KFC Development - Finger Lickin' Good
This workshop explores three important Lean concepts - Kanban, Flow and Cadence (KFC) - which can be combined to generate a more pipeline-based approach to software development, as opposed to the more common timebox-based approaches of more traditional Agile methods. The presenters will describe their experiences implementing these ideas at Yahoo! and explain the concepts using examples, simulations and games. In addition, because this is a new and emerging way of working, there will be an opportunity for discussion between the participants about how the ideas might be applied in their own situations, in order to advance the art.
The workshop will be organised around the 3 concepts of Kanban, Flow and Cadence.
We will begin with some general background to Lean thinking and an overview of the concepts we will be introducing, in order to set the context. We will then focus on the three concepts in more detail, including a mix of tutorial, experience report and hands-on exercises / simulations / games. After presenting on each concept, we will open up the topic for discussion, with the audience breaking out into groups to explore how the concepts may or may not apply to their situations. Each group will have the opportunity to present back so that ideas and suggestions can be captured and shared, for example on the conference wiki.
Kanban - This section will cover what a Kanban system is, how it works, how can it be applied to software development. We will show how a Kanban System can highlight bottlenecks, constraints and other areas for improvement, and describe a number of alternatives used by different teams, along with the pros and cons of each one. Hands-on exercises will be used to explore these options and trade-offs.
Flow - This section will cover how to leverage a Kanban system for software development in order to maximise value and minimise waste. We will introduce the idea of Minimal Marketable Features as a tool to bring out what the value is to be pulled through the pipeline, backed up by real examples from our projects.
Cadence - This section will describe how to manage releases and commitments in the absence of traditional iterations and iteration planning. Metrics such as lead time and throughput will be introduced to explain how rolling wave planning can be achieved with minimal investment as inventory. In addition we will address how other rituals such as stand-ups and retrospectives apply to KFC Development.