1.
DevOps Kaizen:
Practical Steps to Start & Sustain an Organization’s Transformation
© DTO Solutions, Inc.
Damon Edwards
@damonedwards

2.
DevOps Consulting
Operational Improvement
Tools

3.
High
Performing
CompaniesPractices & Behaviors
Gene Kim
… but WHY are
they different?

4.
The ability to improve.

5.
The unique trait of high-performing companies is
that they are good at learning fast.

6.
Improvement already has a well known recipe:
Plan - Do - Study - Act (PDSA)
Other variants:
PDCA
OODA
W. Edwards Deming - 1950
© The Deming Institute

7.
1. The work isn’t visible
2. People are working out of context
3. Inertia is pulling your org out of alignment
Why are so many organizations unable to improve?
(Silo Effects)

8.
Org Charts
Reference
Architecture
Strategy
&
Budget
Strategy
&
Budget
Documented Processes Project Plans
Traditional “Visibility” For Technology Managers
Release Trains
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings
Meetings

9.
Complex
System
Complex
System
interacting with
No wonder…
1. The work isn’t visible
2. People are working out
of context
3. Inertia is pulling your
org out of alignment
It’s a complex system

10.
The only way to fix a sufficiently complex system is
to create the conditions for the system to fix itself.

11.
Too costly…
outsource more!
Finance
More discipline…
tighter process and
more approvals!
Change
Management
We need results…
re-org until we do!
Executive
Committee
Need better tools…
new automation and a
new network!
Engineers
“I know the answer!…”

12.
The “Big Bang” Transformation Dream
Start
Finish

13.
The “Big Bang” Transformation Reality
Start
Finish
Fear
Panic
Abort
Maybe
People revert to
legacy behaviors

14.
More discipline…
tighter process and
more approvals
Need Results…
Re-Org!
Need better tools…
cool automation and a
new network!!
Too costly…
outsource more!
Finance
Change
Management
Executive
Committee
Engineers

15.
How to teach an organization to fix itself:
“Little J’s” instead of “Big J”
Start
Finish
Start
Finish
“Big Bang” Continuous Improvement
Fear
Panic
Abort
Maybe

16.
Turn Continuous Improvement into an enterprise program
•Keep improvement efforts aligned
•Scale quickly
•Span multiple organizational boundaries
•Work with substantial numbers of legacy technologies
•Develop your existing staff in mass
•Be self-funding after initial seed investment
You are going to have to…

17.
1. The work isn’t visible
2. People are working out of context
3. Inertia is pulling your org out of alignment
Remember what you are up against….

18.
“DevOps Kaizen”
• Kaizen: Japanese word for improvement
• Modern business context:
• Continuous improvement
• Systematic, scientific-method approach
• Total engagement of the workforce
• Valuing small changes as much as large changes
(outcome is what matters)
• DevOps context:
• Continuously improve the flow of work through the full
value stream in order to improve customer outcomes

19.
Proven Lean Techniques
+
DevOps Context
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
-Sir Isaac Newton
“DevOps Kaizen”

20.
Elements of a DevOps Kaizen Program

21.
Elements of a DevOps Kaizen Program

22.
Organization-wide focus on service delivery metrics
• Lead Time (Duration and Predictability)
• MTTD (Mean Time To Detect)
• MTTR (Mean Time to Repair, Mean Time to Fix)
• Quality at the Source (Scrap/Rework)

23.
Elements of a DevOps Kaizen Program
This is where the work
becomes visible!

24.
Retrospectives are a per value stream tool
Value
Stream
A
Value
Stream
B
Value
Stream
C
Key: “horizontal
thinking”

25.
Map end-to-end process1
Include key process metrics:
Lead Time
Processing Time
Scrap Rate
Head Count
DevOps Kaizen: Retrospective Technique
Key: graphical
facilitation above all
else!
Note: “go to the gemba”
requires making it visible
together
Inspiration: value stream mapping

26.
Identify wastes, inefficiencies, bottlenecks
PD - Partially Done
TS - Task Switching
W - Waiting
M - Motion / Manual
D - Defects
EP - Extra Process
EF - Extra Features
HB - Heroics
Structured approach building on DevOps
adaptation of “7 deadly wastes” from Lean / Agile:
2
DevOps Kaizen: Retrospective Technique
Key: focus on flow
of value… not
gripes
Inspiration: 7 Wastes of Software Development

27.
DevOps Kaizen: Retrospective Technique
Identify countermeasures
Countermeasures must be actionable, backlog ready.
Focus on short-term “baby steps”. Note broader, strategic
recommendations.
3
Key: “small j’s,
not big j’s”

28.
DevOps Kaizen: Retrospective Technique
Create Improvement Storyboards (Kata Style)4
Key: actionable short-term “baby steps”… “what are we
going to do next?”

29.
DevOps Kaizen: Retrospective Technique

30.
+ Work in small batches
+ Early Ops Involvement
+ Standardized Catalog (with design
standards built-in)
+ Plan and Design by Those Who Will Do
Key: “What can we do next?” NOT “what is nirvana?”

31.
+Dev provide service verification tests
+Ops provide environment verification
tests (used by Dev and QA)
+Self-service test data setup (including
mainframe)

32.
Improvement Storyboards Inspiration: A3 management process
Template Example

33.
Using Storyboards: Part Sales, Part Coaching
Learner
Coach / Leader
What is the target condition?
What is the actual condition now?
What obstacles do you think are stopping
you from reaching target condition?
What is your next step?
When will we know what was learned from
the next step?
Asks
Questions
Maintain
Storyboard
Answer / Explain
Inspiration: Toyota Kata

34.
Repeatable and Scalable Coaching Pattern
Manages Value Stream
(VP)
Manages Value Stream Loops
(Director, Managers)
Implements Improvements
(All)
Sets Business Goal
(CXO)
Focused on...
This is how the
org learns fast!

35.
Elements of a DevOps Kaizen Program

36.
1. The will to make change happen
2. The resources to make change happen
3. Follow-through / clear obstacles
Kaizen Program Oversight
This (and only this) is what the Kaizen Program Oversight Group does!

37.
1. The will to make change happen
2. The resources to make change happen
3. Follow-through / clear obstacles
Kaizen Program Oversight
Inspire Executives with:

38.
Elements of a DevOps Kaizen Program

39.
DevOps Kaizen Program is an overlay for any delivery methodology

40.
DevOps Kaizen: Let’s Recap!
Make the work visible Focus on Continuous Improvement
Establish program elements Build into your operating model

41.
@damonedwards
Damon Edwards
damon@dtosolutions.com