Iterators’ Post

We've published a new article on 'Team Principles: DoD and Kanban Policies' exploring how modern development teams can combine these two powerful methodologies. The article provides practical insights into implementing quality standards and workflow management effectively. Whether you're leading a software team or working to improve your development processes, this guide offers actionable strategies for better project delivery and team collaboration. Key Takeaways: 🔹 Definition of Done (DoD) establishes clear quality benchmarks and completion criteria 🔹 Kanban visualization helps track progress and identify workflow bottlenecks 🔹 Work in Progress limits prevent team overload and maintain focus 🔹 Combined DoD and Kanban approach optimizes both quality and efficiency 🔹 Regular policy reviews ensure continuous improvement and team alignment Read the full article to master these principles and transform your team's productivity. Learn how to implement these practices step by step, avoid common pitfalls, and scale these methodologies across larger organizations. This comprehensive guide includes real-world examples and proven strategies that you can start using today.

Our latest article discusses Agile, born from iterative methods dating back to the 1950s, prioritizes collaboration and adaptability. It challenges traditional waterfall approaches, offering frameworks like Scrum and Kanban to enhance productivity and innovation across industries beyond software. Exploring the evolution, frameworks, benefits, and future trends of Agile methodologies, this article delves into its history, application across industries, and its transformative impact on software development and beyond. https://lnkd.in/gKr4BFdW

ICYMI: Bredec Group Ordering a Hierarchy! Should your backlog be flat?: In the realm of software development, the Agile philosophy has become synonymous with flexibility, rapid delivery, and, most importantly, value to the customer. Yet, in my journey as a professional Scrum and Kanban trainer, I've observed a pervasive obstacle that many teams struggle to overcome: the hierarchical management of backlogs. This structured approach, while intuitively organised, often hampers the very essence of agility that teams strive to embody. Traditional hierarchical backlog management, breaking down work from epics to features to stories, inherently imposes a rigid structure that can detract from focusing on delivering value. This method, despite its widespread adoption, inadvertently prioritises organisational neatness over strategic flexibility and responsiveness to change. As I've navigated through countless Agile transformations, the philosophy that has consistently emerged as more conducive to Agile principles is one of a flat-list approach to backlog management. Enjoy this video? Like and subscribe to our channel: https://lnkd.in/dikEmMfp This flat-list philosophy is not merely a structural change but a fundamental shift in how we perceive and manage work. It encourages viewing the backlog as a fluid, dynamic entity, where the priority of tasks is determined by their value and contribution to the project goals, rather than their position in a predetermined hierarchy. Through my experiences, both as a practitioner and a trainer, I've witnessed firsthand the transformative impact this approach can have on a team's productivity and morale. It fosters an environment where decisions are made based on the value they bring, encouraging constant reevaluation and adaptation. Moreover, the utilisation of tagging and additional contextual information, rather than rigid parent-child relationships, offers a nuanced understanding of each backlog item's importance. This strategy enables a more nuanced and flexible management of work, accommodating for the ever-changing priorities and requirements that characterise software development projects. Can transitioning to a flat-list backlog management enhance your team's agility and focus on value? Comment below! Inquiry@bredec.com

Recently, someone asked me, "Can Lean Six Sigma and Agile actually work together to make life easier for project teams and organizations?" It’s a great question, and I wanted to share my thoughts based on some research and real-world examples. Here’s the short answer: Yes, Lean Six Sigma and Agile can absolutely complement each other and when used together, they create a powerhouse for quality improvement and adaptability. Think of it like this: ⏹ Agile gives teams the flexibility to adapt quickly, focus on customer needs, and iterate rapidly. ⏹ Lean Six Sigma, on the other hand, provides the tools and structure to dig deep into processes, reduce waste, and ensure quality. By combining these two approaches, teams can be both agile and precise. Here are a few key synergies: ✅ Continuous Improvement: Agile thrives on feedback and quick iterations, while Six Sigma adds structure with Kaizen, making improvements deliberate and sustainable. ✅ Cutting Waste: Lean Six Sigma identifies inefficiencies, and Agile’s fast feedback ensures teams prioritize what truly matters. ✅ Data + Flexibility: Six Sigma’s DMAIC framework brings precision, while Agile keeps delivery fast and adaptive. Together, they balance speed with structure, boosting efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction. It’s an exciting intersection of methodologies that I believe more organizations should explore. 📖 Curious to learn more? Check out the following suggested reads: https://lnkd.in/eDCDdW_s https://lnkd.in/ehcPMbRk https://lnkd.in/eY3CYP4M (!login needed) #Agile #LeanSixSigma #QualityImprovement #ContinuousImprovement #ProcessOptimization

Kanban metrics. Ever wondered how to level up your efficiency in agile projects? Just read this fantastic article on ClickUp's blog: "Agile Kanban Metrics to Track & Measure Efficiency in Projects". Here's the lowdown: • Kanban is all about visualizing your workflow on an interactive board. Super handy for managing projects! • Key metrics to track: throughput, lead time, cycle time, work-in-progress (WIP), and process bottlenecks. • Measuring these metrics is a game-changer. Identifies areas for improvement and keeps your team focused on what matters. • Challenges? Lack of data, insights, and actionable info. But tools like ClickUp make it a breeze to collect data and get real-time insights. Implementing Kanban metrics can seriously boost your team's efficiency and productivity. Give it a go and see the results for yourself! Happy Saturday! Let me know your thoughts. Casey Jones #kanban #agile #projectmanagement #efficiency #productivity https://lnkd.in/gxZCd8pF

