You’ve heard of “Kanban” by now, or heard someone say they’ve “switched to kanban”, or “tried kanban” and it didn’t work. If you’ve said these yourself or you’re just starting to learn about flow, pull, and kanban concepts, this is a “don’t miss session” for you! We’ll first review three meanings of the term “kanban”, and identify two misconceptions of what “kanban” is and isn’t. Then expand on what “pull” means and identify a fundamental element that different pull systems share. We’ll then look at ways to introduce principles of flow, pull, and kanban in your current workflow process. Practices that have been used in real-world contexts with teams just starting their agile journeys and experienced teams looking to continue improving.

1. Click to edit Master title styleMile High Agile 2017
VISS
frank.vega@vissinc.com
www.vissinc.com
Vega Information System
Services, Inc.
Lean-agile Principles, Flow-based
Metrics, Kanban Method, XP Practices
image via google search
Utilizing Flow, Pull, and
Kanban “thinking”

2. Click to edit Master title styleWho Am I?
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Agile Denver Kanban SIG
• More info: LinkedIn / www.vissinc.com
• 30+ years in IT/IS
• 15-ish as employee (various roles)
• 15-ish self-employed (development, coaching)
• Lean-agile, Flow-based metrics/probabilistic
forecasting, Kanban Method, XP
• LKNA (2009-2017), KLR (North America), KCP
• Agile Denver, Agile Denver Kanban SIG
• ProbabilityManagement.org

3. Click to edit Master title styleWho Are You?
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IT/IS?
Non-IT/IS
New to agile?
New to lean?
New to kanban (pull)?
Team role?
Who are you?

4. Click to edit Master title styleOverview
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No prescription
No silver bullet
Influencing your thinking…
Goal

5. Click to edit Master title styleOverview
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The Plan Some Historical Context
Three Key “kanban” Definitions
Three Common “kanban” Myths
Pull (vs Push)
Fundamental Element of Pull
Simple Ways to Utilize
Flow, Pull, & Kanban “Thinking”
Wrap-up & Questions

6. Click to edit Master title styleHistorical Foundations
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LeanProduction.com

7. Click to edit Master title styleKanban – Signal (kan) Board (ban)
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Signboard or Visual Card
Karl Scotland

8. Click to edit Master title styleKanban – Pull System
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Push System
Station 1
Pull System
= Information Flow
= Material Flow
Station 2 Station 3 Station 4
Station 1 Station 2 Station 3 Station 4

9. Click to edit Master title styleKanban – Pull System
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Pull Systems - CONWIP
Analyze
Pull Systems - Kanban
= Information Flow
= Material Flow
Design Code Test
Analyze Design Code Test

10. Click to edit Master title styleKanban Method
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image via google search

11. Click to edit Master title styleKanban Method
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Foundational Principles
Start where
you’re at now
Initially, respect
current process roles,
titles, responsibilities
Improve continuously,
incrementally, evolutionary
Encourage
leadership at all
levels

12. Click to edit Master title styleKanban Method
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Core Properties Visualize Your
Workflow
Limit WIP
Make Policies
Explicit
Improve Collaboratively,
Evolve Experimentally
(Models/Scientific Method)
Develop & Implement
Feedback Loops
Measure &
Manage Flow

13. Click to edit Master title styleKey Takeaway
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2nd Generation “Learn” Thinking
Starts with è Commitments
to develop a è Schedule
seeking reliable è Predictability
Starts with è Predictability
to develop a è Schedule
seeking reliable è Commitments
Poppendieck

14. Click to edit Master title styleWhat is a Myth?
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Myth (n):
invented story, idea, or concept;
widely held but false belief or idea

15. Click to edit Master title styleSoftware Development Method?
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Maybe your first glance
at it looked like…
But if it doesn’t walk,
quack, or fly like a…
It isn’t a…
It doesn’t replace your…

16. Click to edit Master title styleSoftware Development Method?
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Maybe your first glance
at it looked like…
But if it doesn’t walk,
quack, or fly like a…
It isn’t a…
It doesn’t replace your…

