Kanban Kata - Lean Kanban European Conference Tour 2012

@hakanforss #KanbanKata

Created by Håkan Forss @hakanforss http://hakanforss.wordpress.com

Suggestions points in many direction


Improvement Whack-a-Mole


We have lots of But nothing seems We need a more
great suggestions to get done! focused way to
improve!
How is the
improvement
work going?


Håkan Forss
Lean/Agile Coach

@hakanforss

Agile/Scrum/XP


What is a Kata?


Create ”muscle memory”
for continuous improvements


“We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an
act, but a habit.”
Aristotle


Let’s do an experiment!


Shake hands with your neighbor


Now do it with your left hand


How did that feel?


Rewire your brain for
continuous improvements


Vision

Challenge

Target
Target
Target
Target Condition
Condition
Condition
Condition
Current
Condition


Improvements are experiments


Hypothesis

Observation Prediction

Experiment


Expect at least 50% of the
experiments will not give the
expected result

This is when we REALLY learn!


The Improvement Kata Handbook is Copyright © 2012 by Mike Rother
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mrother/Materials_to_Download.html

Toyota’s Vision for Its
Production Operations
• Zero defects
• 100 percent value added
• One-piece flow, in sequence, on demand
• Security for people


Software development
Vision example
• Zero defects, in production
• 100 percent value added
• Highest value first, on demand


What to collect
• Data and facts, not gut feel
• Process metrics
• Outcome metrics


This is the next
target condition …


Beyond the knowledge
threshold


Put a square peg in a
round hole


Setting a target condition
• Hypothesis on the journey towards the next
Challenge and Vision
• Based on your business strategy and model for
process improvement
• Follow the Goldilocks rule
– Not too hard, Not too easy, Just Right


Challenge

Target
Target Condition
Target Condition
Target Condition
Condition
Current
Condition


Challenge

Current
Condition


Target Condition examples
• Make all work visible
• Reduce the lead time by 50%
• Reduce the work-in-process by 25%
• Deploy to production every 2 weeks
• Implement Specification by Example


Target
Condition

Current
Condition


Target
Condition

A P
Current C D
Condition


Leader coaching the learners


Give a helping hand


Give a push in the
right direction


Daily Kata

Improvement Kata

Operations review Kata


What obstacle is
now in our way? What is
preventing flow?


1. What are we trying to achieve?
2. Where are we now?
3. What obstacles are now in our way?
– What is preventing flow?
– What deviations do we have?
4. What’s our next step, and what do we
expect?
5. When can we see what we’ve learned
from taking that step?


What is the Target
Condition?


How often? How many?
• At least one experiment a week
• Always at least one active experiment

• All the time!


See yourself as gardeners.

If you don’t keep it up,
the weeds will grow back


1. What are we trying to achieve?
– Vision / Challenge
2. Where are we now?
– Business & Process metrics Review
3. What obstacles are now in our way?
4. What’s our next step, and what do we
expect?
5. When can we see what we’ve learned from
taking that step?


Should
• Be objective, data-driven, quantitative
• Stimulate a Kaizen culture
• Create organization level feedback loops


How often?
• At least once a month


Improvement feedback cycle
Operations review Kata

Improvement Kata

Daily Kata


What is the purpose?
• Create organization ”muscle memory”
for continuous improvements
• Have familiar routines as you probe
through the unknown


Are the exact
Katas important?


Yes, but
• Having routines are more important
– People should know what to expect
– Adds extra security when probing in the
unknown


Good morning!
What are we trying to
achieve?


User story 49, 54 Code ready for release
and 59 should be on every Wednesday
done by Wednesday


Where are we now?


We may not get user story The trunk is currently not
59 done by Wednesday stable. We can’t release
until it’s stable.


What obstacle is now in our
The last bug fix made the
way?
automated tests fail.


What’s our next step,
and what do we expect?
I’m analyzing the problem.
I expect to have a fix today.


