Kanban 101, with a bit of agile basics and Kanban 201

1. Kanban
In Software Development
Ingvald Skaug
img: http://availagility.co.uk/2008/10/28/kanban-flow-and-cadence/

2. What Is Kanban? Intro
What Is Kanban
Why Flow
Lightweight framework for evolutionary change, Why Kanban
step-by-step improvement
Encourages continuous flow
Not a process
Some background: David Anderson: The Principles of the Kanban Method

3. Kanban:
What Is Kanban? Most adaptive tool
(Number = artifacts)
ill.: Henrik Kniberg, Kanban and Scrum - making the most of both (with Mattias Skarin)
http://www.infoq.com/minibooks/kanban-scrum-minibook

4. Why Flow? Intro
What Is Kanban
Why Flow
Inestimable work Why Kanban
Unplanned work
Unclear work
Blocked work
- need input from unavailable stakeholder
Parking
- unfinished work,
- waiting b/c of interruptions, multi-tasking
Changed work/ requirements
Legacy code
Normative estimates
=> tech debt
Specialists
=> uncertain access
Jørn Ola Birkeland, Bekk, at XP2010,
Experience report: From a timebox tangle to a more flexible flow
http://xp2010.org/program?sid=11&o=1

5. Why Kanban? Intro
What Is Kanban
Why Flow
You can: Why Kanban
Start where you are
Manage change, improve step by step
Expose problems on quality and process
Enable higher quality
More predictable delivery, due date performance
Sustainable development
Balance demand against capacity
Increase trust with customers
Improve productivity
More agile organization
...
Seems like a tall order...

6. Everything Is Connected Why Kanban

7. Start: Visualize + WIP Limit Why Kanban
Everything Is Connected

8. Simple Kanban "Kanban 101" /
How-to
1. Visualize!
2. Limit WIP!
WIP = work in progress
Simple = not easy
img: http://blog.crisp.se/henrikkniberg/2009/09/15/1253019240000.html
Some background: http://agilemanagement.net/index.php/Blog/back_to_basics_with_kanban/

9. Visualize! Kanban 101
Visualize
Limit WIP
Use a Kanban board
Reflect real workflow
Dashboard visible for everyone
Transparent policies
WIP limits
Specific column names
- don't use "Done"...

10. Why Visualize? Agile Basics
Visualize
Limit WIP
=> Shared mental model
=> More engaged stakeholders
=> More effective thinking, collaboration
Ex.: Kanban board,
permanently visible to dev.team, management, sales...
http://skaug.no/ingvald/2010/12/agile-basics-visualize-more.html
img from Tom Wujec's TED talk

11. Limit WIP! Kanban 101
Visualize
Limit WIP
Start with generous limits
Better with big limits than no limits
- no limits, no improvement
- big limits: minimize resistance
Keep WIP limits visible on Kanban board WIP = work in progress

12. Why Limit WIP? Agile Basics
Visualize
Limit WIP
Work in progress expires
- e.g., requirements change over time
WIP = work in progress
ill.: Aslak Hellesøy, Smidig 2009: Kanban for nybegynnere
http://tcs.java.no/tcs/?id=20B8314B-4EE8-4C87-A418-2AA08F4AB3E6

13. Why Limit WIP? Agile Basics
Visualize
Limit WIP
Reduce multi-tasking
Some background, ill.: Karl Scotland: Kanban, Flow and Cadence
http://availagility.co.uk/2008/10/28/kanban-flow-and-cadence/

14. Why Limit WIP? Agile Basics
Visualize
Limit WIP
Expose quality and process problems
- like bottlenecks
WIP = work in progress
http://ingvald.posterous.com/kanban-reduce-wip-limits-to-discover-bottlene

15. Q?
Simple Kanban
1. Visualize!
2. Limit WIP!
Keep It Simple
Be Pragmatic
Flow

16. Kanban vs Scrum
Kanban Scrum
Batching of work, Works with anything Iteration (+/- 30d),
feedback-loop Natural fit: continuous flow sprint backlog to demo
Tolerance for Yes (with flow) - swimlanes, classes of No, process needs hacking (e.g.,
variations, distractions service extra buffer)
Control mechanism WIP limit Commitment
- stand-up (personal)
- sprint: dates, features (team)
Initial change Small - low threshold Revolution - prescribed process
Eventual changes in Evolution - step by step improvements No, Scrum is a fixed process
process in "process under Kanban" regarding its artifacts
What can improve If you keep visualizing, limiting WIP: XP practices etc
pretty much everything
Estimating/ Works with anything. Estimating needed for burn-down
Predictability Best: use lead time after the fact as
predictor, not detailed estimates
Specialists No problem Should be cross-functional teams
Some background:
http://agilemanagement.net/index.php/Blog/thoughts_on_how_kanban_differs_from_scrum/
http://availagility.co.uk/2009/06/15/how-is-kanban-different-from-other-approaches/
http://availagility.co.uk/2010/07/27/a-pattern-for-using-scrum-and-kanban/
http://blog.crisp.se/henrikkniberg/2009/12/21/1261410240000.html (Kanban and Scrum - making the most of both)

17. Forward "Kanban 201"
David J Anderson: 5 core properties of a Kanban
implementation
1. Visualize Workflow
2. Limit work-in-progress
3. Measure & Manage Flow
4. Make Process Policies Explicit
5. Use Models to Recognize Improvement
Opportunities
Background: David Anderson: Five Core Properties of a Kanban Implementation

18. Forward "Kanban 201"
Quality
Tech Debt
Flow
Classes of Service
Slack
Cadence - separate development, delivery
Metrics
a small selection
Some more:
Aspects of Kanban, by Karl Scotland, including cadence, slack
Dennis Stevens on SLAs in Kanban, including cost of delay
Classes of Service and Policies, by David Joyce
Kanban and Systems Thinking, by Karl Scotland

19. Become More Agile
More or less
Not either/ or
img: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42429527@N03/5063150948/

20. Tech Debt vs Quality
Legacy
Maintenance
Unpredictability
ill.: Jørn Ola Birkeland, XP2010: From a timebox tangle to a more flexible flow
http://xp2010.org/program?sid=11&o=1

21. Improve Quality Kanban 201
ill.: Jørn Ola Birkeland, XP2010: From a timebox tangle to a more flexible flow
http://xp2010.org/program?sid=11&o=1

22. Enable and Use Kanban 201
Swarming, Slack
1. Can you help progress an existing kanban?
Work on that.
2. Don’t have the right skills?
Find bottleneck and work to release it. (SWARMING)
3. Don’t have the right skills?
Do work which
- won’t create any work downstream,
- will improve future throughput and
- can be paused as soon as existing kanban related work
is available.
(SLACK)
http://ingvald.posterous.com/kanban-slack-creates-opportunities-for-improv

23. Cumulative Flow Diagram
Metrics
Sources of Error
Some work off the board
Work items vary too much in size
ill.: Henrik Kniberg & Mattias Skarin: Kanban and Scrum - making the most of both
http://blog.crisp.se/henrikkniberg/2009/12/21/1261410240000.html

24. Resources
David Anderson: Kanban
http://agilemanagement.net
Henrik Kniberg
http://blog.crisp.se/henrikkniberg/
Especially One day in Kanban land
Links in slides, particularly:
Karl Scotland (articles)
Jørn Ola Birkeland (video)
http://skaug.no/ingvald/kanban/
http://twitter.com/ingvald