomes DASA DevOps Training Partner and Forerunner

Advancing Scrum Master skills to help realise the promise of Agile

Presenting on digital business analysis at IIBA meet-up

Advancing as a Scrum Master or Agile Coach with Rowan Bunning

Helping your team try new Agile practices

Ideas for growing Agile and DevOps in your organisation

How assembly-line thinking is hurting your DevOps teams

Increasing the speed of your DevOps teams

How Lean can help DevOps teams be more responsive

Introducing Lean thinking to DevOps

Sharing our consultant's learning - December 2018

Reducing delivery time by limiting work in progress - Projects and Agile community of practice

Running Azure DevOps events with Microsoft in Wellington and Auckland

Learning about Agile leadership and culture from Michael Sahota and Audree Tara

'Scrum in 10 minutes' at Certified Scrum Meetup

Presenting on multi-factor authentication at OWASP meet-up

Presenting on Lean-Agile budgeting for Projects and Agile community of practice

Key concepts you need to consider before starting that Agile transformation

October Certified Scrum Meetup - sprint carry over, water-scrum-fall...

Kicking off the 'Certified Scrum Meetup' in Wellington

10 traits of effective IT leadership

Change always fails - Lean Change brings a new way

Kicking off the 'Projects and Agile Community of Practice'

Sharing our consultant's learning - August 2018

Presenting on Serverless Computing - your next step in Cloud

Presenting at ITx on moving from legacy to the future

Leading Agile coach Kirstin Donaldson joins Equinox IT

Presenting at ITx on the role of Project Managers on Agile projects

Interview: Rowan Bunning on Advancing the ScrumMaster role

IAG New Zealand's Daniel Scott-Raynsford presents on their journey to the cloud

Equinox IT hosts NZRise fireside chat with Privacy Commissioner John Edwards

Sharing our consultant's learning - April 2018

David Reiss appointed to Equinox IT General Manager, Cloud and Auckland

Why you need a damn good Product Owner for your Agile project

The changing CIO role - an Equinox IT hosted CIO panel discussion

Getting an IT Project Manager or Scrum Master role with no IT experience - there's no silver bullet

Sharing our consultant's learning - March 2018

Carl Weller presents on Agile leadership roles - where do Project Managers and Scrum Masters fit?

Simon Bennett presents on why the Responsibility Process® is key to Agile success

Sharing our consultant's learning - February 2018

Lots of 'doing Agile', not much 'being Agile'

Can you attend Certified ScrumMaster without Agile experience and will it help you get a job?

'The secret to high performance' recorded webinar with Michael Sahota

Sharing our consultant's learning - December 2017

Rowan Bunning presents on how culture is shaping your Agile

Interview: Michael Sahota on Agile leadership and high performance organisations

Sharing our consultant's learning - November 2017

Hiding columns on a VSTS sprint board

Michael Sahota presents on delivering a high performance Agile organisation

Sharing our consultant's learning - October 2017

Feature Toggles on a .Net Core API

Feature Toggles for Angular UIs

Automatically Logging PowerShell in to Azure

Adding personas to work items in VSTS

Setting up Requirements in VSTS

MicroServices for a small island

Dave Snowden presents to Equinox IT clients on Cynefin and complexity

Setting up a new VSTS project

Chris Buxton presents on Statistics New Zealand's IT recovery journey

Sharing our consultant's learning - August 2017

Continuous Performance Testing – What prevents you from doing it?

Changing columns on a VSTS sprint board

Too many fluffy agile bunnies

Make the team go faster, we've got so much to do and so little time!

Equinox IT appointed Government Web Services Panel member

Recorded webinar: 'Agile Leadership - Interactive Q&A' with Michael Sahota

Chris Nikitas and his 'Certified Agile Leadership' London experience

'Inviting Organisational Growth' videoed meetup with Michael Sahota

If 'organisational agility' was a movie and you were the hero(ine)...

Stop focusing on Agile practices - Start focusing on leadership!

