agile

Waterfall Method Each step must be [blank_start]completed[blank_end] before moving on to the next All steps must be completed before any [blank_start]value[blank_end] is delivered to the customer Lends itself to scheduling and [blank_start]reporting[blank_end] Clings to idea of Big [blank_start]Design[blank_end] Up Front (BDUF)…perfecting the design before moving on to implementation Perfection of this sort is better suited to other forms of engineering, not [blank_start]software[blank_end] engineering

Agile Manifesto

Agile is Good Agile is a [blank_start]value[blank_end] system Agile does not dictate any one [blank_start]approach[blank_end] Agile has worked well for many [blank_start]projects[blank_end]

Kanban Kanban is an approach to software development based on the principles of [blank_start]Lean[blank_end]

The Board One possible solution is to be able to see the [blank_start]work[blank_end] items all of the time For every [blank_start]item[blank_end] a team is working on create a little [blank_start]note[blank_end] and put it on the wall

Work in Process (WIP) WIP is the number of work items you have going at the [blank_start]same[blank_end] time (the stickies on the board) Less WIP leads to quicker flow through your process: shorter [blank_start]lead[blank_end] times You become more [blank_start]Agile[blank_end] because you deliver the important stuff first In the first iteration there was a lot of waiting but each worker was [blank_start]efficient[blank_end] and worked through the entire batch before handing it down In the last iteration every worker worked for a longer time making them less efficient as individuals but more efficient as a team So…optimising your process for quicker flow can lead to poorer [blank_start]resource[blank_end] [blank_start]utilisation[blank_end]

Limit Work in Process (WIP) Strive to work with fewer [blank_start]items[blank_end] at the same time Smaller [blank_start]batches[blank_end] means shorter lead times Resource efficiency [blank_start]decreases[blank_end] while flow efficiency [blank_start]increases[blank_end] Rather than starting a new work item (thereby increasing the batch…creating a new sticky) help someone in the [blank_start]team[blank_end] finish one already in progress Use [blank_start]visualisation[blank_end] to make the limits explicit

Use visualisation to make the limits explicit Choose a [blank_start]maximum[blank_end] number of work items allowed to be in progress at the same time When value starts to be delivered to the customer there will be less demand for [blank_start]estimates[blank_end] You won’t feel [blank_start]swamped[blank_end] with work because you have a limit on how many things you work on at the same time If someone adds a [blank_start]new[blank_end] item they will have to decide what gets taken out

How low should the limit be? Low WIP limit creates a lot of [blank_start]slack[blank_end]. Think of one work item..as soon as it is ready for development the developers could pick it up and start working on it…as soon as it is ready for testing the testers could pick it up and start working on it etc Good for [blank_start]lead[blank_end] times but companies will not pay for people to sit [blank_start]idle[blank_end] You need a balance…Fast Flow Vs Work to do …the WIP limit is a trigger for discussion

Queues Note the WIP limit as an integer in the column Introducing queues will allow you to [blank_start]visualise[blank_end] what is waiting and what is in progress Have queues where there is a limited [blank_start]resource[blank_end]…it’s a good way of signalling that work is ready to be pulled to the next stage You can manipulate the WIP limit by [blank_start]reallocating[blank_end] resources

Expedite Items Don’t hold off urgent work in order not to break the [blank_start]WIP[blank_end] limit A common solution is to create a special lane on the board for urgent stuff, often referred to as an [blank_start]Expedite[blank_end] Lane Should only be used for [blank_start]urgent[blank_end] cases and should not be used as a fast lane to cheat the system…its like introducing another coin in the simulation earlier Expedited items will pass through the system faster but will [blank_start]increase[blank_end] WIP

Metrics Metrics by you, for you, to help you improve With the Kanban board you are set up to track two important metrics; [blank_start]lead[blank_end] time and [blank_start]throughput[blank_end] Lead time is the time it takes for a [blank_start]work[blank_end] item to go from start to finish- from the first column to the last Throughput is the rate at which you [blank_start]complete[blank_end] work – count the number of items you finish in a given period of time In the previous board it could be as simple as writing down the date (onto the sticky) when the item entered the elected column and writing down the date when it enters the Scheduled column

Three Principles…now Six Practice [blank_start]Visualise[blank_end] Limit Work in [blank_start]Process[blank_end] Manage [blank_start]Flow[blank_end] Make Process Policies [blank_start]Explicit[blank_end] [blank_start]Visualisation[blank_end] achieve much of this Implement [blank_start]Feedback[blank_end] Loops Retrospective for the process itself Improve [blank_start]Collaboratively[blank_end], Evolve Experimentally Use [blank_start]models[blank_end] such as TOC or Lean to push team towards improvement