david anderson kanban when is it not appropriate

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KanbanWhen is it not appropriate?

Understanding Options for Improvement

Economically balancecapability against demand

Goals for using Kanban

Available options

Risk Management is an Enabling Capability…

Tools For Risk Management…

Most processgeeks & IT managers are operating over here

Kanban is encouraging collaborative

conversations with other stakeholders to open up options

for improvement over here

Foundations of theKanban Method

My motivation for adopting

kanban systems was to

prevent muri, control mura

and encourage an evolutionary approach to change

Overburdening

Variability in Flow

Appropriateness Question #1

Does your process suffer fromoverburdening orvariability in flow?

What causes unevenness?1. Non-instant availability of specialist skills or

collaborators2. Information fails to arrive before it is

needed3. Hidden/Implicit classes of service that

cause work to be interrupted to process other work

4. Variety in work (complexity & size)5. Changing priorities related to variety in

risks associated with work (e.g. cost of delay)

6. Capacity constrained specialist skilled workers or other resources (e.g. test environments)

Are any of these present in your work environment?

Kanban may be appropriate for you!

Kanban is unnecessary where demand never exceeds capability and flow is

smooth and never interrupted!

If conditions of overburdening or unevenness in flow exist or

are likely to then use of a kanban system may be an

appropriate choice

In developing the

Kanban Method, a change

management approach that uses kanban systems to provoke change,

we are enabling the

emergence of Lean software

development in organizations

The Kanban approach to change is based on 3 principles

1. Start with what you do now

2. Agree to pursue incremental, evolutionary change

3. Initially, respect current processes, roles, responsibilities & job titles

adopt the 5 core practices that are observed

to be present in successful Kanban implementations

Then…

5 Core Practices for Successful Kanban Adoption

1. Visualize

2. Limit Work-in-Progress

3. Manage Flow

4. Make Process Policies Explicit

5. Improve Collaboratively(using models & scientific method)

Dep

th

Shallow

Deep

It’s a question of shallow or deep!

Shallow implementations tend to produce fewer,

less dramatic results

Doing Kanban is not a question of right or wrong …

Dep

th

Shallow

Deep

all 5 core practices are adopted they form the seed conditions for Kanban

as a complex adaptive system that enables a Lean(er)

way of working to emerge

When…

Kanban & the Cynefin Framework

Observation shows

mura & muri are

present respond with

a kanban system

Process is defined

No feedback loop

required

Implemented in a

single transition

Core practices of

Kanban reveal

problems

respond with a kaizen

event

Scale may require

multiple dependent

kanban systems

Use of risk profiling

and classes of service

Process improves

incrementallyFeedback loop required

Use of existing models

Highly predictable

improvement outcomes

Use policies to

create a container

within the kanban

system design to

control complex

emergent behavior

Change kanban

system design

(policies) to catalyze

(or probe) for desired

emergent outcomes

Use visualization &

metrics to reflect on

outcomes, new

models emerge,

complexity is reduced

Complex adaptive

systems -

independent agents

following simple rules

Feedback loops

Simple rules change

Kanban -

Simple rules made

visual & explicit

Feedback

Kaizen events –

adapt the rules

Systems (such as software

development systems)

exist in all 3

domains

simultaneously

Kanban is designed

to work in all 3

domains

simultaneously

Kanban is unlikely

to be useful in the

Chaotic domain or

in presence of

disorder

Kanban & Corporate Culture

Is your new CTO a revolutionary?

Not every senior leader is a revolutionary

But many feel the need to shake things up and leave their mark

Carly Fiorina

Your boss may lack the

patience to wait for an

incremental approach to

improvement to take effect

Kanban & the Spectrum of Work

Kanban’s Roots

Kanban’s Roots

Some say Kanban’sdecoupled cadences (no time-boxed iterations) and single-piece flow

should make it a natural fit for this space!

Kanban’s Roots

As decoupled cadences and single-piece flow

have little benefit in this space, it stands to reason

Kanban is not useful here!

Kanban’s Roots

As decoupled cadences and single-piece flow

have little benefit in this space, it stands to reason

Kanban is not useful here!

Some say Kanban’sdecoupled cadences (no time-boxed iterations) and single-piece flow

should make it a natural fit for this space!

To think this way is to look

simplistically at Kanban as a

process implementation for

transactional single-piece

work. To treat it as a point

solution to a specific problem

(within the Simple domain)

Kanban’s Roots

As decoupled cadences and single-piece flow

have little benefit in this space, it stands to reason

Kanban is not useful here!

Some say Kanban’sdecoupled cadences (no time-boxed iterations) and single-piece flow

should make it a natural fit for this space!

It misses the point that

kanban systems do not

stand alone as process

solutions. A kanban system

is something that is overlaid

on an existing process

The metric most useful

changes at different ends of

this spectrum

Ideally move more

work this way

Make batch size

smaller

A nice mix of work

from which we’ve

been able to learn

a lot about kanban

system design

Leading to emergent designs with classes of service and capacity allocation

5 4 43 2 2 = 20 total

...

Change Req

[12]

Sev 1 Defect (Expedite)

[2]

Sev 2 – 5 Defect

[6]

Allocation

Total = 20Input

QueueDev

Ready In Prog DoneBuildReady Test

ReleaseReadyDoneIn Prog

DevelopmentAnalysis

Simple & complicated

domain application of

kanban systems. Some doubts as to the value of

WIP limits & pull systems

Application of Kanban Method across Simple,

Complicated and Complex domains

Natural territory for Kanban

Lots of enthusiasm!

Mechanics of decoupled cadences &

single-piece flow are seductive

But maybe not ideal territory

for Kanban

Conclusion

KanbanFor broad application as a process overlay to

control “mura” and eliminate “muri” in the

simple/complicated domain

For broad application as a process overlay

and catalyst of process improvement in the

simple, complicated & complex domains

Most useful where demand can be treated as

a pool of options and can be shaped using

risk management, marketing strategy and

strategic planning

KanbanDomain need for single-piece flow or

decoupling of planning, lead time, and

delivery;

Or, application to short-order transactional

work with small batch size and high frequency

delivery

are

Red Herrings!

Kanban works for Major Projects!

Kanban is for evolutionaries

Kanban maybe just what I need!

I don’t have time for this! Kick ass, take

names & get it done!

Carly Fiorina

Thank you!

dja@djandersonassociates.com

http://www.kanbaninaction.com/

About…David Anderson is a thought leader in managing effective software teams. He leads a consulting firm dedicated to improving economic performance of knowledge worker businesses – improving agility, reducing cycle times, improving productivity and efficiency in technology development.

He has 25+ years experience in the software industry starting with computer games in the early 1980’s. He has led software teams delivering superior productivity and quality using innovative agile methods. He developed MSF for CMMI Process Improvement for Microsoft. He is a co-author of the SEI Technical Note, CMMI and Agile: Why not embrace both!

David is the author of 2 books, Agile Management for Software Engineering –Applying the Theory of Constraints for Business Results, and Kanban – Successful Evolutionary Change for your Technology Business.

David is a founder of the Lean Software & Systems Consortium, a not for profit dedicated to promoting greater professionalism and better economic outcomes in our industry. Email… dja@djandersonassociates.com