Implementing Lean Software Development: From Concept to Cash

by Mary and Tom Poppendieck

Summary: A highly readable description of lean software development, with an abundance of guides and tips for figuring out how to apply the principles to increase the effectiveness of your teams

Intended Audience: Those who use lean practices and those who want to implement them in their software development organization

Why You Should Read It: The book builds from the seven lean software principles introduced in their first lean book Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit: Eliminate Waste, Build Quality In, Create Knowledge, Defer Commitment, Deliver Fast, Respect People, and Optimize the Whole.  It contains examples and studies of organizations that have applied these techniques to great success, along with the paths that took them there. These stories are an invaluable source of ideas that you can take back to your teams to improve your ability to deliver the correct solution to satisfy your customers and to make your organization a highly enjoyable place to work.

My Takeaways

• This was one of my first exposures to companies that are applying continuous delivery techniques to roll out software changes quickly. We cannot do this with our product, but we may be able to apply some of the lessons internally to aid development.
• Value Stream Mapping is a very effective tool for identifying queues and wastes in your software development system. Be prepared for some surprises.
• Deferring decisions until they need to be made is an effective and responsible technique that allows you make the choice at the right time and when there is more information available. Be sure not to confuse the Last Responsible Moment with the First Irresponsible Moment.

Recommended?: For Sure