Using
Lean Thinking to Increase the
Value of Agile
Mathias Eifert
Requirements
Value
• Basic concepts of Lean
• The case of the missing brain
• Closing the value loop
• Implications for BAs
Agenda
3
About Me
4
• Business Analyst / Solutions Architect
• Applied Lean principles for 15+ years
– Statistical Process Control
– Process Improvement
– Software Development
– Agile Coaching
[email protected]
What is Lean? Toyota Production System
What is Lean? Toyota Production System
Highest quality, lowest cost, shortest lead time
• Eliminate waste
• Optimize flow
• Achieve sustainability
Basic Ideas
7
Waste Any non-value added activity in a process
Type 1: Enablers, (currently) required
Type 2: Truly unnecessary
The biggest waste?
Features That Nobody Wants…
10
• Reduce variability of work load
• Limit work in progress
• Optimize the whole value stream
• Minimize lead time
Optimize Flow
11
Value Stream Mapping
12
agileweboperations.com
Lead Time
• Cross-functional teams
• Team sets pace
• Avoid constant task switching
• Automate manual tasks
• Knowledge work doesn’t scale
Achieve Sustainability
13
HOW do we do this?
Kaizen
16
Change • Good
Kaizen
17
Continuous improvement
through rapid, iterative learning.
Lean Six Sigma
18
Lean Startup
20
Build
Measure Learn
Lean Startup
21
Build
Measure Learn
PERSEVERE
or PIVOT?
Lean UX
23
“Every decision you make
about your offering is a
customer experience decision.”
Jeff Gothelf, Author “Lean UX”
Lean UX
24
Concept
Prototype
Validate
Internally
Test
Externally
Retrospective
Design as
Hypothesis
Lean UX
25
Concept
Prototype
Validate
Internally
Test
Externally
Retrospective
How
does Agile
measure
PROGRESS?
• Created by engineers
• No consideration for
– Product management
– Design
– User Experience
Jeff Gotthelf, Author “Lean UX”
Agile Manifesto
28
AGILE
doesn’t have a
BRAIN
Bill Scott, VP, Business Engineering and Product Development at PayPal
Scrum
31
Requirements
Delivery
Scrum
32
Requirements
Change is Accelerating
34
Sense & Respond
Business Agility
35
The Cost of Change
36
Cycle Time
Agile is necessary
but not sufficient
How
does Lean
measure
PROGRESS?
Validated Learning
Where is the Value?
40
Features
Outcome User Behavior
Impact Organizational Goals
Output
TDD
Build the Right Thing
Build the Thing Right
BML/HDD
ATDD
We believe that
• [doing this]
• for [these people]
• will achieve [this outcome].
We’ll know this is true when we see
• [this market feedback]. Jeff Gothelf, Author “Lean UX”
Testable Hypothesis
42
Impact Mapping
43
Gojko Adzic, impactmapping.org
Impact Mapping
44
Gojko Adzic, impactmapping.org
Lean
Discovery
Lean
46
Lean
Discovery
Lean
47
Measure Impact
Lean
Discovery
Lean
48
Measure Impact
Business Agility
When
does this
MATTER
most?
When you are
UNCERTAIN
what to build
Not all Software is Equal
51
Process Support Product Development
Uncertainty
Requirements
Unmet Needs
Unrealized Needs
Implications for BAs
When you know
what you need,
building to requirements
works great!
When you’re sure you know
exactly what you need,
building to perfect requirements
works great!
Uncertainty: The lack of complete certainty, that is, the existence of
more than one possibility.
Risk: A state of uncertainty where some of the possibilities
involve a loss, catastrophe, or other undesirable outcome.
Douglas Hubbard, Author “How to Measure Anything”
Risk Management
55
Surfacing assumptions
is risk identification.
Validated learning
is active risk mitigation.
The Dread Business Case
A business case summarizes a set of
assumptions.
These assumptions are usually:
• Hidden
• Unvalidated
The Dread Business Case
58
Defer Commitment…
59
… until the last responsible moment
Start Small and Lightweight
60
Observe Design
Value Proposition Canvas
©Strategyzer AG
• Embrace change & uncertainty
• Resist the temptation to fix scope
• Understand hypothesis testing
• Speak the language of UX
• Find lighter-weight tools
• Advise on value
Takeaways for BAs
61
• WHAT: Eliminate waste, optimize flow,
achieve sustainability
• HOW: Rapid iterative learning
• We all operate on assumptions
• Validated Learning reduces uncertainty
• Testable hypotheses in support of business
goals and Business Agility culture
Summary
62
Solve the correct problem
Then solve the problem correctly
Jeffrey L. Taylor