Stories of showing the unseen to the management of different companies and what happened after.

1. SHOWING
THE
UNSEEN
MARKO TAIPALE
TWITTER: @MARKOTAIPALE

2. WHY THIS TALK?

3. OHNO AND SEEING THE UNSEEN

4. THE WHOLE

5. CASE: THE WHOLE -
BACKGROUND
Company: International online gaming
company, TO 100+ Meur, 400+ people
Assignment: Scale business by leading
a development team (agile)
“Our product development is too slow”

6. CASE: THE WHOLE - BEFORE
“Well running scrum for 10+ teams,
6 weeks company wide sprints”
We’re done, right?

7. CASE: THE WHOLE – TRIGGER
Trigger: Business development: “I don’t
know what have you done, but we have
not improved a bit…”

8. Internal Customer
Idea Resourcing
approval approval
Design Development Deployment

9. Internal Customer
Idea Resourcing
approval approval
2h 2h 1d
Design Development Deployment
1m 2m 3w

10. Selected
ideas
8
Internal Customer
Idea Resourcing
approval approval
2d 1m 6m
2h 2h 1d
1w
6m 6m
Design Development Deployment
1m 2m 3w
15 12
Design Production
ready ready

11. Selected
ideas
8
Internal Customer
Idea Resourcing
approval approval
2d 1m 6m
2h 2h 1d
SCRUM!
1w
6m 6m
Design Development Deployment
1m 2m 3w
15 12
Design Production
ready ready

12. Selected
ideas
8
Internal Customer
Idea Resourcing
approval approval
2d 1m 6m
2h 2h 1d
SCRUM!
1w
6m 6m
Design Development Deployment
1m 2m 3w
15 12
Design Production
ready ready

13. Scrum transitioning example
THE REAL PICTUREStream Mapping and Scrum
A real-life example of applying Value
to speed up product development.
Henrik Kniberg 13
Thanks to Henrik Kniberg for taking the shot J

14. CASE: THE WHOLE – REACTION
After: Development manager: “You shall
not show this to anyone, ever!”
Why?

15. CASE: THE WHOLE – RESULTS
Results: Time-to-market 24 months to 3
months
Learnings:
• Beware suboptimization
• Optimize the whole via Value Stream
Map
• Showing it does not mean fixing it
• Find a way to involve the management

16. COORDINAT
ION CHAOS
Thank you Ari Tikka for coming up with such a nice name for a case

17. CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS -
BACKGROUND
Company: Software product company,
400+ people
Assignment: Help bootstrapping Scrum
(both dev and mgmt), make us agile (we do
not know what that actually means)!
“Agile is a software development thing”

18. CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS –
TRIGGER
Trigger: Scope confusion and previous
experience regarding value streams

19. Customer
Board
CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS – THE
PICTURE

20. Customer
Board
DM
CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS – THE
PICTURE

21. Customer
Board
DM PM
PO
CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS – THE
PICTURE

22. Customer
Board
DM PM
PO
CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS – THE
PICTURE

23. Customer
Board
DM PM
PO
CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS – THE
PICTURE

24. Customer
Board
DM PM BO
PO
CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS – THE
PICTURE

25. Customer
Board
DM PM BO
PO
CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS – THE
PICTURE

26. Customer
Board
DM PM BO
PO
CPO
CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS – THE
PICTURE

27. Customer
Board
DM PM BO
PO
CPO
CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS – THE
PICTURE

28. Customer
Board
DM PM BO
PO
CPO
CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS – THE
PICTURE

29. Customer
SCENARIOS Board
DM PM BO
Case 1
1. DM + Board: project proposal PO
CPO
2. -> PM: scope, timetable
.. Real scope is not clear
.. Timetable is not based on any empirical evidence
.. No known customer value

30. Customer
SCENARIOS Board
DM PM BO
Case 1
1. DM + Board: project proposal PO
CPO
2. -> PM: scope, timetable
.. Real scope is not clear
.. Timetable is not based on any empirical evidence
.. No known customer value
Case 2
1. DM: how many people you need?
2. PM: what is the timetable?
3. PO: what is the scope / goal?
4. DM: what would you get done?
5. ”We cannot take this to CB as they do not really
understand any of this

31. CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS –
REACTION
After: 3 weeks of selling and convincing,
finally breakthrough by neglecting ego
and taking the blame
“We are already doing your suggestion!”,
“We have a leadership vacuum, need
new role!”,
“Ok, we shall fix it, but it is not about
agile or lean or any of that stuff”.

