Dave Nicolette discusses the tendency for novice teams to feel that maintaining information radiators in their team area represents duplicate effort on top of keeping their project management tool up to date. In reality, the two types of tools have quite different purposes. Let’s clarify the purpose of each and the differences between them.

1. INFORMATION RADIATORS
AND
INFORMATION VAULTS

2. 2
About me
I’m Dave.

3. 3
You
How are your teams currently using
information radiators / visual management
and systems of record?

4. 4
True or False
If it’s tactile, it’s an information radiator;
if it’s electronic, it’s an information vault.

5. 5
Server status – Radiator or Vault?

6. 6
Project status – Radiator or Vault?

7. 7
Work in process status – Radiator or Vault?

8. 8
Build status – Radiator or Vault?

9. 9
The Sun – Radiator or Vault?

10. 10
A vault – Radiator or Vault?

11. 11
True or False
If it shows me that immediate action is
needed without interrupting flow, it’s a
radiator.
If I have to initiate a context switch
event, turn my attention to a special
system, log in, and search for
information, it’s a vault.

12. 12
Type of information Action or reference?
Architectural standards
Sprint goal statement
Blocker on story
Coding standards
Pull policy on state
Lists of codes
Acceptance criteria detail
Current state of story
Project budget information
Sprint burndown
History of stories in project
Current build status
Team Niko Niko calendar
Contact info of dependent teams

13. 13
Utility Environment
Balance
Important items pop out
Easy to see status
Easy to identify needed action
Pleasant work area
Encourages collaboration
Inspires creativity

14. 14

15. 15
Balance?

16. 16
Balance?

17. 17
Balance?

18. 18
Balance?

19. 19
Balance?

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Balance?

21. 21
Supporting dispersed/distributed teams

22. 22
Always-on video link

23. 23
Radiating info temporarily to solve a problem

24. 24
You again
How will you change the way your teams
use information radiators / visual
management and systems of record?