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Kanban Applied to Software Development: from Agile to Lean

In this InfoQ article Kenji Hiranabe applies lessons learned while working with Japanese manufacturers. While many Agile teams are optimizing only a portion of the value stream, Hiranabe proposes a simple way to adapt lessons from Lean Manufacturing's "Kanban" visual tracking system to make process visible to more of the organization, for better communication and process improvement.

Kenji Hiranabe
on Jan 14, 2008
Interview: IBM Architect Bertrand Portier on joining MDD and SOA

In the wake of the latest product announcement from IBM, InfoQ talked to Bertrand Portier about a RedBook that presents a Model-Driven-Development approach to service construction. The concepts are general enough to be applied to product stacks other than IBM.

Jean-Jacques Dubray
on Oct 29, 2007
Book Review: The Responsibility Virus Helps Fear Undermine Collaboration

Do "empowered" organizations outperform their command-and-control competitors? Business school dean Roger Martin saw this promising approach fail too frequently. His diagnosis: he calls it the Responsibility Virus, and offers tools to help those who would treat the Virus in their own workplace. Reviewer Deborah Hartmann found this book a good explanation of why process is not enough.

Deborah Hartmann Preuss
on Sep 10, 2007
AgileAdvert Video Winners Announced

At Agile2007's Google reception, the audience voted to make the (very sad) clip "Developer Abuse" the number 1 video, thereby making "Matthew" (name changed to protect the innocent) this year's AgileAdvert famous Agilist. Five more videos were also recognized, sporting singing, dancing, a beating, "outside the box" thinking, expletives (deleted), and charming children (not all in one video!)

Deborah Hartmann Preuss
on Aug 20, 2007
Book Excerpt: Scaling Software Agility

"But does Agile scale?" Emerging stories and case studies indicate that it certainly does. InfoQ brings you two excerpts from Dean Leffingwell's book "Scaling Software Agility: Best Practices for Large Enterprises". Chapter 1 presents how Agile methods respond to the need for competitive advantage, and Chapter 2 revisits "Why the Waterfall Model Doesn’t Work".

Dean Leffingwell
on Apr 19, 2007
SOA and Agile: Friends or Foes?

SOA aims at making the entire enterprise agile by using services as the building blocks for applications. Agile software development aims at making organizations agile by introducing practices that increase communication and feedback. Which is right? Which is better? Are we comparing apples and oranges? Can they be used together, and if so, how? Join us in the discussion!

Amr Elssamadisy
on Apr 14, 2007
Culture & Methods

Case Study: Targeted Practice Adoption using Patterns

It's easy to forget what originally motivated us, once we're implementing Agile. Teams spin, trying to figure out which practices to start with, unsure which will have the biggest impact, or how they fit together. Amr Elssamadisy and John Mufarrige propose a customized adoption approach to help teams decide where to focus first - an alternative to adoption of pre-packaged methodologies.

Amr Elssamadisy John Mufarrige
on Jan 29, 2007
Cultivating Agile Attitudes

In this article, Dafydd Rees reminds us that there are no simple steps that guarantee a smooth transition to agile: true success with agile methodologies requires a true change in behavior and outlook. This article offers advice on "Growing Agile Developers," "Creating Agile Coaches," and "Weeding out Hidden Problems."

Dafydd Rees
on Jan 08, 2007
Adopting Agile Development Practices: Using Patterns to Share our Experiences

Agile adoption often proves challenging. Participants at a recent OpenSpace event focused on the dynamics of adoption rather than the structure that results from adoption. The resulting patterns are part of an effort to compile Agile adoption patterns answering: "What specific practices should I adopt?", "How can I adopt incrementally?" and "Where can I expect pitfalls?"

Amr Elssamadisy
on Nov 06, 2006
Book Excerpt: Implementing Lean Software Development: From Concept to Cash

In 2003 Mary and Tom Poppendieck adapted the revolutionary principles of Lean manufacturing for software development. Their new book offers a blend of history, theory, and practice, drawing on their experience optimizing the software "value stream". They present the right questions to ask, the key issues to focus on, and techniques proven to work for those implementing a lean software process.

Mary Poppendieck Tom Poppendieck
on Sep 18, 2006
Agile Alliance Survey: Are We There Yet?

Diana Larsen, a member of the Agile Alliance Board of Directors, leads a lot of retrospectives... So, it's not surprising that, when she asked herself "Where is Agile going now?" her response was to run a retrospective of her own. She circulated a survey to the other Agile Alliance board members, and has compiled a picture of the trends they're seeing in the Agile world.

Diana Larsen
on Sep 13, 2006
What is Agility, and Why Should You Care?

Coach Mishkin Berteig introduces the benefits of Agility with two stories of highly responsive teams, and outlines some further reading. Agile helps people work more effectively by empowering teams, amplifying learning and eliminating waste. Agility teaches the team to modify its own working process over time, always with a view to providing more value to the enterprise while reducing waste.

Mishkin Berteig
on May 16, 2006

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