32. CASE: COORDINATION CHAOS –
RESULTS
Results: 1,3 Meur/year direct savings in
administration
Learnings:
• Showing it does not mean fixing it
• Do you want justice or to be helpful?
• Forget dogma, listen and see the
demand

33. LOST
CAUSE

34. CASE: LOST CAUSE -
BACKGROUND
Company: Software product company,
400+ people
Assignment: Show us how to “use”
agile!
“Agile is a software development thing”

35. CASE: LOST CAUSE – TRIGGER
Trigger:
Program manager: “We are developing
new way of working and replacing the
legacy”
Customer representative: “We do this in
order to improve the co-op with end
users”

36. CoOp
Business Owner
project
2009
Channels &
Backlog
Services
CASE: LOST CAUSE – THE PICTURE

37. CoOp
Business Owner
project
2009
Channels &
Backlog
Services
2010 Conversion project Roadmap
consultant
Backlog ordered
by the
customers
40+ user stories for single system
CASE: LOST CAUSE – THE PICTURE

38. CoOp
Business Owner
project
2009
Channels &
? Backlog
Services
2010 Conversion project Roadmap
consultant
Backlog ordered
by the
customers
40+ user stories for single system
CASE: LOST CAUSE – THE PICTURE

39. CoOp
Business Owner
project
2009
Channels &
? Backlog
Services
2010 Conversion project Roadmap
consultant
Backlog ordered
by the
customers
40+ user stories for single system
2011-12
Project roadmap
”Backlog
grooming”
CASE: LOST CAUSE – THE PICTURE

40. CoOp
Business Owner
project
2009
Channels &
? Backlog
Services
2010 Conversion project Roadmap
consultant
Backlog ordered
by the
customers
40+ user stories for single system
2011-12 ?
Project roadmap
”Backlog
grooming”
CASE: LOST CAUSE – THE PICTURE

41. THE REAL PICTURE

42. CASE: LOST CAUSE – REACTION
After: raised awareness regarding
having Business Owners steering
instead of Project Managers
“Better encounter with the customer does
not mean we implement all the items
from the ‘customer management’
backlog!”

43. CASE: LOST CAUSE – RESULTS
Results: Aligned goals to create the right
product
Learnings:
• Check that the goal is understood
similarly in all around the organisation
• Study history, do not judge people

44. LIVIN’ ON A
PRAYER

45. CASE: LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER -
BACKGROUND
Company: Subcontractor, 3 teams, myself
on the customer site, customer already
“agile”
Assignment: Help us to deliver in agile
way!
“We need expertise to get this done in the
schedule”

46. CASE: LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER -
TRIGGER
Trigger: I had to do it for myself in order
to see what’s going on

47. 600 use cases
CASE: LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER – THE
PICTURE

48. 600 use cases
6 use cases / month
CASE: LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER – THE
PICTURE

49. 600 use cases
6 use cases / month
600 / 6 = 100 months…
CASE: LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER – THE
PICTURE

50. 600 use cases
6 use cases / month
600 / 6 = 100 months…
400% improvement -> 600 / 24 = 25 months
CASE: LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER – THE
PICTURE

51. 600 use cases
6 use cases / month
600 / 6 = 100 months…
400% improvement -> 600 / 24 = 25 months
They got 6 months….
CASE: LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER – THE
PICTURE

52. CASE: LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER –
REACTION
After: customer went crazy (board-to-
board conflict), subcontractor denied the
reality
“We just need stronger management to
push this through”

53. CASE: LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER –
RESULTS
Results: Program manager told that they
won’t change the contract, new position,
no reason to continue
Learnings:
• Sometimes you just cannot help it
• But they still employ people and have
business, so it must not be that bad

54. SUMMARY
• Visualization is a good way to initiate the
change, but it is not a guarantee
• All I have shown is actually just management (of
the system), involve them
• Do not be dogmatic, show what’s real!
• Get support from the field – but do not be a mole
• Ask yourself do you want justice or to be helpful
• Agile is a good messenger, but won’t fix the
problems. People do.
• Loose your ego, it is not about you!

