Managing flow.
WHAT IT IS
A method for visualising and managing work, focused on flow rather than iterations.
WHAT THE CORE PRACTICES ARE
Visualise the work Limit work in progress Manage flow Make policies explicit Improve continuously
WHAT LIMITING WORK IN PROGRESS DOES
Restricts how many items can be in each stage at once.
WHY THAT MATTERS
Starting more work does not finish more work. It slows everything.
WHAT THAT PRODUCES
Items finished faster, and problems made visible.
HOW IT MAKES PROBLEMS VISIBLE
When a limit is reached, work stops, and the obstruction must be addressed.
WHAT TO MEASURE
Cycle time: how long an item takes from start to finish
Throughput: how many items finish per period
WHY THOSE RATHER THAN ESTIMATES
They are measured, not predicted.
WHAT IT SUITS
Continuous work: support, operations, maintenance
Teams with unpredictable arrival of work
WHAT IT DOES NOT REQUIRE
Fixed iterations Estimation Defined roles
WHAT IT REQUIRES
Discipline about the limits.
