pass the pennies - lean game simulation

Pass the penniesA simulation of a simulation showing

How to achive more, by doing less

Marcus Hammarberg@marcusoftnet, The Salvation Army Indonesia

What is needed

• 4 players• (4 supervisors, can be done by the players, must have

clocks)

• 20 coins• A table & 4 chairs• A whiteboard or flipchart to note results on (and a

pen)

How to run

• The goal is to move all the coins through all the players (the whole process)• Each player does his work by flipping each coin over• We time• The time each player works

• Start when flipping the first coin• Stop after flipping the last coin

• The time it takes for the first coin to come out of the process• The total time it takes for all the coins to goes through

the process

Our players, in the simulation• I’ve introduced some

variations to keep it interesting• Beth will use one hand

and make no mistakes• Cesar will use one hand

and drop 1 coin per iteration

• Daphne will use two hands and make no mistakes

• Adam will use one hand and make no mistakes

A word about timing

• There’s an artificial clock ticking in the leftcorner during the game• It ticks one tick per transition• These are my made up times for the tasks

• Flip of a coin takes 1• Move the coins to the next person take 1• Dropping a coin takes 3

• To see clearly who’s working (as in “time ticking”) I’ve added a green square around the active players

“Clock”:00:05

Iteration 120 coin batches

“Clock”:00:00

“Clock”:00:01

“Clock”:00:02

“Clock”:00:03

“Clock”:00:04

“Clock”:00:05

“Clock”:00:06

“Clock”:00:07

“Clock”:00:08

“Clock”:00:09

“Clock”:00:10

“Clock”:00:11

“Clock”:00:12

“Clock”:00:13

“Clock”:00:14

“Clock”:00:15

“Clock”:00:16

“Clock”:00:17

“Clock”:00:18

“Clock”:00:19

“Clock”:00:20

“Clock”:00:21

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:22

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:23

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:24

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:25

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:26

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:27

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:28

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:29

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:30

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:31

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:32

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:33

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:34

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:35

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:36

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:37

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:38

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:39

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:40

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:41

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:42

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:43

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:44

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:45

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:46

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

“Clock”:00:47

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

“Clock”:00:48

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

“Clock”:00:49

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:23

“Clock”:00:50

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

“Clock”:00:51

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

“Clock”:00:52

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

“Clock”:00:53

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

“Clock”:00:54

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

“Clock”:00:55

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

“Clock”:00:56

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

“Clock”:00:57

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

“Clock”:00:58

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:00:59

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:00

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:01

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:02

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:03

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:04

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:05

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:06

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:07

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:08

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:09

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:10

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:11

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:12

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:13

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:14

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:15

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:16

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:17

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:18

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

“Clock”:01:18

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:24

Daphne:00:11

Adam:00:20

First done:

01:18

All done:

01:18

ResultsName 20 coin batch

Beth 00:21

Cesar 00:24

Daphne 00:11

Adam 00:20

Time to first 01:18

Time for all 01:18

Notice

• Only one person active at the time• The others are waiting with nothing to do

• Daphne, working with two hands, is A LOT faster than the others• Cesar dropping one coin, slowed down the progress

for the entire chain• Daphne had to wait her turn

• The first coin was finished at the same time as the last

Let’s try that again!Same rules and behavior as before.But this time with 5 coin batchesThat’s; flip 5 coins and then pass them over