55. IT IS ABOUT…
CHANGE

56. MARKO TAIPALE
• Agile / Lean Consultant, CTO, Co-founder
• 15+ years of software development
• Member of Advisory board (Product development)
• Twitter: @markotaipale
• Email: marko.taipale@huitale.com

57. BONUS

58. CASE: BONUS - BACKGROUND
Company: Software product company,
500 employees
Assignment: Time-to-market
improvement
“We are too slow!”

59. CASE: BONUS - TRIGGER
Trigger: Trouble on getting even low
level priorities

60. PO PO PO
Team Team Team
Goal: Be profitable,
cut maintenance cost and be fast!
CASE: BONUS

61. Portfolio
DEV
DIR
PO PO PO
Team Team Team
Goal: Be profitable,
cut maintenance cost and be fast!
CASE: BONUS

62. Portfolio
DEV
DIR
PO PO PO
Team Team Team
Goal: Be profitable,
cut maintenance cost and be fast!
CASE: BONUS

63. Portfolio
DEV
DIR
PO PO PO
Team Team Team
Goal: Be profitable,
cut maintenance cost and be fast!
CASE: BONUS

64. Portfolio
DEV
DIR Prio?
Too much to do
PO PO PO
Team Team Team
Goal: Be profitable,
cut maintenance cost and be fast!
CASE: BONUS

65. Regulation, Biz Dev,
Customer reqs..
Portfolio
DEV
DIR Prio?
Too much to do
PO PO PO
Team Team Team
Goal: Be profitable,
cut maintenance cost and be fast!
CASE: BONUS

66. Regulation, Biz Dev,
Customer reqs..
RULES
Portfolio
DEV
DIR Prio?
Too much to do
PO PO PO
Team Team Team
Goal: Be profitable,
cut maintenance cost and be fast!
CASE: BONUS

67. Regulation, Biz Dev,
Customer reqs..
RULES
Portfolio
DEV
DIR Prio? SALES
Too much to do DIR
Team
PO PO PO
Team Team Team
Goal: Be profitable,
cut maintenance cost and be fast!
CASE: BONUS

68. Regulation, Biz Dev,
Customer reqs..
RULES
Portfolio
DEV
DIR Prio? SALES
Too much to do DIR
Team
PO PO PO
Team Team Team
Goal: Be profitable, Goal: Growth!
cut maintenance cost and be fast!
CASE: BONUS

69. Regulation, Biz Dev,
Customer reqs.. BONUS
RULES
Portfolio
DEV
DIR Prio? SALES
Too much to do DIR
Team
PO PO PO
Team Team Team
Goal: Be profitable, Goal: Growth!
cut maintenance cost and be fast!
CASE: BONUS

70. Regulation, Biz Dev,
Customer reqs.. BONUS
RULES
Portfolio
DEV
DIR Prio? SALES
Too much to do DIR
Team
PO PO PO
Hmm, how do I get the bonus?
I just set the sanction higher than last time
Team Team Team
Goal: Be profitable, Goal: Growth!
cut maintenance cost and be fast!
CASE: BONUS

71. CASE: BONUS – REACTION
After: who to present it – it is “nobodys”
problem (CEO fears to get fired, Board
thinks that this is why they have CEO)
“We can’t really affect on what happens
in sales”
“We have our targets and we need to
deliver”

72. CASE: BONUS – RESULTS
Results: Raised awareness, action still
pending
Learnings:
• There are no evil people – just bad
systems rewarding on harmful
behavior
• Sometimes you just cannot help it