Time-boxing, Kanban and theory of Constraints, Pair Programming and Lean IT

Table of Contents

KANBAN BOARD

Agile philosophies have born to several important and interesting ways of project development, one amongst them is that the Kanban board. The name ‘Kanban’ comes from two Japanese words - ‘Kan’ meaning sign and ‘ban’ meaning board. it's the foremost popular among all agile methodologies due to its benefits and straightforward ways of implementation.

One of the benefits of using Kanban is that it provides transparent visual feedback. we are able to continuously monitor the progress of the project and provides feedback. This helps us to spot an issue if any and quickly reach its solution.

The Kanban method displays the progress of a project as to-do, doing and done. The work that's to be completed is added within the 'To-Do' column, the work that's ongoing is placed within the 'Doing' column which which has been completed is placed within the 'Done' column.

These are the three main columns within the chart but not the sole ones. we will add as many columns as we feel would be sufficient for us to grasp the progress of the project.

THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS

WIP Limit:

The Work-In-Progress or WIP limit in Kanban ensures that the team only takes a sustainable amount of labor at a selected time. this implies that the tasks that the team accepts are limited to what the team can actually handle at a time. The WIP limit is set by the team. Once a task has started, it's the responsibility of the full team to to induce it done before moving on to the subsequent tasks. this can be a worth of the agile philosophy that the teams are self-organized and work on a sustainable pace.

By specializing in minimum work, the work gets done faster. Maximizing the efficiency of the work by minimizing the work-in-progress is named flow and is that the core principle of Kanban.

Theory of Constraints:

The theory of constraints states that every one complex systems are made by a series of linked processes and these will be solved one after another only. this implies that any problem during a complex system are often approached only its previous problem has been solved.

Theory of Constraints and Kanban :

The kanban board works on the principle of the speculation of constraints and their goals also are similar - continuous feedback and improved efficiency. The WIP limit in Kanban method is analogous to the idea of constraints and both of those promote eradicating any constraints before moving on to the subsequent step. As constraints are identified, the foundation cause is eliminated easily.

KANBAN IN EDUCATION

This Kanban board is extremely practical for teachers to use collaboratively with the entire class. In an Administrator role, an educator can invite students to the board and assign them tasks.

Kanban boards are a really dynamic thanks to teach the writing process. this sort of collaborative approach isn't only more efficient, it also inspires creativity because it helps students to see their progress and generates a sense of success as they move their tasks through the board. If you’re the sort of educator who likes to reward students by giving credit where it’s due, then you’ll quickly realize that a Kanban board is that the perfect thanks to encourage students and encourage them to perform better.

TIME-BOXING

• Time boxing could be a simple time management technique that involves allotting a set, maximum unit of your time for an activity prior to, so complete the activity within that point frame.

• In agile principles, timeboxing allocate a set and maximum unit of your time to an activity, called a timeboxing, within which planned activity takes place.

• It is utilized by Agile principles-based project management approaches and for private time management.

• The goal of your timeboxing is to define and limit the quantity of time dedicated to an activity.

• Scrum use time boxing for all of the scrum event and as a tool for concretely defining open-ended or ambiguous task.

• Timeboxing may be a common feature of the many management methodologies because timeboxing keeps teams focused on accomplished the task at hand by providing a transparent definition of done.

Advantages of Time-boxing:

• Speeds up the event process and shortens the delivery time.

• Well suited to develop projects with variety of features briefly fundamental quantity.

Disadvantages of Time-boxing:

• Project management becomes more complex.

• Not fitted to the projects during which entire development work can not be divided into multiple iterations of virtually, equal duration.

Time-boxing Model

PAIR-PROGRAMMING

Pair Programming is an agile software development technique. during this technique, two programmers work together at one workstation. one in every of them is driver and also the other is Navigator. Driver writes code and observer reviews each line of code. Both programmers switch roles frequently. Sometimes this method is additionally referred to as pairing.

Pairing Variations:

Expert-expert: This pairing method can produce great results. it's an honest choice for top productivity. As both of them would be expert, so both can work efficiently.

Expert–novice: This pairing creates many opportunities for expert to mentor novice. during this pairing, a novice can learn many things from expert, and expert gets an opportunity to share his knowledge with novice.

Novice-novice: This pairing can sometimes provides a great result. Because it's better than one solo novice. it's harder for novices to develop good result because they're not expert.

Remote Pair Programming:

Remote Pair Programming is additionally called Virtual Pair Programming. during this programming, two programmers are in several locations. Both programmers work on different computers. there's no face-to-face pairing so remote pair introduces difficulties.

Advantages of Pair Programming:

• If driver encounters an issue in code, both driver and navigator will solve the matter.

• Navigator observes each and each line of code so error are often detected easily.

• Both of them share knowledge with one another and that they learn many things together.

• This pair programming can help in developing better communication skills.

LEAN-IT

Lean IT it's the extension of lean manufacturing and its also includes lean services principles to the event and management of knowledge technology (IT) products and services. Its central concern, applied within the context of IT, is that the elimination of waste and here waste is that the work that adds no value to a product or services.

Lean is in essence and the simplest way of thinking and behaving. It involves the following key concepts:

• Reduction of cost

• Staff training

• Focus on future goals

• Involving everyone within the team

• Improvement in customer values

• Continuous improvement in small and every step

• Reduction of peaks and falls in production

• Waste reduction

a) The Lean IT application for transformation excellence

Most companies and particularly the IT-related generally face transformation and reinventing themselves to position themselves in their sector. The market is moving faster than ever, it's become more and more demanding and therefore the competition continues to challenge us in every step of the way. Time to plug not assures us of success, and being the primary is not any longer enough, being the best could be a key factor using all our resources, making the most effective use of the data we've got within a framework of continuous improvement. to attain this, the way of thinking and therefore the way of acting are the essence to guide the roadmap of transformation. Our efforts must specialize in a powerful commitment to enhance, optimize our service and therefore the way we provide it. The vocation of service is what should move us, but with a transparent objective, which is to hunt excellence in everything we do.

b) Lean IT enables to excellence the goals of according to transformation that takes place

The important concepts for this are to increase experience of the customers, continuous improvements which allow us to react and launch the efficient as well as fastest solutions. during this, we'll increase our agility and skill to adapt with small gestures and actions which provide immediate added values, reducing the loss of your time, costs and resources. that's to mention, think about a little gesture, that doesn't involve practically cost, but the straightforward implementation and ensures loyalty of the customers.