Bredec Group Ordering a Hierarchy! Should your backlog be flat?: In the realm of software development, the Agile philosophy has become synonymous with flexibility, rapid delivery, and, most importantly, value to the customer. Yet, in my journey as a professional Scrum and Kanban trainer, I've observed a pervasive obstacle that many teams struggle to overcome: the hierarchical management of backlogs. This structured approach, while intuitively organised, often hampers the very essence of agility that teams strive to embody. Traditional hierarchical backlog management, breaking down work from epics to features to stories, inherently imposes a rigid structure that can detract from focusing on delivering value. This method, despite its widespread adoption, inadvertently prioritises organisational neatness over strategic flexibility and responsiveness to change. As I've navigated through countless Agile transformations, the philosophy that has consistently emerged as more conducive to Agile principles is one of a flat-list approach to backlog management. Enjoy this video? Like and subscribe to our channel: https://lnkd.in/dikEmMfp This flat-list philosophy is not merely a structural change but a fundamental shift in how we perceive and manage work. It encourages viewing the backlog as a fluid, dynamic entity, where the priority of tasks is determined by their value and contribution to the project goals, rather than their position in a predetermined hierarchy. Through my experiences, both as a practitioner and a trainer, I've witnessed firsthand the transformative impact this approach can have on a team's productivity and morale. It fosters an environment where decisions are made based on the value they bring, encouraging constant reevaluation and adaptation. Moreover, the utilisation of tagging and additional contextual information, rather than rigid parent-child relationships, offers a nuanced understanding of each backlog item's importance. This strategy enables a more nuanced and flexible management of work, accommodating for the ever-changing priorities and requirements that characterise software development projects. Can transitioning to a flat-list backlog management enhance your team's agility and focus on value? Comment below! Inquiry@bredec.com

This study proves that the approach to managing software projects and development methodologies needs to be tailored rather than following a rigid cookie-cutter approach. For example, the development methodology can start with waterfall (gather requirements, design, etc) and then go into agile while implementing, but the management element of the whole project can be using Scrum or kanban. #agile #projectmanagement #development

This is the second part of a multi-part series on how to perform evaluations of Agile Development Processes. The first article in this series evaluated the first 4 principles of the Agile Manifesto as an approach to perform Agile evaluations. This edition focuses on principles 5 through 8 of the Agile Manifesto, explaining the reasons for the principles and giving examples and possible pitfalls of which to be wary. Principle 5 – Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need and trust them to get the job done. Read on for more... #agile https://lnkd.in/ggAu_czb

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗯𝗮𝗻, 𝗬𝗲𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘁 𝗦𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆? When I first started my journey in the Agile world i quickly realized that people don’t actually agree on what Kanban is. This led me to post a poll a few days ago asking: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗯𝗮𝗻? The results varied, with different percentages for each choice. Some viewed Kanban as a tool, others as a method, a management system, a framework, or something else entirely. While no one is wrong, this divergence in perspectives made me reflect: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺? Kanban is widely discussed, but its definition varies depending on who you ask. Rooted in Lean manufacturing, it focuses on managing flow, limiting WIP, and continuous process improvement, yet its versatility leads to different interpretations. • 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹 Kanban is often viewed as a tool, especially through digital boards like Trello or Jira, helping teams visualize and manage tasks for better clarity and organization. • 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱 Others see Kanban as a method, focusing on principles like limiting WIP and optimizing cycle times. It offers a structured approach to process improvement, adapting to different team needs and enabling continuous improvement without rigid rules. • 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 Some see Kanban as a management system, especially at larger scales. It goes beyond task tracking to improve workflow efficiency, identify bottlenecks, optimize flow, and ensure a sustainable pace, which is essential for continuous delivery. • 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 Others view Kanban as a flexible framework that adapts to existing workflows. Unlike prescriptive frameworks like Scrum it allows teams to focus on incremental improvements making it customizable for various contexts and optimizing processes. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀? The reason for these varying definitions is simple: 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲. It can be applied in different ways depending on the context. For instance, in a small team, it might just be a tool for organizing tasks, while in larger systems or across departments, it could be part of a broader management system. Additionally, Kanban is often integrated with frameworks like Scrum to improve flow without changing the core structure, leading to further divergence in its interpretation. Kanban’s adaptability is both its strength and challenge. Its flexibility allows it to fit many contexts, but this also means it’s viewed through various lenses. What’s clear is that Kanban isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a set of principles that can be tailored to different needs, and as we continue exploring and implementing it, the conversation around it will evolve. #Kanban #Agile #Scrum

Unlock the potential of Agile Development to streamline your projects and enhance productivity. Dive into methodologies, best practices, and success stories. #AgileDevelopment https://lnkd.in/deS5WuM2