Overcoming Traditional Project Release Reporting with an Agile Approach Focused on Change

If you are an Executive in a large organization Scrum / agile helps address a number of issues that you face in releasing products - improving quality, predictability, engagement of your people, and productivity. You've got help in the form of an Agile Coach and you understand that change is required to get these benefits, not only for the Scrum teams directly affected but also in the way you think about and approach development projects. The transition is making progress, and you are seeing improvements at all levels but you cannot help feeling that you've lost an understanding of the key decisions that the organization needs to make. You still have to run the business, to make commitments, and to release products. In the past you had information from the product teams that allowed you to understand where the issues were. That information seems to have disappeared. When you ask for it, you are given a “release burn-up chart” and are told that “Scrum means we respond to change” and “we don't do big upfront planning any more.” How can you get what you need and still be “Scrum”, still be “agile”?