The 4th and final day of Microsoft Ignite

Day 3 of Microsoft Ignite NZ

Watch Ashley's 'DevOps with Visual Studio' presentation from Microsoft Ignite NZ

Day 2 of Microsoft Ignite NZ

First day of Microsoft Ignite NZ

Website performance timing points – Comparing Google Analytics, Dynatrace SaaS, cURL, HAR and New Relic

The role of Scrum in digital transformation - part 2

It's time to talk about IT's role in transformation!

The role of Scrum in digital transformation - part 1

Are you sick of Shadow IT?

Partnership to help New Zealand businesses transform

Digital transformation leader moves to Equinox IT

Customers vs consumers - do you make a distinction in your analysis?

Do Waterfall and Agile hybrids make sense?

Business analyst techniques for uncovering customer needs

Building the digital backbone for transformation

The future of IT business analysis – moving from ‘what the business needs’ to ‘what the customer needs’

Overcoming your legacy system Achilles’ heel when transforming your New Zealand organisation

The role of IT in the digital transformation of New Zealand organisations

Using your existing hardware, Forward Secrecy and AES-NI to enhance system speed and security for free

Introducing Agile in Government - part 3: Getting the Kanban board right

Introducing Agile in Government - part 2: Implementing Kanban

Introducing Agile in Government - part 1: Assessing current state

How do you pick the best IT services company for your specific delivery needs?

Moving from Waterfall to Agile, mid-project

Vital Business Systems: When is bad performance good, and when does that change?

What should you expect from your IT service provider?

Dependency Inversion vs Dependency Injection vs Inversion of Control vs Programming to Interfaces

Agile requirements analysis and specification for a mobile application

Legacy system replacement - strangling a big ball of mud with microservices

Answers to your Scrum and Agile project management questions

3 Key take outs for writing better user stories

IT services in solution delivery – How do you get the best results from your provider?

Troubleshooting an Oracle UCM Batch Loader performance problem

Enhancing continuous delivery with blue-green deployment

Does cloud eliminate the need for performance testing? Short answer: ‘No’!

Does the Certified ScrumMaster course cover scaled Agile?

Part 3 – Performance monitoring Microsoft Exchange in production

As a Project Manager moving into Agile should I attend the Certified ScrumMaster or the Certified Scrum Product Owner course?

The important role Scrum bubbles play in Agile project success

Part 2 – Performance testing Microsoft Exchange using Jetstress and Load Generator

Can I get a job as a business analyst in NZ by undertaking a course or certification?

What are the barriers to adopting Scrum in the business and how do you overcome these?

The performance risks with Microsoft Exchange

Agile development – the importance of discipline

Can ‘Scrum everywhere’ be taken too far?

Part four: Gotcha! Pinpointing a browser performance problem under Citrix

Cross-platform DevOps with Visual Studio events in Wellington and Auckland

Scrum everywhere with Joe Justice - Adopting Scrum outside of technology teams

Part three: Target sighted – is Citrix causing the performance problem?

What benefits does a strong business case provide for an IT project?

How to pick the right IT consulting company in New Zealand

Part two: Following the trail to performance problems in front of the webserver

The Scrum Product Owner challenge that may be affecting your project

Finding the haystack: troubleshooting a hard to find software performance problem

What makes an effective business case?

What is performance testing and why does it matter?

What is the purpose of a business case and when would you use one?

Developing New Zealand’s IT skills to build a better future

As an IT consultant you need to know more than information technology

Blab: How do NZ organisations maximise the opportunities from DevOps and Bimodal IT?

Blab: How do DevOps and Bimodal IT play together?

Blab: What does Bimodal IT mean in a New Zealand context?

STOP! Read this before you suffer another unproductive business meeting

Blab: What does DevOps mean in a New Zealand context?

Blab: What are the biggest things you need to focus on during Agile adoption?

Your roadmap to becoming a master business analyst

Agile architect - 7 lessons for becoming a damn good one

Blab: What benefits can you see from fantastic Agile adoption?

Using Specification by Example to become a better business analyst

Blab: What are the most common Agile adoption problems?

Blab: What does a half-hearted Agile adoption mean?

Picking the right Kanban software - Visual Studio vs JIRA vs Trello vs LeanKit

Agile architecture – How do you apply it in practice?

