Abstract:The classic theory of constraints has been effective for improving the core operations of product delivery systems, but its application to software products is running out of steam - it contemplates a linear system that is fundamentally different from ours, and misses much of the complexity involved in coordinating knowledge work across a network of people, teams, tools and processes.
How do we share knowledge and understanding in a complex network of systems? What does it mean to restrict the creation of value in a transformed organization? How can we more effectively connect our systems so innovation can emerge? To answer questions like these we need to evolve our understanding of what constrains our systems.
We need a new theory of constraints, one that unlocks new approaches for improving flow in our complex environments. In this talk we will explore what constrains a software delivery organization, examine some emerging practices for managing those constraints, and see how we can apply these practices at scale in a large software engineering organization.
Learning Outcomes:- Analytic vs. synthetic approaches to managing uncertainty
- Different kinds of uncertainty and how they constrain our systems
- The misapplication of analytic practices to manage synthetic work
- The role of artifacts, network effects and social structures
- The emergence of "synthetic management" approaches
- A proposal for a new focussing process to find and remove synthetic constraints
