Kanban The (non)recipe for success

KANBANTHE (NON)RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Experience feedback on one year implementing Kanban

@nicolas__morin

http://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolasmorin1

Nicolas Morinhttp://nicolasmorin1.wordpress.com

Kanban - The (non)recipe for success – Nicolas Morin – LKFR12 2

Is there a recipe ?Is there a need for a recipe ?

19/10/2012


Goals

Show how Kanban allows a smooth transition to a continuous improvement culture (Kaizen culture)

Emphasis the importance of context and leadership for success

19/10/2012

Kanban - The (non)recipe for success – Nicolas Morin – LKFR12

Agenda

19/10/2012 4

Ready In progress Done1

Main milestone

s15’

Why and how

Kanban ?5’

Questions &

answers15’

Conclusion

5’

Recipe or not

recipe ?5’

Recipe for

success by DJA5’


Why and how Kanban ?

19/10/2012 5

Agenda

Why and how

Kanban ?5’

1Ready In progress Done

Main milestone

s15’

Questions &

answers15’

Conclusion

5’

Recipe or not

recipe ?5’

Recipe for

success by DJA5’


Context

33

21

5

17

The team in november 20111st and 2nd level support

Corrective and evolutive maintenanceTesting automation (off-shore)Regulatory changesTransversal contributionsProjects driven by the team

Team already engaged in an Agile Scrum-like approach for 2 years

Difficulties to establish a sustainable development pace

19/10/2012

Total : 31


Difficulties

Feeling of permanent rush and overburdening to match expectations

Team tired

Releases content rarely fully delivered Clients impatient and unsatisfied

19/10/2012


The solution ?

People and Teams Development « GetKanban ! »

Collective team decision to try applying Kanban to our process

19/10/2012


By the way, what is Kanban?

Kanban IS NOT an Agile development method

… but an agile method to improve smoothly an existing process

19/10/2012


How deep is your Kanban ?

Visualize Limit Work-in-progress (WIP) Manage flow Make policies explicit Implement feedback loops Improve collaboratively, evolve

experimentally

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Source: Kanban Townhall - Digite / Swift Kanban - July 12, 2012


Main milestones

19/10/2012 11

Why and how Kanban ?1Ready In progress Done

Why and how

Kanban ?5’

Main milestone

s15’

Questions &

answers15’

Conclusion

5’

Recipe or not

recipe ?5’

Recipe for

success by DJA5’


The beginning (1/3)

November

• Creation of the whiteboard

• Limitation of work in progress

• Definition by the team of flow policies

December 2011

January 2012 February

19/10/2012


Sample whiteboard

19/10/2012 13

Ready Development DoneAnalysis TestUser validation

Doing Done Doing Done

2 2 1

Expedite

Num

Standard

Num

Standard

Num

IssueNum

Bug

Num

Intangible

Num

Exp

edit

e+

1

Fixed Date

Num

Due

Sp

on

sor

AA

Sp

on

sor

BB

3

Standard

Num

Standard

Num

4

+1

2

Standard

Num


The beginning(1/3)

• Creation of the whiteboard


• Definition by the team of flow policies

• Iterationless development

• Kaizen every 2 weeks in front of the board

• Use of avatars on the whiteboard

• Definition and formalization of specification process

• New system for days off management

• Monthly prioritization committees suspended (no available bandwidth)

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November December 2011



Depth of implementation (1/3)

19/10/2012

Visualize

Limit WIP

Manage Flow

Explicit Policies

Feedback Loops

Improvements

Nov-11Jan-11


Improvement phase(2/3)

March

• New Jira version supporting Kanban

• Beginning of cycle time follow-up

April

• Evolution of morning meeting format

• Resuming prioritization on a biweekly basis

May

• Definition of swim lanes per sponsor

• Biweekly Kaizen meeting replaced by monthly Lean Coffee

June

• Drop physical whiteboard in favor of digital version

• Anticipation of flow perturbation risks

19/10/2012


Depth of implementation (2/3)

