Lean uses the concept of time pacing to provide regularity.
Events are undertaken at regular intervals so that this week's
schedule is as similar as possible to last week's schedule. For
example, Intel introduces new microprocessors at regular intervals
rather than waiting for design breakthroughs or market pressures.
Agile methods use iterations as
fixed-length repeating cycles.
Their regularity creates a relentless sense of urgency (especially
1-week iterations ) and, over
time, a rhythm is established, which helps people work proactively.
Without rhythm people tend to be reactive. The transition from one
iteration to the next is carefully choreographed (through an
iteration review drawing the
current iteration to a conclusion, a
retrospective to identify and
take what is learnt into the next iteration, and a planning game to
kick-start the next iteration) so that the changeover is completed
without appearing to down tools and really stop.
We run our lives on the basis of routine. We don't need a schedule
to determine when we should have breakfast every day. Regularity
and rhythm give us the ability to achieve a continuous flow that
delivers valuable functionality to customers regularly rather than
batch and queue big releases.
Saturday, 28 July 2007
Time pacing, rhythm and choreography
Posted by Simon Baker - Permalink