When can we see what
we’ve learned from
I expect to have an
taking that step?
analysis and a fix
done at 15:00


Good. I will see
you at 15:00


Getting back to obstacles.
What is preventing flow?


I’m waiting on Pete to get
back to me on the design
for user story 59


What’s our next step,
and what do we expect?

I will talk to Pete after the
meeting. I expect to have
the design by tomorrow


When can we see what
we’ve learned from
taking that step?
I expect to have an
confirmation from Pete
within the hour


Good.
Please update the
board when you have
the confirmation


What else is preventing flow?
What deviations do we have?

….


What was your
I have been analyzing the last step?
problem on the trunk.


What actually
I found that there was happened?
some test data missing.


We should consider a way to What did you
validate the test data before learn?
we check-in to the trunk


What is your next
I intend to look for simple way step?
to validate the test data.


I expect to have a What do you
recommendation if we expect?
should invest in validating
the test data or not


When can we see
what we’ve learned
On Friday after the from taking that step?
Daily meeting


Great.
See you then.


So how are the Daily
meeting going? Good. We are taking
small steps in the
right direction


You are starting
to take small
Small experiments that
steps every day.
probe your way towards
the Target Condition
I agree.


So, what is the target
condition you are Reducing the lead
working on? time by 4 days


Lead time Throughput
Frontend Half the lead time 12th dec

Lead time Lead time
S = 10 days S = 8 days
M = 20 days M = 16 days
L = 40 days L = 36 days
Escaped defects Escaped defects
Level 1: 1 Level 1: 1
Customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction
NPS: 20% NPS: 20%

We are almost there
What is the actual on the small user
condition now? stories, but not on the
medium and large


Can you show me
the data?


Id Title StartDate EndDate LeadTime
1010 Feature 1 2011-05-20 2011-05-30 10
1011 Feature 2 2011-05-25 2011-06-06 12
1012 Feature 3 2011-05-31 2011-06-12 12
1013 Feature 4 2011-05-31 2011-06-09 9
1014 Feature 5 2011-06-05 2011-06-13 8
1015 Feature 6 2011-05-20 2011-06-02 13
1016 Feature 7 2011-05-25 2011-06-06 12
1017 Feature 8 2011-05-31 2011-06-08 8
1018 Feature 9 2011-05-31 2011-06-10 10
1019 Feature 10 2011-06-06 2011-06-13 7


What obstacles are
now preventing you We have identified
from reaching the the following
target condition? obstacles …


Which one are you The test
addressing now? setup time


Document the
What was your setup process
last step?


As we went through
What actually the test setup we
happened? documented every step


What did you learn?


5th Dec
Lead time
Frontend

Many steps are done Many of the steps can be
Document the We expect to
manually even if they can automated with small changes
setup process understand the
be automated to the current setup process
process better

What is your next
step?


5th Dec
Lead time
Frontend

process better

Automating large
parts of the test
setup

Sounds like a major
step? Smaller steps Yes, I guess it is.
are preferred.


What could be a
smaller next step?


5th Dec
Lead time
Frontend

process better

Automating large
parts of the test
setup
Automating setup
of test database

Good.
What results do
you expect?


5th Dec
Lead time
Frontend

process better

Automating large
parts of the test
setup
Automating setup We expect to half
of test database the setup time for
the test database

When can we go and see
what we have learned In one week.
from taking that step?


Good.
See you in one week.


What do the team think
about this new way of
improving their work?


Rocks !!


Your treasure map to
Kanban Kata & Toyota Kata!
http://hakanforss.wordpress.com/tag/kanban-kata/
http://hakanforss.wordpress.com/tag/toyota-kata/
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mrother/Homepage.html
http://www.lean.org/kata/
http://www.slideshare.net/mike734
http://www.slideshare.net/BillCW3/


Håkan Forss
Mail: hakan.forss@avegagroup.se
Twitter: @hakanforss
Blog: http://hakanforss.wordpress.com


Kanban Kata - Lean Kanban European Conference Tour 2012

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Kanban Kata - Lean Kanban European Conference Tour 2012