Lean Agile Systems Thinking (LAST)

Sometimes in the world of increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) it just seems like a jungle out there–don’t fight it…

James Wood FBCS CITP

Volatile economy? Sure. Uncertain future? Maybe.

Complex environment? Yup. Ambiguous requirements? Uhm.

Your world looks like this and the pressure’s on to deliver a class act but you’re tired of making impromptu performances?

Maybe LAST can help you deal with it.

Plan Analyse

Design Build

Test Deploy

Solution Benefits

Validating and Doing

Solution Design

Solution Delivery

Problem Statement

LAST’s six stages revolve around multiple iterative cycles of validating and doing until a state of perfection is achieved.

LAST’s stage objectives are to validate and do so whatever is happening in the VUCA world the project remains viable and stuff gets done.

Plan stage objective is to validate the Problem Statement

Analyse stage objective is to validate the Plan

Design stage objective is to validate the Business Case

Build stage objective is to validate the Design

Test stage objective is to validate the Solution

Deploy stage objective is to harvest the benefits

In LAST 30% of the overall effort is spent on understanding the benefits, 50% spent on design and build and 20% on quality assurance and delivery.

Plan Analyse

Design Build

Test Deploy

Solution Design

50%

Solution Benefits

Solution Delivery

30%

20%

LAST minimizes overhead and maximizes productive time and thanks to short sprints with showcases stakeholder engagement remains high even over prolonged periods.

20 showcases @ 20x60mins = 20 hours 14 Arch Forums @ 14x60mins = 14 hours

7 PCGs @ 7x60mins = 7 hours Team overhead time 34 hours or 4.25 days

Plan Analyse

Design Build

Test Deploy

3 plan sprints / 3 analyse cycles 6 showcases / 2 PCBs

5 design sprints / 5 build sprints 10 showcases / 10 Arch Forums / 3 PCBs

3 test cycles / 1 deploy sprint 4 showcases / 4 Arch Forums / 2 PCBs

Typical 100 day LAST project

Anasynthesis In his foreword to Sea of Systems Professor Alfredo Moscardini

puts forward the notion that both scientific thinking and systems thinking can co-exist.

Lean Agile Systems Thinking puts that notion into practice.

Anasynthesis can be gauged on a sliding scale depending on the level of integration required and indeed possible. LAST aims to produce a tightly coupled outcome.

Loosely coupled Anasynthesis is when analysis and synthesis are executed at different times during the Analyse stage and their outcomes (what and why) are used together in the final composite outcome to determine how.

Composite Anasynthesis

Tightly coupled Anasynthesis is when analysis and synthesis are executed together during the Analyse stage and the outcome is an integrated set of properties that deliver insights as to how and when.

Anasynthesis

Tightly coupled

Loosely coupled A

Anasynthesis in LAST combines Lean and Systems Thinking producing a set of new properties that allow for informed decisions about how and when problems are to be solved.

By using LAST project managers and sponsors can significantly decrease the amount of time and effort required to complete Current and Target State analyses as well as increase the quality and accuracy of their outcomes. Other benefits include: increased engagement, improved benefits realization and increased satisfaction.

Lean Thinking

Systems Thinking

Anasynthesis

Ax

What? Why?

How, When

A³

Analyse

A1 properties are produced as a result of Anasynthesis and a single model to address the fundamental value stream and relationship modelling questions of what and why.

A2 properties are produced by a further modelling cycle to address the questions of how and when.

A3 properties provide an extension to the derivatives of A2 offering the basis for scenario planning, “what if” and sustainability modelling―the future.

The LAST Analyse stage uses three cycles of Anasynthesis resulting in a thorough understanding of what, why, how and when.

Lean and System Dynamics combine to provide high quality and accurate models of the Current and Target States including variations and scenarios that can be used to strategize different outcomes into the future beyond the project delivery and benefits realization plan.

A1

A2

A3

Value

There’s no right or wrong way to use Anasynthesis both loosely and tightly coupled Anasynthesis provide the

results required to survive and thrive in the VUCA world.

The advantage of using a method similar to LAST with tight coupling comes from the tight sequencing of value creating steps

(efficiency, flow and pull) and the creation of greater value or higher leverage thanks to combining both approaches into one.

The LAST Manifesto

The LAST Manifesto Specifying Value

Specify value from the standpoint of the end customer by service or product family identifying all steps in the value stream and

eliminating whenever possible those steps that do not create value.

Sequencing Value Make the value-creating steps occur in tight

sequence so services and products flow smoothly to the customer. As flow is introduced, let customers

pull value from the next upstream activity.

Business Benefits Modeling Business benefits are modeled,

understood and become a continual focus of each team member throughout

the lifecycle and by the project’s stakeholders well after delivery

Insights into Sustainability Delivery and benefits are based on

sustainability and foresight and a high level of delivery must harvest a high

level of benefits.

High Leverage Development Development is prioritized and

scheduled based on its leverage within the target value stream and its overall

contribution to value creation.

Iterative Approach Development is driven by an iterative sprint and showcase approach that

builds strength after strength teasing out design and build defects

throughout the lifecycle.

Capability Modeling Customers and developers must work together daily,

constructing and sharing a mental model that accurately reflects their current and target capabilities.

Team Learning Team learning leads to a far greater outcome so decisions are understood

and taken by the team as opposed to individuals in isolation.

Peer Reviews Peer reviews add to the quality process and help

to rapidly build the team’s overall maturity as well as continually improve its outcomes and

promote consistency.

Technical Excellence Continuous attention to technical excellence and good

design enhances the end customer experience and builds confidence in their acceptance of quality outcomes.

Extreme Flexibility Changing requirements are welcomed

even during the final stages of user acceptance testing if stage validations

are still acceptable.

Continual Improvement Continual improvement is embedded at

the core of the practice by using the Deming Cycle of Plan, Do, Check, Act and

can be initiated by any team member.

References Lean Thinking – Womack, James P., Daniel, T. Jones (1996) Manifesto for Agile Software Development – http://agilemanifesto.org/ Society for Organizational Learning – http://www.solonline.org/ The Fifth Discipline – Peter Senge (1990) The Limiting Belief of Either/Or – Gene Bellinger, Systems Wiki (2015) http://www.systemswiki.org/index.php?title=The_Limiting_Belief_of_Either%2FOr The System Dynamics Society – http://www.systemdynamics.org/ Sea of Systems – http://vanwood.net/blog/ The LAST Manifesto Relationship Model – https://kumu.io/James/the-last-manifesto#the-last-manifesto

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