19/10/2012

Visualize

Limit WIP

Manage Flow

Explicit Policies

Feedback Loops

Improvements

Nov-11Mar-12May-12


Successes (3/3)

July

• Full autonomy of team in crisis situation

• Spontaneous Kaizen meeting on testing process improvement

August

• Strong reactivity for unplanned topics with great ROI, business agility

• Evolution of management to leadership and mentoring

September October

• Self-organization of pairs/backup peer

• Beginning of a new improvement cycle

19/10/2012


Depth of implementation(3/3)

19/10/2012

Visualize

Limit WIP

Manage Flow

Explicit Policies

Feedback Loops

Improvements

Nov-11May-12Sep-12


Recipe for success by DJA

19/10/2012 20

Main milestones1Ready In progress Done

Why and how

Kanban ?5’

Questions &

answers15’

Conclusion

5’

Recipe or not

recipe ?5’

Main milestone

s15’

Recipe for

success by DJA5’


Recipe for success by DJA

1. Focus on quality

2. Reduce work-in-progress

3. Deliver often

4. Balance demand against throughput

5. Prioritize

6. Attack sources of variability to improve predictability

19/10/2012


The recipe to begin (1/3)


• Monthly prioritization committees suspended (no available bandwidth)

19/10/2012

Reduce work-in-progress

Balance demand against throughput

November December 2011



The recipe to improve (2/3)

• Resuming prioritization on a biweekly basis

• Anticipation of flow perturbation risks

19/10/2012

Prioritize

Attack sources of variability to improve predictability

March April May June


The recipe for success (3/3)

• Self-organization of pairs/backup peer

• Beginning of a new improvement cycle…

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Attack sources of variability to improve predictability

July August September October

?


A strange recipe…

An endless recipe Never repeated the same way

19/10/2012


Recipe for success by DJARecipe or not recipe ?

2619/10/2012


Why and how

Kanban ?5’

Main milestone

s15’

Questions &

answers15’

Conclusion

5’

Recipe for

success by DJA5’

Recipe or not

recipe ?5’


Recipe or not recipe ?

Proven good practices of the recipe Triggers evolution to a continuous

improvement culture Favorable context is essential

Leadership in the teamAcceptation by management

19/10/2012


Conclusion

19/10/2012 28

Recipe or not recipe ?1Ready In progress Done

Why and how

Kanban ?5’

Main milestone

s15’

Recipe for

success by DJA5’

Questions &

answers15’

Recipe or not

recipe ?5’

Conclusion

5’


Conclusion

Smooth evolution to a continuous improvement culture

Leadership, essential ingredient What’s next ?

19/10/2012


ConclusionExpedite : intervention of CIO

19/10/2012 30

Recette or not

recette ?


Questions &

answers15’

Why and how

Kanban ?5’

Main milestone

s15’

Recipe for

success by DJA5’

Recipe or not

recipe ?5’

Conclusion

5’


Questions & answers

19/10/2012 31


Why and how

Kanban ?5’

Main milestone

s15’

Recipe for

success by DJA5’

Recipe or not

recipe ?5’

Conclusion

5’

Intervention of CIO

5’

Questions &

answers15’

Expedite : intervention of CIO

Questions & answersReady In progress Done1

Why and how

Kanban ?5’

Main milestone

s15’

Recipe for

success by DJA5’

Recipe or not

recipe ?5’

Conclusion

5’

Intervention of CIO

5’

Questions &

answers15’

@nicolas__morin

http://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolasmorin1

Nicolas Morinhttp://nicolasmorin1.wordpress.com

THE END

ThanksTo all the team:

Abdel, Adnene, Aïcha, Anne, Arnaud B., Arnaud T., Aude, Aymen, Belhassen, Constant, Dorra, Frédéric, Gaëtan, Gilles, Hiral, Imen, Jérôme, Kameiliya, Khaled, Larbi, Maryse, Mathieu, Nadim, Ninh-Thi, Ophélie, Raphaël,

Sonal, Sylvain, Valérie, Vyomesh

And to the whole Kanban community !

Documents

Kanban The (non)recipe for success