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Lean vs. Agile?

The Common Thread

Lean vs. Agile

Is There a Common Thread?


How could someone use these terms in the same sentence?

Isn't it like comparing apples to oranges?


Lean is all about reducing waste and speed to delivery while Agile is a project management

approach focused on flexibility and adaptivity to meet customer needs. 


The Same but Different...

Typically the agile project manager is mandated to reduce waste in how the project is managed and how deliverables are rolled out. This thinking has become very common-place and is also very consistent with Lean thinking.


What is LEAN?


What is Agile?


Agile Waste Reduction

EXAMPLES


Lean and Agile share many of the same principles and many Agile principles are borrowed from Lean thinking.


Lean Principles:

1. Eliminate Waste
2. Build Quality In
3. Create Knowledge
4. Defer Commitment
5. Deliver Fast
6. Respect People
7. Optimize the Whole

Principles of Agile:

1. Highest priority is customer satisfaction
2. Welcome changing requirements
3. Frequent delivery  or sub-deliverables
4. Business people & developers cooperating daily
5. Build projects around motivated people
6. Face-to-face conversation is best
7. Progress measured by implementations of "quick wins"
8. Sustainable development pace
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence
10. Simplicity
11. Self-organizing teams
12. Regular reflection & adaptation


In essence, Agile is about being flexible and responding rapidly to changes in feedback, requirements, and market needs. In order to do that, Lean thinking is necessary, as its principles help promote the mentality needed. An optimal blending therefore, is an important art such that classic project management that focuses on control needs to be balanced against value.



Eric Young
President
Tele-Centre Assist Inc.
www.telecentreassist.com