10 pitfalls when implementing kanban - crisp's...

Mattias SkarinKanban / Lean coach

10 pitfalls when implementing kanbanMay 13, 2011

Kanban / Lean coachwww.crisp.se

http://blog.crisp.se/mattiasskarinmattias.skarin@crisp.se

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Me

What is Kanban?

Visualize the workflow

Limit WIP (work in progress)

Measure & optimize flow

Explicit policies (definition of Done, WIP limits, etc)

Pioneered byDavid Anderson

in 2004

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BacklogBacklogBacklogBacklog DevDevDevDev DoneDoneDoneDone

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UATUATUATUAT DeployDeployDeployDeploy

5555 3333 2222 3333

FLOW Avg lead time: days Avg lead time: days Avg lead time: days Avg lead time: days 12121212

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Running software

No bugs!

#1 Purpose first

You cannot improve what you don’t understand

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Beware of trojan horses..

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Some purposes from real teams

”Enable higher degree of self organisation..”

”Growing team member skill sets”

”Know when we can deliver..”

”Get focus. (On completing, not starting)”

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”To be able to complete more assignments on time, with less stress and more laughter!”

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#2 Management by absenceEven we managers need WIP limits..

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1.Visualize workflow2. Limit Work in Progress3.Measure and manage flow4.Make process policies explicit

Kanban principles:

(.. living by them; or remove them..)

My management checklist

� Can I see the most valuable things to work on?� Are we keeping WIP limits?� Are policies transparent, and in use?� Is there any blocking problems that should be dealt with?� For learning over time: Are we measuring flow?

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� For learning over time: Are we measuring flow?

#3 Not ready for the transparency

Backlog In work

Done

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People who build their case on heroic efforts might be in for a surprise..

#4 Loss of overview

Backlog Dev Acc. test Deploy Done

[5] [2] [3] [5]

• I can see the most valuable thing to work on right now

• I can see if we are keeping our WIP limits

Kanban sanity check:

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Concerned coach

keeping our WIP limits

• Team members are discussing in front of the board

I’m I using the right granularity?

#5 Ignoring WIP limits

Backlog Dev Acc. test Deploy Done

[3] [3]

”That looks fun,I’ll take that on..”

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I’ll take that on..”

”..but they asked me to..” ??

Potential cure: Physical WIP LimitsPotential cure: Physical WIP Limits

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#6 All tasks must be on the board

Backlog Dev Acc. test Deploy Done

[5] [2] [3] [5]

Want a coffee?

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Potential mistakes.. � Confusing tasks with demand� Treating all demand equal� Ignorant about incurring overhead

Sure, write a Jira ticketand add it to theKanban board

Ask: ”What demand do we want to learn about?”

High value demand

� It’s nature� And our capability to meet it

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Low value demand

”White noice”

Caught under a big pile of work?

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Treatment #1: Hold back ”Overanalysis”

Analysis we don’t needright now

Analysis required for next sprint

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”Pile of work”

Treatment #2: Early screening of purpose

Backlog Dev Acc. test Deploy Done

[5] [2] [3] [5]

Whishlist Dev Acc. test Deploy Done[5] [2] [3] [5]

Uservalue defined

Senior team member

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”I understand why this feature should be made”

Treatment #3: Let your bottleneck set the pace

In queue Front end team 5 stories / week

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2 stories / week

FlowLegacy team

Limit to 2 legacy teamstories already here!

Treatment #4: Fix failure demand upstream

Failure demandValue demand

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”Pile of work”

Value demand: Demand for service from customersFailure demand: Caused by failure to do something right for the customer

Example: Fixing failure demand upstream

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#7 Overbelief in value of planning

Business

Backlog Dev Done

Plannedwork

Backlog Dev Done

”How I behave”

Unplanned2.

Project1.

”How I plan”

[1]

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Business area

Unplanned work

”How I behave”

Project2.

We’re alwaysstressed..

So , what you ratherwant?

[1]Unplanned1.

Why are you notdelivering the planned

stuff??

#8 Not having a strategy for dealing with variance

Work to do

$$

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”Does it need a deadline?Define why..”

Flow

#9 Improvement efforts gets eaten upp by events (lack of endurance)

External service partner

External tech partner

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Business area A

First line support

Problem solving time

Managers door

Getting endurance in problem solving

Improvement kanban

Next In work Done

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What we as a teamdo

What we need help with from theorganization?

Next [2]

In work [2]

Done

Example from Fredrik Lindgren, Crisp

#10

”Everybody thinks of changing the world, but noone about changing himself”

- Leo Tolstoy

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- Leo Tolstoy

Good news! Fixes can be applied

To our demand

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And our capability

Now, go practice!

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