Hands-on Flow Metrics

Delivering valuable software in an Agile project requires healthy flow. However, many experienced Agile teams don’t quite understand the nuances of product development flow, and are left without clear answers to the question of why delivery is slower or more irregular than desired. The truth is that all software projects are subject to the mechanics of product development flow, and like the force of gravity, ignorance or denial is always a losing strategy.

In this hands-on session, you will learn about flow metrics by running experiments in a web-based tool, built by the presenter. The system demonstrates the effects of various flow variables on the productivity of a system. You’ll get a visual picture of what happens to a process when there’s too much work-in-progress, batch sizes are too large, queue times are too long, or a work center has a capacity problem. The experiments run by participants will be aggregated in the session and will be discussed so that trends can be identified and shared. You’ll walk away from the session with increased clarity into the principles of flow mechanics impacting your team’s productivity. You’ll also learn how to take tactical steps to improve your project by watching and managing flow.