How do you run defect management on Agile projects?

Can model-driven architecture be used on Agile development projects?

Equinox IT’s Paul Ramsay recognised by IIBA

How do you make architectural decisions on an Agile project when you have no architect?

Agile architecture - Where does an architect fit in a Scrum sprint?

It’s the digital economy, stupid

How to determine the capacity of story points for a Scrum sprint when velocity is unstable

Digital disruption - The nature of the firm and the rise of the unicorns

Agile backlog - The most badly implemented, yet most critical, technique on your project

Digital disruption - What are we actually talking about?

Deane Sloan appointed to Equinox IT General Manager Wellington

Scrum Master as servant-leader - The difficulty of wearing two hats

Digital disruption and other 21st century challenges

JIRA and Trello user stories - how to customise and print them

Conquering Excel to build a Monte Carlo simulation for Agile project estimation

How to flourish in an IT job interview

How to write an IT CV that gets you shortlisted

Using Agile practices to manage project risk

How do you start a business analyst career in New Zealand?

12 smart ideas to keep your IT skills relevant

How much does IT training cost in New Zealand?

How much do IT consulting services cost in New Zealand?

How to pick an IT employer who aligns with your personal values

Public training vs in-house training – what’s best for your IT team?

7 Agile development problems Large-Scale Scrum helps you overcome

IT business analyst – what you need to be a damn good one

Using Large-Scale Scrum for scaling Agile development

The essence of a great IT consultant

IT contractor or IT consultant - what's the right path for you?

Use modern software development practices, whether you’re Agile or not

Getting outside your comfort zone makes you a better IT professional

Am I on an Agile project? – A litmus test

Do Agile teams really need a single Product Owner?

What all Business Analysts ought to know about documenting reporting requirements

The five Cs for clarity of thought for business analysts

What makes a damn good solution architect?

Take a learning journey to agile project management

Equinox IT celebrates 20 years

The problem with optimising the software development process

Equinox IT team members contribute to Charity IT weekend

What would life look like if I didn't have glasses? - The importance of accessibility

Do you need to learn Scrum?

Should you move your software development team to Scrum?

Can you apply Lean software development principles to Scrum?

Working on multiple agile development projects and swarming tasks

What is the better Agile method – Kanban or Scrum?

‘Learning is king’ for agile software development projects

5 models to help your New Zealand organisation become a digital superstar

Overcoming the challenges to successful cloud adoption in NZ

Integrating Tableau into your application

Change or die - the changing role of IT departments

5 cloud integration challenges NZ organisations face and how to solve them

4 steps to becoming a New Zealand IT hero

Take your business analyst career on a magical journey

5 ways to be a better agile business analyst in New Zealand

Agile development business analysis Q&A

How do you set up an agile software development project infrastructure?

What is the difference between a Scrum product owner and an Agile business analyst?

Can agile software development be used if you don't have developers on site?

Will analysing complex requirements in short agile sprints result in requirement errors?

How can agile business analysts incorporate feedback in a controlled way?

The key benefits and costs to Agile software development

7 ideas to successfully adopt Agile in your New Zealand software development team

Use ATDD agile development requirements on any project

5 key challenges to using cloud computing

3 fundamental questions for achieving clarity as a business analyst

What to consider when architecting for mobile application development

Technical website wins Plain English Award

Connect. Create. Transform. Visual Studio 2013 Launch Events

Understanding IT Capability with SFIA

Business analyst portrait: Andy Gilmour, New Zealand Police

3 Fundamental Reasons You Should have an IT Training Plan

True agility - how I learned to stop worrying and love ScrumBut.

Business Analyst Portrait: Christine Birrell, Auckland Council

Equinox IT first IT consulting company signatory to CloudCode™

What is ArchiMate?

Understanding the options for the next generation enterprise

MIT's Dr Weill presents on creating a vibrant digital ecosystem

What is a digital ecosystem?

