episode C.037 Data Is Your Friend

Introduction
Even though the new quarter doesn't start until Wednesday, we are jumping into it with both feet. BTW - that is also the theme for July - Being Agile. Two quick reasons for this theme now. First is we are in new territory when it comes to the economy, social factors, government action and how it is affecting our ability to run a profitable business. The second is how it matches with our previous emphasis around building a "Lean Organization'. The difference is simple - Agile is a mindset that uses the principles of Lean to succeed in unstable times.
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Show Objectives
If you are going to run an Agile business then embracing data is essential. It also requires a different mindset about how to manage based on the data - and the subject of today's show.

How should you measure an Agile business? It does lend itself to some of the more traditional measures like Doc-to-Doc or TAkT Time, but the emphasis here is on speed and identify the the obstacles preventing assignments being completed on time.

What You Need to Know
Continuous vs Discrete Production
Although you might be making something tangible as opposed to delivering an experience, Agile treats production more like a continuous flow than a typical production line. One of the major reasons is the most significant investment by a business is time. Since time is perishable (you can't store it), it makes more sense to view this process as a continuous flow - once it passes it is gone, once it is mixed wrong it is ruined.
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Given this different method for looking at a process, the following are some ideas for measuring progress until the final result:

• Sprint Burndown
• Project Burndown
• Velocity
• Doc to Doc
• Cumulative Flow

​What You Need to Do
Sprint Burndown

• Insufficient time invested by Team
• Team overwhelmed
• Sprint too macro
• Change of Scope/Wrong QFD

Project Burndown

• Project not updated  from completed Sprints
• Lack of progress (Sprints)
• Scope Creep

Velocity

• Wrong QFD
• Poor Forecast
• Outside pressure - competing demands

Doc to Doc

• Increasing cycle or Sprint times
• Erratic cycle or Sprint times

Cumulative Flow

• Unforeseen Constraints (bottlenecks)
• Failure to close (acceptance)

Next Show: C.038 Buying Access