How to Relieve Bottlenecks in Agile Flows

26 October 2016

Thanks to our sponsors

Assurity Consulting

ASB Bank

Software Engineering Research Laboratory

This event

1. Restrooms

2. Fire exits

3. Timing

4. Introduction

How to Relieve Bottlenecks

in Agile FlowsGary Bartlett

@PatternsGuy

gary.bartlett@prodsol.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/garybartlettprodsol

021 776 390

Some advice…

Outline5

Flow-Rate

Acceleration

Flow-Time

Reduction

Defrag Your Brain!

DeliberateGenius

12

3

4

© Copyright Prodsol

Flow-Rate

Acceleration

1

1. Flow-RATE Acceleration: Concept

7

The flow-rate

through the

bottleneck

What determines

the end-to-end

flow-rate?

By improving the

flow-rate through

the bottleneck

How does

one improve

the end-to-end

flow-rate?

How about

improving the

flow-rate

elsewhere?

Below the bottleneck

improvements increase costs

without securing any benefit.

Above the bottleneck

improvements increase costs and

tend to make things worse.

© Copyright Prodsol

4 4 4 4 48. Increase

bottleneck

capacity

QC

3 3 3 3 37. Pre- & post-

processingQC

1. Accelerate the Flow-RATE: Method

1. Draw the

flow system

8 7 6 2 92. Find the

bottleneck

8 7 63. Introduce QC

pre-bottleneck QC

8 7 6 2.2 94. Optimise the

bottleneck QC

8 7 6 3 95. Choke the

in-flow QC

2

See “The Goal” (Theory Of Constraints) by Eli Goldratt

3 3 3 3 36. Buffer the

bottleneck QC

4 4 4 4 47. Pre- & post-

processingQC

6 6 6 4 68. Increase

bottleneck

capacity

QC

2 9

3 3 3 3

2.2

3

2

8 7 6 2 93. Introduce QC

pre-bottleneck QC 2.2

© Copyright Prodsol

1. Accelerate the Flow-RATE: Exercise

We’ll cover discussing accelerating your Flow-RATE in the following sections…

1. Draw the flow system

2. Find the bottleneck

3. Introduce QC pre-bottleneck

4. Optimise the bottleneck

5. Choke the in-flow

6. Buffer the bottleneck

7. Pre- & post-processing

8. Increase bottleneck capacity

Flow-Time

Reduction2

2. Flow-TIME Reduction: Concept

11

WAIT

TIME

TRAVEL

TIME

PROCESS

TIME

REWORK

TIME

SETUP

TIME

© Copyright Prodsol

2. Flow-TIME Reduction: Method

1. Draw the

flow system

4. Draw the end-to-end timewheel 3

4

PROCESSTIME

TRAVELTIME

WAITTIME

REWORKTIME

SETUPTIME

2

3

4

5. Add the contribution

timewheels for each time

cost-type

6. Work out how to apply the

standard techniques across the

board.

7. Work out how to apply the

standard techniques at each

problematic step.

2. Estimate the time

costs at each step

R=

W=

S=

T=

P =

R=

W=

S=

T=

P =

R=

W=

S=

T=

P =

R=

W=

S=

T=

P =

R=

W=

S=

T=

P =

8 7 63. Introduce QC

pre-bottleneck3. Draw time-wheels

for each step W

RP

T

W

W

PSR

WT

T

SS

P PWT

P

12

4 3

5

21

34

5

15

34

2. Flow-TIME Reduction: Wait-Time

13

Most likely finish expert

estimate

50% 50%90% 10%

pro

bab

ilit

y

timeWorst previous

experience

eff

ort

time

The problem with task duration estimates

Task completion probability

Effort over time

Google “Critical Chain” © Copyright Prodsol

2. Flow-TIME Reduction: Wait-Time14

The problem with adding contingency to tasks

Lates accumulate – earlies don’t, so

When we lose, we lose and

When we win, we don’t win!

....but we never win!

Parkinson’s Law: Work expands to fill the time available

Compounded by Student Syndrome: Delay starting ‘til

the latest possible moment

The hidden contingency in expert estimates

Google “Critical Chain” © Copyright Prodsol

2. Flow-TIME Reduction: Wait-Time15

1. Draw the flow/sprint plan

(Normal (cautious) task duration estimates)

2. Expose the contingency

(50% is a good rule of thumb, in an expert environment)

3. Remove the contingency

4. Put half of it back – on the entire Project/Sprint/Process Flow

Savings

overruns

overruns

Google “Critical Chain” © Copyright Prodsol

16

Defrag Your Brain!

3

3a. The Impact of Multitasking

on the Human Brain

17

The Multitasking Challenge18

MULTITASKING IS A MYTH

12345678910111213141516171819

Time

Time

M1U2L3T4I5T6A7S8K9I10N11G12I13S14A15M16Y17T18H19

123456789101112131415161719819

MULTITASKING IS A MYTH

The cost of multitasking

How long does it take the

human brain to reach

deep concentration

on a challenging task?

Up to 40 minutes.

14 minutes

at the best time of the day.

