Agile Austin Lean / Kanban SIG Group Lunch Meeting - Theory of Constraints

Jim Brission from Agilecoaching.org gave a great noon talk to the Agile Austin Lean / Kanban SIG group.

Jim started by showing I Love Lucy's famous chocolate scene


My Notes::
Recommended book:  The Goal


Intro:  In hiking you can only go as fast as your slowest person.

Process of Ongoing Improvement (POOGI)

1. Identify system's constraint
   (Optimizing other steps is a waste)
2. Maximally exploit the constraint
3. Subordinate every else
4. Elevate Constraint fix it, make it faster
5. Iterate

Where do we see constraints in Software Development?
Any handoff - QA, Technical Writer, Release team
That guy
  - knows the device driver, the kernel
  - is a super debugger

Drum-Buffer-Rope

Drum sets the beat
Buffer is inventory
Rope pulls work into stockpile

Double Loop Learning
  Action Strategies / Results & Consequences
  Governing Variable (values, assumptions, frameworks, beliefs)

Critical Chain Project Management - CCPM
Start with
  Network of tasks and dependencies
  Estimates
Order
  No task starts before dependencies met
  No multitasking of individuals
  Minimize Project Duration

Buffer: Time, Money, Scope
Put buffer at the end of a project, not in individual tasks.

Fever chart

Product owner can save the day by paring down the scope

Cost Accounting
  Created after industrial revolution
  Measures efficiency of men adn machines - unit production per dollar of man or machine
  Cost Accounting not good for software development
 
ABC - Activity Based Costing
Invalid Assumptions
  Local efficiencies lead to global efficiency
  (.e.g, making one machine faster, doesn't necessarily help the throughput - unless its the most constrained operation)
Bad things that are viewed as good things in Cost Accounting
  Build up inventory (keep machines/people busy)
  Fill everyone's plate with work
    or minimize personnel to ensure all are fully engaged
  Show high productivity rather than high value