Lean Development - Synergetic with SF?

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Comment by Hans-Peter Korn on January 16, 2010 at 9:32

Recently I found an interesting blog written by Jeff Sutherland (who as the very first did "Scrum" in 1993) discussing the connections between Scrum (as one of the most prominent "Agile Frameworks") and "Lean". His essence:

1. Scrum is not a direct descendant of Lean. It derives from complex adaptive systems with an indirect linkage to Lean through Takeuchi and Nonaka.

2. Management is interested in Lean, partcularly in Europe. Building on that interest and any knowledge they have about Toyota makes it easier to describe why Scrum works.

3. Lean is a good teaching tool to show Scrum teams why their implementations are broken. For example, if you do not have fully tested code and cannot create potentially shippable code in a Sprint, you have 100% work in progress going into the next Sprint.

Here is this blog:
The First Scrum: Was it Scrum or Lean?

Comment by Hans-Peter Korn on January 16, 2010 at 9:24

sorry: This link: www.saferhealthcarenow.ca/.../PDSA%20Cycle%20Worksheet.doc does not work. Please: can you provide a new one?
And here are the other links in a working format:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_loop
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boyd_(military_strategist)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDCA

Well, in Agile development (e.g. in SCRUM) similar "things" are done like OODA or PDCA: They are done within each one increment (= "Scrum Sprint") which are lasting typically from 2 to 4 weeks.
And in addition to OODA or PDCA in Agile development there are a lot of additional "things" like specific roles, eliminating "waste", decisions as late as possible, self organising teams.

Comment by Vic Williams on January 4, 2010 at 17:04

Feedback/Change/Improvement cycles: Agile people refer to Lean's PDCA(later PDSA) Plan Do Study Act improving cycle. But agile better matches Boyd's OODA loop/cycle. Observe Orient Decide Act.
Boyd bits: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_loop en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boyd_(military_strategist)
PDSA bits: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDCA www.saferhealthcarenow.ca/.../PDSA%20Cycle%20Worksheet.doc

I like to use a 5 step/phase cycle. 4 phases ones are logical like spreadsheets and tend to lock thinking in place. 5 Phases 5 senses 5 fingers 5 seasons in feng shui (late summer is ripening thought/fruit)

Comment by Hans-Peter Korn on November 9, 2009 at 13:31

Well, after having read a lot of "stuff" about "Lean Development" I cannot see how SF or "agile" offer a greater emphasis on innovation and readiness for change. Maybe it depends, how "lean" is "put to work" in specific situations. If is is done this way e.g.:
http://www.coldewey.com/publikationen/kolumne/leanDevelopment.1.html
and
http://www.coldewey.com/publikationen/kolumne/leanDevelopment.2.html
for me there seem a lot of emphasis on innovation and readiness for change.

Comment by Bart van Loon on November 9, 2009 at 8:59

interesting, I would say that SF (and agile) are as cost-efficient and flexible as Lean but offer a greater emphasis on innovation and readiness for change. This shouldn't sound so strange in the ears of managers