17. Click to edit Master title styleJust Scrum With Tweaks?
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It’s just Scrum without…
Timeboxes…
Iterations…
Estimation…

18. Click to edit Master title styleJust Scrum With Tweaks?
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It’s just Scrum without…
Timeboxes…
Iterations…
Estimation…

19. Click to edit Master title styleBest Suited For…?
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It’s best suited for…
Command & Control…
Complicated…
Operations…
Experienced…

20. Click to edit Master title styleBest Suited For…?
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It’s best suited for…
Command & Control…
Complicated…
Operations…

21. Click to edit Master title styleKey Takeaway
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“Don’t let myths and
misconceptions about the Kanban
Method limit your unique learning
of what it is and how it is applied!”

22. Click to edit Master title styleWork in Progress (WIP) Limits
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image via google search

23. Click to edit Master title style
Arrivals Aligned With Departures
TimeBA C
CFDs and Little’s Law
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Dan Vacanti
Cumulative Quantity
A “predictable” context for effectively
planning or validating change?Steady WIP
Steady
Approx Avg
Lead Time

24. Click to edit Master title styleCFDs and Little’s Law
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Dan Vacanti
WIP
Approx Avg
Lead Time
Arrivals Exceeding Departures
Little’s Law assumptions met? No
A “predictable” context for effectively
planning or validating change? No
BA C Time
Cumulative Quantity

25. Click to edit Master title styleKey Takeaway
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WIP Limit= team size / 2
Pull in the Real-world - What Stands Out Here?

26. Click to edit Master title styleIntroducing Pull, Flow, Kanban Thinking
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Start Simple, Think…
Stop Starting,
Start Stopping
also known as…
Stop Starting,
Start Finishing

27. Click to edit Master title styleIntroducing Pull, Flow, Kanban Thinking
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Look Familiar?

28. Click to edit Master title styleIntroducing Pull, Flow, Kanban Thinking
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Before pulling new work….
Look Right (Downstream)
Look Up (Forward)
Look Left (Upstream)

29. Click to edit Master title styleIntroducing Pull, Flow, Kanban Thinking
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After a Simple Small Change in Thinking

30. Click to edit Master title styleIntroducing Pull, Flow, Kanban Thinking
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Start Simple, Think…
Just-in-Time
and…
Decoupling

31. Click to edit Master title styleIntroducing Pull, Flow, Kanban Thinking
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Once Upon a Time…
We were doing Scrum…
then we tried kanban.
Then went back to Scrum…
Oh, really. Why?
Well,…and then,…
but now we’re thinking…
because…

32. Click to edit Master title styleIntroducing Pull, Flow, Kanban Thinking
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Once Upon a Time…
Hmmm, that sounds
interesting…planning
smaller batches…more JIT…
some planning decoupled
from sprint boundary…a little
“limiting WIP” in there too.
Sounds good to me!
So, why did you call me?

33. Click to edit Master title styleKey Takeaway
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Start Simple, Think…
Team…
Pairing…
Swarming…
Collaboration…
Systems Thinking…

34. Click to edit Master title styleFinishing With Important “Stuff”
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Hmmm, thinking
is still required.

35. Click to edit Master title styleKey Takeaway
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Thinking is
still required.

36. Click to edit Master title styleWho’s Influencing Your Thinking?
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To manage a system effectively…
…focus on the interactions of the parts rather
than their behavior taken separately…
…seek to improve a part of a system only if it
simultaneously improves the overall
performance of the system as a “whole.”

37. Click to edit Master title styleWho’s Influencing Your Thinking?
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“Changing people’s thinking is
the key point of leverage and
the first challenge of any
transformation journey.”
Barlow, Parry, Faulkner
(Sense and Respond)

38. Click to edit Master title styleWho’s Influencing Your Thinking?
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Transformation
happens here
Theory
Principles
Thinking
Design
Operations
Behavior
Culture
Performance
Theory to Performance Model

39. Click to edit Master title styleWho’s Influencing Your Thinking?
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“The world as we have
created it is a process of
our thinking.
It cannot be changed
without changing our
thinking”
Albert Einstein