I have been working as a software consultant for more than 11 years. Because of that I am an eager supporter of lean principles and agile methods.
I’m back from another Agile conference in Stockholm. I was invited again because of the positive feedback I got the last time. Yesterday I ran a workshop on how to use Lean kanban boards for a small but interested crowd. I split my workshop into three parts:
- Explaining the difference between batch & push vs. flow & pull. Most people have to experience the difference in reality to accept the fact that there is a direct relation between “work in progress” and leadtime. We did this by simulating a manufacturing line, which is later turned into a software development process.
- I showed how a process can be mapped and analyzed using the classic Lean tool “value stream mapping”, and made them map processes of their own.
- Last part is when a incrementally build up a Kanban board and comparing it to Scrum, which they finally get to try themselves.
The workshop went really fine and I got nice comments and feedback afterwards, so I left the workshop feeling very good. Later I celebrated with a nice dinner in one of Stockholm’s oldest restaurants den Gyldene Freden, where I had a nice conversation with two Brasilian gentlemen who visited Stockholm for a medical convention.
Well, just a single look at the restaurant you are referring to makes me want to pack by bags and head off to Stockholm
Left by The Flex Person on May 22nd, 2009