12/04/2017 AgileVs.Lean:YeahYeah,WhatstheDifference?

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AGILEVS.LEAN:YEAH
YEAH,WHATSTHE
DIFFERENCE?
byAbbyFichtner

IsAgilethesameasLean?WhenpeoplesayagiledotheyreallymeanScrum?Ordo
peoplestillusedifferenttypesofagileandifso,why?

Beengettingalotofquestionslately,sothoughtIdtakeastabatthis

LEAN
LeancomesfromLeanManufacturingandisasetofprinciplesforachievingquality,
speed&customeralignment(sameaswhatweretryingtodowithagile
development,right?).

Mary&TomPoppendieckadaptedtheprinciplesfromLeanManufacturingtofit
softwaredevelopmentandIbelievetheseideasactuallyprovidethepremises
behindwhyagileworks:

1.EliminateWaste 5.DeliverFast
2.BuildQualityIn 6.RespectPeople
3.CreateKnowledge 7.OptimizetheWhole
4.DeferCommitment

Inanutshell,Leansaystorelentlesslyeliminateanythingthatisntaddingvalueand
onlyworkonwhatweabsolutelyneedtobedoingatthismomentintime.Eliminating
wastemeanseliminatinguselessmeetings,tasksanddocumentation.But
italsomeanseliminatingtimespentbuildingwhatweknowwellneedinthefuture
(thingsareconstantlychangingsoweoftenendupnotneedingthemorifwedo,
wehavetoreworkthembecauseconditionsandourunderstandinghaschangedby
then).Italsomeanseliminatinginefficientwaysofworkinglikemultitasking(!)so
wecandeliverfast.

Leanalsoputsaverystrongemphasisonwhatitcallsthesystemthatis,theway
thattheteamoperatesasawhole.Wealwaysneedtobelookingatourworkfroma
topleveltoensurewereoptimizingforthewhole.Forexample,manymanagerswant
tooptimizeindividualdevelopersbyensuringtheyrealwaysat100%butmostof
thetime,thisisactuallycounterproductive.Letsnothavepeoplecodingsomething
thatisntneeded(orfullydefinedyet)justforthesakeofcoding,becausethat
actuallycreatesmoreworkforusinthefuture(see:WhyYouShouldLetYour
DevelopersSurf).

Alongthoselines,Leansaystorespectthatthepeopledoingtheworkaretheones
thatbestknowhowtodoit.Givethemwhattheyneedtobeeffectiveandthentrust

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themtodoit.Softwaredevelopmentisaboutlearning,sostructuretheworkto
ensurewerecontinuouslylearning.Andbecauseofthat,deferdecisionsuntilthelast
responsiblemoment(becausewellknowmorebythen).Finally,developinawaythat
buildsqualityintoourproduct,becausetheresnowaytocontinuouslydeliverfastif
wehavetokeepgoingbacktocleanupourmesses.

Organizationsthataretrulyleanhaveastrongcompetitiveadvantagebecausethey
respondveryrapidlyandinahighlydisciplinedmannertomarketdemand,rather
thantrytopredictthefuture.MaryPoppendieck

AGILE
AgilereferstoasetofvaluesandprinciplesputforthintheAgileManifesto.The
Manifestowasareactionagainstheavyweightmethodologiesthatwerepopular,yet
cripplingsoftwareprojectsfromactuallydoingwhattheyneededtodocreate
softwarethathelpedthecustomer!IbelieveAgilesvalues&principles
workbecauseofthesciencebehindLeanandsoyoullseealotofsimilarthemes
repeatedinagile.

TheAgileManifestosvaluesare:

Individualsandinteractionsoverprocessesandtools
Workingsoftwareovercomprehensivedocumentation
Customercollaborationovercontractnegotiation
Respondingtochangeoverfollowingaplan

Anditsprinciplesare:

1.Highestpriorityiscustomer 7.Progressmeasuredbyworking
satisfaction software
2.Welcomechangingrequirements 8.Sustainabledevelopmentpace
9.Continuousattentiontotechnical
3.Frequentdeliveryofsoftware
excellence
4.Businesspeople&developers
10.Simplicity
cooperatingdaily
5.Buildprojectsaroundmotivated
11.Selforganizingteams
people
6.Facetofaceconversationisbest 12.Regularreflection&adaptation

Anyprojectthatfollowsthesevaluesandprinciplescanrightlybeconsideredtobe
agile.Thatsaid,therearedefinitelypreferredpracticesthatarecommonforagile
teamstofollowinordertoachieveagility.Mostcommonly:

ScrumorKanban(orahybridofthetwo)forManagementPractices
ExtremeProgramming(XP)forTechnicalPractices(withnewpractices
becomingpopular,largelyfromLeanStartupsuchasContinuousDeployment
andTestinginProduction)

Agoodagileteampicksandchosesthemanagement&technicalpracticesthatbest
workforthem.(abadonejustpicksacoupleofpracticesandfalselybelievesthat
somehowmakesthemagilesee:AreWeAgileYet?).

InPartII,Illpostsummariesoftheseagilemethodsandpractices.

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