Applying Lean Thinking to Software Development and Support

Audience: All roles involved with software development, delivery, and support

Duration: Two days

Course Outline: (PDF)

Learning Objectives:

Lean Thinking applied to software development, delivery, and support

  • Principles of Lean Thinking
  • What is value?
  • What is flow?
  • What is waste?
  • The Seven Deadly Wastes of lean as applied to software development
  • The eighth waste
  • Lean priorities
  • Value Stream Mapping
  • Pull systems
  • Visual management and signalling
  • Controlling batch sizes
  • Limiting work-in-process (WIP)
  • Effect of context switching
  • Utiliation thinking vs. throughput thinking
  • Local optimization vs. global optimization
  • Lean metrics
  • Cumulative flow
  • Understanding process effectiveness
  • Applying the Five Focusing Steps

Kanban applied to software development, delivery, and support

  • Mapping your value stream
  • From value stream map to Kanban board
  • Kanban board layout and mechanics
  • What is the signal that drives pull?
  • Classes of service
  • Handling urgent work items
  • Handling multiple work streams
  • Handling back-flows
  • Depicting dependencies
  • Kanban at the team level — discrete projects
  • Kanban at the team level — continuous support
  • Kanban combined with traditional SDLC processes
  • Kanban combined with iterative agile processes
  • A Lean-style daily stand-up: It’s not about the “three questions”
  • Kanban at scale: Strategic planning, portfolio management, and multi-level kanban boards
  • Kanban at scale: Metrics roll-up and dashboards