Key takeouts from attending Certified Scrum Product Owner training

Thriving in an increasingly digital economy with MIT CISR

New additions to the Equinox IT Family

Equinox IT to host MIT's Dr Peter Weill to present on digital ecosystems

New Zealand experience report presented at Workshop on Performance and Reliability

'Delivering digital development' NZRise Wellington workshop

Lessons on becoming a digital organisation from MIT CISR summer session 2013

Reflections on our Lean Software Development Books with Mary Poppendieck

7 principles for success with lean software development - Mary Poppendieck

Get an introduction to Mary and Tom Poppendieck's next book 'The Lean Mindset'

Solution architecture diagrams

Becoming a Certified ScrumMaster

Business Analysis: The Case for a Business Rules-Driven Approach

Lean software development experts to visit New Zealand with Equinox IT

5 Agile development lessons from the lego sprint competition

Equinox IT company day 2013

A risk based testing approach for business intelligence reporting solutions

Kanban boards, done columns and work in progress limits

The importance of cross-functional teams on Lean-Scrum projects

Al Shalloway answers your Lean and Agile development questions

Equinox IT becomes Microsoft’s first NZ gold partner for the application lifecycle management competency

NZIER Tourism Dashboards using Tableau

Kanban for lean software development with Al Shalloway

Bespoke vs COTS in software development

Transitioning to true agile development

Equinox competes at business games 2012

Key Takeaways from Business Rule Leaders

What’s new in unit testing with Visual Studio 2012

PRINCE2 and Lean Startup: A principled approach

Equinox IT partners with Aura Information Security

Equinox welcomes back Dr Peter Reynolds of MIT CISR

Profile of top IT leaders at MIT CISR Summer Session 2012

Use of integration patterns in batch scenarios

Scrum meeting checklists: Version 2.0

Business analysis interview with Rich and Elizabeth Larson of Watermark Learning

Governing innovation - You get what you plan, manage and measure

The secret to gaining a better understanding of your information technology

Visualising spatial data using Tableau

Become IT savvy – lunch presentation from MIT CISR’s Dr Peter Weill

MIT CISR experts to advise Wellington leaders

Mary Poppendieck "What is the Biggest Waste in Software Development?"

Mary Poppendieck advises New Zealand IT leaders on creating a lean culture

Equinox BA think tank on the 'evolving the role of the business analyst'

Appointment of Equinox software development director – Deane Sloan

How Forsyth Barr was able to quickly restore business operations following the Christchurch earthquake

Visualising Lots of Data

International lean software development leaders to visit New Zealand

Equinox director Richard Leeke to lead prestigious WOPR Conference

Phil Tate Presents on the Benefits of Moving to Cloud-Based Office Applications

Calculating Percentiles with Tableau

Web Performance Optimisation: How do New Zealand websites perform?

Using a problem countermeasure board to overcome repeating agile development impediments

What the heck does a solution architect do anyway?

Stick to your lean software development principles to DELIVER your goal

Software testing metrics - defect removal efficiency (DRE)

Non-functional requirements and system qualities - closing the chasm

Enterprise Analysis - using business architecture to clarify the muddle (Part 2)

Enterprise analysis - using business architecture to clarify the muddle (Part 1)

Essential testing metrics

Using a working agreement in your agile development team

Equinox gets involved in government test professionals forum 2011

Appointment of New Chairman - Kim Wicksteed

Scrum meeting checklists

Using a Kanban board as visual control for your Scrum project

Key trends influencing the IT sector

Equinox company planning day 2011

Wellington earthquake risk map - a Tableau data visualisation

Agile Excel story templates for backlogs and release planning

Neil Gray appointed as Performance Engineering Practice Director

Using business rules to create a better software development lifecycle

The Procrustean IT governance model

Explore your local earthquakes using this Tableau data visualisation

Square-Law Performance

Using clarity to build trust as a business analyst

Dealing with the irrational stakeholder as a business analyst

How to Score RFP Responses from IT suppliers

Our closing remarks at the IIBA 'BA Development Day'

What is Application Lifecycle Management or ALM?

Going Swiss at the 2010 NZCS Conference

Pairwise data-driven test automation

5 Tips for Producing a Quality Solution Architecture

Certified Scrum Master - Don't get left behind

IT Talent Management - You still need to get the job done

Agile software development projects on time, on budget