“Clock”:00:00

“Clock”:00:01

“Clock”:00:02

“Clock”:00:03

“Clock”:00:04

“Clock”:00:05

“Clock”:00:06

“Clock”:00:07

“Clock”:00:08

“Clock”:00:09

“Clock”:00:10

“Clock”:00:11

“Clock”:00:12

“Clock”:00:13

“Clock”:00:14

“Clock”:00:15

“Clock”:00:16

“Clock”:00:17

“Clock”:00:18

“Clock”:00:19

“Clock”:00:20

“Clock”:00:21

“Clock”:00:22

“Clock”:00:23

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:24

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:25

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:26

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:27

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:28

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:29

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:30

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:31

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:32

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:33

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:34

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:35

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:36

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

“Clock”:00:37

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

Cesar:00:30

“Clock”:00:38

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

Cesar:00:30

“Clock”:00:39

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

Cesar:00:30

“Clock”:00:40

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

Cesar:00:30

“Clock”:00:41

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

Cesar:00:30

“Clock”:00:42

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

Cesar:00:30

Daphne:00:29

“Clock”:00:42

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

Cesar:00:30

Daphne:00:29

“Clock”:00:43

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

Cesar:00:30

Daphne:00:29

“Clock”:00:44

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

Cesar:00:30

Daphne:00:29

“Clock”:00:45

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

Cesar:00:30

Daphne:00:29

“Clock”:00:46

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

Cesar:00:30

Daphne:00:29

“Clock”:00:47

Beth:00:26

First done:

00:23

Cesar:00:30

Daphne:00:29

Adam:00:29

All done:

00:47

ResultsName 20 coin batch 5 coin batch

Beth 00:21 00:26

Cesar 00:24 00:30

Daphne 00:11 00:29

Adam 00:20 00:29

Time to first 01:18 00:23

Time for all 01:18 00:47

Notice

• Many people active at the same time• Daphne, working with two hands, doesn’t help her

much• Cesar dropping one coin, slowed down the progress

for the entire chain• Daphne times were MUCH worse, because she waited

for Cesar• Even Adam, last in line, was affected

• The last coin came in 31 ticks earlier• The first coin came in MUCH earlier (55 ticks)

Let’s try that again!Same rules and behavior as before.But this time with 1 coin batchesThat’s; flip 1 coins and then pass it over

“Clock”:00:00

“Clock”:00:01

“Clock”:00:02

“Clock”:00:03

“Clock”:00:04

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:05

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:06

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:07

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:08

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:09

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:10

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:11

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:12

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:13

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:14

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:15

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:16

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:17

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:18

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:19

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:20

First done:

00:04

“Clock”:00:21

First done:

00:04

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:22

First done:

00:04

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:23

First done:

00:04

Beth:00:21

“Clock”:00:24

First done:

00:04

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:23

“Clock”:00:25

First done:

00:04

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:23

Daphne:00:23

“Clock”:00:26

First done:

00:04

Beth:00:21

Cesar:00:23

Daphne:00:23

First done:

00:0400:23

All done:

00:26

Adam:

ResultsName 20 coin batch 5 coin batch 1 coin batch

Beth 00:21 00:26 00:21

Cesar 00:24 00:30 00:23

Daphne 00:11 00:29 00:23

Adam 00:20 00:29 00:23

Time to first 01:18 00:23 00:04

Time for all 01:18 00:47 00:26

Notice

• At 61% of all states EVERYONE was active, adding value, moving the coins forward• Daphne, working with two hands, doesn’t help her

much this time either• Cesar dropping one coin, slowed down the progress for

the entire chain• But it recovered faster and soon everyone was turning coins

again

• The last coin came in 52 ticks earlier than the first round• The first coin came in MUCH earlier (74 ticks)

Comments

• Overall time goes down by doing fewer things at the same time• Time to first goes WAY down• When played with humans individual times goes up• Still not sure why this doesn’t happen here… • My simulation is probably making simplifications

• In first round there was a lot of waiting• Every person waited ¾ of the total time

• In last round everyone was working all the time• Every person was waiting 3-5 ticks

More comments

• What’s different?• Same workers, coins, process and table• Only difference is number of coins per batch• Work in Process – WIP is lower

• Number of slides (aka steps in the process)• 20 coin iteration: 79 slides • 5 coin iteration: 48 slides• 1 coin iteration: 26 slides

Thank youMarcus Hammarberg

@marcusoftnetmarcusoftnet@gmail.com

http://bit.ly/theKanbanBook