How can LEAN alleviate the overloading of QA?

-Dave Ungar, PfMP, PMP

CSQE, CQA

@daveungar225

QA is all too familiar with this problem: Too much is dropped on QA at the end of a development cycle, causing a logjam, not enough time to sufficiently test. Where you have an agile environment or a more linear development methodology, this phenomenon can still occur – the last steps of the process are always at risk. What is Lean and how would it help? How do we know if it’s helping? And if all of that sounds good, how do we convince management to start being Lean, and how do we start?

How can LEAN alleviate the overloading of QA?QA is all too familiar with the problem (ie – too much coming at QA at the end of a cycle, causes a logjam, run

out of time)How would Lean process help? (what is Lean, what’s the theory?)What to measure? – How do metrics have an effect on the process & how do they change behaviors?What evidence to present? Where to build influence? (Convincing your management)How to get started …

It’s all easier said than done, of course.

How we think it’s going to work & how we plan:

Process A Process B Process C Process D

And then …

Late Start: Late Finish or Truncate

Project 1

Late StartLate, divergent

Project 3

4 5

6

Project 2

(Some) resource // Any resource.e.g. Decisions, environments, priorities, skills, …)

We are living under the tyranny of the prevailing style

of management. Most people imagine that this style of

management has always existed and is a fixture.

Actually, it is a modern invention, a trap that has led

us into decline. Transformation is required.

-W. Edwards DemingThe New Economics: For Industry, Government, Education

Basics of Lean:

Business Strategy“economic” view - common currency for measuring value

Unmatchable offer

ROI

Customer

Vision

Competition

Ops/ Staff

Basics of Lean:

Team A Team BComponent

AComponent

BTeam C Team D Team E Team F

Initiative 1X X X X

Initiative 2X X X

Initiative 3X X X X

Initiative 4X

Initiative 5X X

Initiative 6X X

Initiative 7X X XConflicts

Value Stream Analysis

Basics of Lean:

Value through the system first.

(MORE value through the system later)

Basics of Lean:

(Avoid spillover)

Basics of Lean:

What to Measure?

• Measure what enables flow and throughput.• Measure value delivered.• Measure how these affect financial results.

What we’re striving for:

Process A Process B Process C Process D

Being able to predict when the system will break – overutilization/ interrupted flow.

X

Systems thinking.

Engage your right brain…

1.Adopt systems thinking.

2.Understand what Value is.3.Fix Flow.

(use data.)

4.Model behavior.

You

You

r Te

am(s

)Yo

u (

agai

n)

What can I do?

1. Give yourself more credit!2. Tell the story to as many people as you can.3. Build a coalition of the willing, enthusiastic,

dedicated.4. Find a champion5. Keep pushing it. 6. Start fixing important problems

• Look for behavior changes. • Set an example.

More at LEAN.ORG

Contact/ References

Slideshare - slideshare.net/dave225Twitter - twitter.com/daveungar225Email – dave.ungar@gmail.comLinkedin - linkedin.com/in/daveungar/

PMO LIG - PMI Central Ohio Chapter PMOLIGGroup for Portfolio Management - Central Ohio Lean Portfolio Management

Reading List:Everything you can find, and also:• Escape Velocity - Moore, G. A. (2011). Escape velocity: Free your company's future from the pull of the past. New York,

NY: HarperBusiness.

• The Lean Startup - Ries, E. (2011). The lean startup: How today's entrepreneurs use continuous innovation to create

radically successful businesses. New York: Crown Business.

• Principles of Product Development Flow - Reinertsen, D. G. (2009). The principles of product development flow:

Second generation lean product development. Redondo Beach, Calif: Celeritas.

• The new economics for industry, government, education - Deming, W. E. (1993). The new economics for

industry, government, education. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Advanced Engineering Study.

• Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain – Edwards, B. (1979). Drawing on the right side of the brain: A course in

enhancing creativity and artistic confidence. (leave your frame of reference!)

• http://ScaledAgileFramework.com• http://www.lean.org/LeanPost/Posting.cfm?LeanPostId=243#.U9EYi5cvnzU.twitter

Business Strategywhy brand identity is important to mode of operation

Michael Treacy and Fred WiersemaThe Discipline of Market Leaders: Choose Your Customers, Narrow

Your Focus, Dominate Your Market

•Feel Sick•Call to schedule an appointment•Wait on hold•Make appointment•Wait for appointment day to arrive•Check in at office•Wait for nurse to take BP•Wait for doctor•Talk to doctor•Doctor leaves the room•Doctor returns, he’s going to give you a prescription•Wait in lobby to get prescription•Drive to the pharmacy•Fill prescription•Go home•Take pills•Feel better