(23’15’’ ave. in software development)

19

The costs of multitasking

20

i. The Task Interleaving Effect

A A A

B B B

Finish A

Finish B

Assuming 100% efficiency (zero switching cost)

Finish A & B

ii. The Task-Switching Overhead

Task-Switching

Overhead

iii. The Parallel Processing Overhead

Task A

TMO

Task

Management

Overhead

Task A

Task BTask BTask C

Task A

Task

Management

Overhead

iv. Destroyed Neurocognitive Momentum

v. Accelerated Neurochemical Depletion

1. Understanding

2. Deciding/prioritising

3. Recalling

4. Memorising

5. Inhibiting

vi. Arrested Capability Development

Myelin

3b. Simple Defrag Techniques

we already know how to use

21

The size of the opportunity

How much time and energy will you free up if you reduce the

number of significant context switches by one per hour?

15m x 8h = 2h x 5d = 10h

Check out: http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2006/09/the-multi-tasking-myth.html© Copyright Prodsol

Personal Defrag22

Task A Task B Task C Task B Task A Task C Task A

start end

Task B End Task C End Task A End

Task ATask B Task C

end

Task B End Task C EndTask A End

Time Savings

start

© Copyright Prodsolstart

Task FTask DTask C Task GTask A Task H

Task A Task C Task D Task F Task G Task H

start end

Task B Task E Task I

Task B Task E Task I

end

Time Savings

© Copyright Prodsol

1. Task Completion Approach – TCA

2. Task Batching Technique – TCA

Random task sequence

Random Task-Switching

Dealing with Interruptions

23

3. FocusTime Scheduling – FTS (Internal Interruptions)

FTS F FTS FTS

5. Scheduled Catch-Ups – SCU (Internal Interruptions +)

SCU SCU SCU SCU

IPS IPS

6. Interruption Processing Slots – IPS (External Interruptions)

IPSIPS

SIW SIWSIW SIW

4. Scheduled Interruption Windows – SIW / Duty Slots (Internal Interruptions +)

SIW

© Copyright Prodsol

Homework: My Defrag Plan

24

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

7:00

7:30

8:00

8:30

9:00

9:30

10:00

10:30

11:00

11:30

12:00

12:30

13:00

13:30

14:00

14:30

15:00

15:30

16:00

16:30

17:00

17:30

When it’s unavoidable

25

Task B

Task A

Task B

Task A

1. Progress so far

2. Next steps

3. Challenges

4. Solution ideas

MBM

Review

MBM

CaptureTask A

start

Task A

start end

Time Savings

end1. Done

2. Doing

3. Next 1. Next steps © Copyright Prodsol

8. Mental Bookmarking – MBM

How to preserve neurocognitive momentum

7. Time Allocation Planning and Scheduling (TAPAS)

Allocate a percentage of time for each of your primary work types – and schedule in Focus Time during your

week/fortnight to reflect those percentages

(e.g. 25% Support | 10% Training | 15% Prototyping | 50% Coding)

DeliberateGenius

4

a. Provisionals / Prototyping

27

Develop a provisional prototype – no matter how inadequate – and enhance it iteratively.

© Copyright Prodsol

Steps Notes

1. Generate a provisional

prototype (Spec, user story /

epic, pseudo code outline, test

procedure.

It doesn’t matter how inadequate

and uninformed it is – speed is

everything” quality will emerge

iteratively.

2. Enhance your provisional

iteratively

Perfection is not the objective here

– speed of improvement is.

3. Repeat until you’re happy, out

of ideas or time.

Repeat 3-5 times – then give your

brain a break or have a pair review

session.

Provisional Solution Exercise

28

What am I currently doing about it?

My Provisional Solution, going forward

V1

V2

v3

Problem/Challenge

© Copyright Prodsol

3. Integrate thealternatives

b. Alternative Generation & Integration (AGI)

29

2. Generate alternatives

1. D/Refineprototype

(provisional)

4. ConductR&D…

…to generatealternatives

© Copyright Prodsol

Technique comparison30

A. D/Refineprototype

B. ConductR&D

B. Developprototype

A. ConductR&D

Undeliberate Innovation Deliberate InnovationResearch-based Innovation Prototype-based Innovation

© Copyright Prodsol

AGI Innovation Speed & Quality Comparison

31

time

qua

lity

time

quality

Undeliberate Innovation Deliberate InnovationResearch-based Innovation Prototype-based Innovation

Data gathering and analysis

Putting it all together

© Copyright Prodsol

AGI Exercise32

Current Provisional Alternatives

Next Generation Provisional

integrate

© Copyright Prodsol

Other Basic DeliberateGenius Techniques

1. GPS: Goal | Problem | Solution

2. Pattern Thinking (Instead of choosing

between solution alternatives, look for

repeating patterns across them)

3. TEASE: Target | Enhance | Accelerate |

Streamline | Energise

4. CFMP: Assess the solution against Common

Failure Mode Patterns

© Copyright Prodsol

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Assurity Consulting

ASB Bank

Software Engineering Research Laboratory

Special Thanks

1. Event organised by volunteers

2. Jim from SERL for venue and cateringSoftware Engineering Research Laboratory

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