LSD (Lean Software Development) Flashback

What would you like to talk about?

• Compare/contrast Agile/Lean
• Mapping Value Streams (Lightweight)
• What does Lean look like in practice?
• More details about Lean
• Lean for non-profites => MVP
• Evangelize
• Learning Lean through games/activities
• Intro to Lean

Lean in 5 Minutes

• Reduce/eliminate waste
• Maximize value to customer
• Pursue "flow? -> work moves through the system without delay
• Do minimum amount of work
• Orginated at Toyota
• All muscle, no fat
• Work in Process
• Kanban -> the "how" of Lean
• Really, just a bunch of principles

Comparing and Contrasting Lean and Agile

• Similarities in Principles
• Put people first
• Minimize waste/maximize work not done
• Value continuous improvement
• Very different from waterfall
• Incremental and iterative
• Differences in Principles
• Lean calls out the role of Managers
• Lean focuses a lot on Value Stream optimization (portfolio)
• Lean focuses on process
• Similarities in Practices
• Short iterations, rapid feedback
• Work is visible
• Continuous Improvement
• Differences in Practices
• Scrum is prescriptive of processes ("batch flow")
• Kanban is single-piece flow (good for service teams) when you can't plan (reactive) and don't have all skills
• No prescribed roles.

Lean in Practice

• Toyota Kata: Where are we today?  Where do we want to be in the future?  How do we get there?
• Kanban
• Cycle time: Time an items spends in process
• Limit work in progress => HOW???
• "Start less, finish more"
• Talk about principles that underly limiting WIP
• Cross-train to enable more people to swarm on work
• "It's about helping work flowing, not keeping people busy"
• Parallels with six sigma (easier to sell to Execs)
• Focused on optimizing product delivery
• Roles: nothing prescribed, in practice there are coaches

Books and references

• Tom and Mary Poppendieck
• "Lean Startup"
• "Toyota Kata"
• "Principles of Product Development Flow"
• "The Goal"
• "The Phoenix Project"

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David Whitlock
Adjunct Lecturer
Portland State University

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David Whitlock
Adjunct Lecturer
Portland State University