Introduction to Crystal Methods (II): Crystal Roles and Responsibilities

I. Crystal Roles and Responsibilities

The fundamental difference between Crystal Clear and other Crystal methods is that in Crystal Clear, there is only one team in a project; in other Crystal methods, there are multiple teams involved in the project.

Although the number of teams involved in a project varies, roles are defined the same across all Crystal processes.

The Crystal Method names various roles, such as senior management, project sponsor, chief designer, programmer, user representative, and tester. Their role in the process is significant. In addition, there are other sub roles, such as project coordinator, business expert, technical writer, and tester.

The above roles are generally divided into two categories:

1. Real Character

1.1 The Project Sponsor

• Determine the fund allocation of the project;
• Realize the visualization of the project;
• Help the team make critical business decisions.

1.2 The User Representative

• Be able to test the final product;
• Master the overall operation process;
• Master complete system knowledge.

1.3 The Lead Designer

• Be responsible of all technical work;
• Rich experience in software development;
• Be able to judge when the project team is on track.

1.4 The Programmer

Programmers are another essential role because people who can code or program can also design software and vice versa.

2. Real Character

2.1 The Coordinator (Project Manager)

• Record project plans and review meetings;
• Consolidate the information and present it to the sponsor;
• Let the project sponsor know the project's status and keep the progress visible.

2.2 The Business Expert

• Understand how businesses operate；
• Confirm Priorities and be able to distinguish fewer tasks;
• Understand company policies and make sure that everyone follows them.

2.3 The Technical Writers and The Testers

This category is not a permanent role but a rotation or temporary role. Testers mainly test the software after it is released. The tester is responsible for:

• Testing software;
• Reporting errors;
• Trying to fix the bug first.

II. Crystal Method Features

1. People-Centered

People-centered means designing the process in a way that gives priority to participants. On top of that, it ensures that methods are easy to change, thereby contributing to employee growth and motivation for the team.

2. Self-Adaption

Crystal is a series of methods. Teams can retrieve and find methods suitable for their team according to their requirements. In other words, this means that the form will not have fixed processes, standards, and tools. In other words, they can freely adjust the procedures, bars, and tools to meet the needs of the team and the currently running project. Crystal is flexible.

3. Super Lightweight

Super lightweight means no extensive documentation, no strict rules or governance, and no specific reporting. The Crystal method makes things easier to solve by keeping the interactions between work teams, participating team members, and customers transparent.

III Policy Standard

The practice followed and applied in software development is the strategy standard. Whether the transparent crystal method or the orange crystal method, it is recommended to follow the following policy standards:

• Regular incremental delivery;
• To track progress based on software delivery and significant decisions rather than written document milestones;
• Users are directly involved
• Automatic regression test of function;
• Each version has two user views. This means that at least two users will check the published functions to avoid errors;
• Seminars on product and method improvement and adjustment are held at the beginning and process of each increment.

Most policy standards apply to all methods of Crystal. However, total delivery times may vary depending on the quality of the project and the number of people. For example, the Transparent Crystal methodology recommends incremental delivery over two to three months. Total deliveries can be extended to four months for the Crystal Orange methodology.

Any process must follow policy standards, but similar practices can replace them.