The Agile Enterprise: Kanban - From the Shop Floor to the Office

Fifty years since the first Agile project, Enterprise Agility is still a hot topic, and for some, it is even a new delivery approach. Started in the late 70s as an alternative to Lean Six Sigma, Agile became popular in the second decade of the 21^st Century when the frameworks used by successful small software development teams found their way into projects. Agile 'escaped' software development and is now more widely considered as an option for other business teams – maybe because it was successful on a small scale; or the Business has become more involved in the development of new software solutions; or just because Agile has become something that any organization must have. ‘Scaling’ Agile beyond software development is a challenge because most popular Agile frameworks are conceived by software developers for software developers. In many cases, ‘scaling’ is done by returning to Lean Six Sigma practices, the very approach that Agile has tried to improve or even replace.

Kanban is a Lean Six Sigma practice used with great success in manufacturing for almost 100 years. It is mistakenly considered as part of the Agile ‘umbrella,' and although it can be very successfully used in an Agile environment, it has built-in limitations that can significantly impact the most important Agility value: adapting to change. In this webinar, the presenter will share his practical experience with Kanban in manufacturing and software development projects.