1.
Neil Killick, Portfolio Manager
neilkillick.com neil2killick@gmail.com @neil_killick
Slicing for
Organisational Agility
using
The Slicing Heuristic
A #NoEstimates Method for
Faster & More Predictable Delivery
Copyright Neil Killick, 2015

2.
Not another story slicing talk!

3.
FAST
Shinkansen trains can reach speeds of up to 320km/h
PREDICTABLE
13 trains per hour between Tokyo & Osaka (train every 3-5 mins)
In 2014, avg delay was 54 seconds, including uncontrollable causes
such as natural disasters
RELIABLE
5 billion passengers, 150 million per year

4.
How did they do it?
❏ Built dedicated lines for high speed rail, so
not slowed down by slower trains
❏ No road crossings
❏ Specially designed tracks

5.
You can’t just make a train faster
or more reliable.
You must create a network for
fast, reliable trains.

6.
Agile is ordering tapas til you’re full,
not ordering a 10-course meal.

7.
Is Agile
Estimation
really
helping us?
❏ Predictive
❏ Optimised for speed
❏ Points are abstract
❏ Focused on cost
❏ Developer-centric
❏ False sense of security

8.
So, What is a Slicing
Heuristic?
❏ An explicit policy that describes how to "slice"
work to help us achieve:
❏ Faster time to market*
❏ Better predictability**
❏ How?
❏ Define work with a consistent & shared language
❏ Replace deterministic estimation rituals with:
❏ Slicing rituals
❏ Empirical measurement of actual cycle times for all work types

9.
slicing
…[creating] relatively thin, broad piece[s] cut from an object
having some bulk or volume…
[ref: yourdictionary.com]
heuristic
...any approach to problem solving, learning, or discovery that
employs a practical methodology not guaranteed to be optimal
or perfect, but sufficient for the immediate goals.
[ref: Wikipedia]

10.
How To: 5-step cycle
1. Define & agree work types
2. Agree slicing policy for each
work type
3. Slice work, Just-In-Time
4. Do work + measure
cycle times
5. Inspect & adapt policies
Initiative
Capability
Feature
Story
Build
Slice
Measure
Learn

11.
1. Define & agree work
types - An example
❏ Initiative - Strategic theme, likely to last several
months or longer
❏ Capability - Desired customer outcome, likely to
last several iterations
❏ Feature - Proposed solution to deliver a capability,
likely to last a few weeks
❏ Story - User capability needed to make a feature,
likely to last a few days

12.
2. Agree
slicing
policy
for each
work
type
❏ Define when to stop
slicing
❏ State desired cycle time
& variation
❏ Make policies explicit &
visible (HT Kanban
Method)
Initiative
Capability
Feature
Story
❏ Max 3 Capabilities
❏ Cycle time < 6 months
❏ Std dev < 3 weeks
❏ Max 2 Features
❏ Cycle time < 2 months
❏ Std dev < 6 days
❏ Max 4 Stories
❏ Cycle time < 2 weeks
❏ Std dev < 3.5 days
❏ 1 Acceptance Test
❏ Cycle time < 3 days
❏ Std dev < 0.5 days

13.
3. Slice work
Just-In-Time
❏ 1 card for each work item coming into the system
❏ Conversations between appropriate people at appropriate
cadence for each work type
❏ Remove/de-prioritise options
❏ Organise remaining options into appropriate work types
e.g. push things back upstream

14.
Initiative
Capability 1 Capability 2 Capability 3
Feature
1
Feature
2
Feature
1
Feature
2
Feature
1
Feature
2
Story
1
Story
2
Story
3
Story
4
Story
1
Story
2
Story
1
Story
3
Story
2
Story
2
Story
1
Story
1
Story
3
Story
2
Story
4
Story
1
Story
3
Story
2

15.
To Do Doing Done
= 1 elapsed day
Easy to add a dot
at daily standup,
or just update
the data daily in
a spreadsheet
Story 1 Story 2 Story 3 Story 4 Story 5
Elapsed days 2 3 1 1 2
Days
Stories
We need
this data!
4. Do work + measure
cycle times

16.
5. Inspect & adapt
policies
❏ How long is it taking to deliver work?
❏ Analyse statistical patterns for work types
❏ Do we have desired speed to market?
❏ Do we have desired level of predictability?

17.
What might happen?
1. Work takes longer than desired (high cycle time)
2. Work is unpredictable overall (high variation)
3. Work is unpredictable within a work type
4. New work types emerge
❏ e.g. MVP/MMF
5. Work type is retired
❏ e.g. move to FDD, no more stories

18.
High Cycle Time
We can try...
❏ Creating clearer story definition &/or acceptance criteria (Definitions of Ready
& Done)
❏ Better acceptance tests upstream to clarify all user scenarios, e.g. 3 Amigos
❏ Slicing work more ruthlessly for simplicity and unambiguity
❏ Reducing WIP at one or more levels
Leading to:
❏ Simpler stories, more options & lower risk
❏ Shorter feedback loops for faster learning & delivery of customer value
❏ Reduced delays such as hand-offs, story defects, other queues &
dependencies on people outside of the team

19.
Variable Cycle Time
We can try...
❏ Being more consistent in the way work is defined & broken down
❏ Keeping WIP consistent
❏ Minimising distractions
Leading to…
❏ Managers can use empirical data for more predictable delivery
forecasting, rather than relying on crystal ball gazing by the team
❏ Reduced stress on the team
❏ Increased transparency & trust with stakeholders

20.
Benefits
❏ Empirical
❏ Optimised for
conversations
❏ Time is a universal unit
❏ Promotes collaboration
“up the chain”
❏ Build the right
thing (right
solution for right
problem)
❏ Control risk
(cost/schedule)
Initiative
Capability
Feature
Story
❏ Max 3 Capabilities
❏ Cycle time < 6 months
❏ Std dev < 3 weeks
❏ Max 2 Features
❏ Cycle time < 2 months
❏ Std dev < 6 days
❏ Max 4 Stories
❏ Cycle time < 2 weeks
❏ Std dev < 3.5 days
❏ 1 Acceptance Test
❏ Cycle time < 3 days
❏ Std dev < 0.5 days

21.
*Faster time to
market
❏ Slicing makes work simple & unambiguous - naturally
leads to “small”
❏ Slicing reduces risk
❏ Slicing exposes options that we can throw away or delay
So, making slicing an explicit, measurable activity across our
portfolio is likely to increase speed to market.

22.
**Better
predictability
❏ Work at all levels can be forecast using empirical data
❏ Makes portfolio views extremely useful
❏ Instantly know that e.g. a feature is 2-4 weeks
❏ Collaboration & quality of conversations are improved
So, making slicing an explicit, measurable activity across our
portfolio is likely to increase predictability.

23.
All we need is a continuous
improvement mindset.
And a method.

24.
Build
Slice
Measure
Learn
1. Define & agree work types
2. Agree slicing policy for each work
type
3. Slice work, Just-In-Time
4. Do work + measure cycle times
5. Inspect & adapt policies

25.
DISCLAIMER
This will only work if you try it.

26.
Neil Killick, Portfolio Manager
neilkillick.com neil2killick@gmail.com @neil_killick
Copyright Neil Killick, 2015