EPISODE B4.002: Integrating Agile and Lean - Agilean Techniques for Growth

Introduction
New week, same perspective with greater conviction.

After being attentive to the weekend news about the continued arbitrary government response to COVID19, there is only one course for the business owner - ignore their word salad of concern and work around it. 

Being passive and waiting for the right decision will put you out of business. There are only two ‘people’ who have that right - you and the customer.

IBGR is committed to your success and our programming is for legal aggression (OK, I’ll make it nicer - assertiveness) to open, stay open, and be profitable.

Unlike the rest of society - we have your back.

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Show Objectives
This is an original concept - integrating the 2. Both camps claim it does both - agile claims it is lean and lean (first on the scene) claims it covers speed. Both are half right.

Our approach is different by blending the focus on speed and margins into one approach. So instead of trying to select, the following is the best of both worlds.

Key Issue

• One approach to speed and margins

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What You Need to Know
Review from EPISODE B2.002: THE AGILE STARTUP - OPERATIONS

1. Required Processes - (1) Problem Solving & Decision Making, (2) Teamwork
2. Specifications for Minimal Product (Service) - keep the output tight but allow for scope creep in the individual sprints.
3. Go Small Over Short Periods - accept the concept you don't know what you don't know at the start and will learn it by the conclusion of this step.
4. Manage the Process by Facilitating the Teams - control comes from the group using the same problem solving and decision making tools.

What You Need to Do

Required Processes

• Problem Solving & Decision Making - you need to develop and deploy a common model for analyzing problems. The same is true for decision making, if you can be certain of the thought process being used, you can be comfortable with the outcome. Some ideas: (1) Fishbone Diagram>(2) Brainstorming Causes>(3) Nominal Group Probabilities>(4) Solution Criteria Ranking> (5) Best Choice>(6) Recommendation & Plan;
• Teamwork - you need to common model for determining participants, how to charter to the job and establish operating principles.

Specifications for Minimal Product (Service)

• Performance Characteristics of Product/Service
• Usage Conditions
• Target Customer

Go Small Over Short Periods

• Break large projects into small, shorter duration projects
• Break small projects into smaller steps - days if possible
• Clarity on the Solution Criteria
• Allow for scope creep without sacrificing time or end result
• Facilitator (SCRUM Master) is the critcal role

Manage the Process by Facilitating the Teams

• Control is maintained by how the group functions
• End Result is the output of teamwork (synergy)

Shows

• Previous: EPISODE B4.001 OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS IN STAGE IV BUSINESSES
• Next: B4.003 Operations Stage IV Capacity Plan