Process Optimization

Making the case to stop starting and start finishing, analyzing the negative effects of context switching.

In this brilliant visualization, Henrik Kniberg shows the effects of context switching and how even a perfect multitasker will deliver results two to three times slower than someone that does not switches projects back and forth.

Demonstrating how keeping people busy does not necessarily result in higher throughput, and how it mostly depends on flow.

An excellent and brief visual demonstration of the impact of flow on throughput. As Henrik Kniberg puts it, "when you focus on keeping people busy, what you get is a bunch of busy people". By focusing on throughput, this short lesson shows the difference between push and pull, and how much work is actually completed by using various methods.

7 Strategies For Jumping Over The Compliance Hurdle

Compliance regulations exist for a good reason. They protect the customers and investors from unvalidated risks, and increase trust in potential customers. Regulations in industries are often seen as roadblocks to innovation, and Erwin De beuckelaer shares 7 practical strategies that demonstrate that compliance is more an aid than a hurdle for your innovation projects. In his view, not every risk is worth taking but some risks can be calculated.

Understand how systems with queues behave in the R&D domain.

Queuing theory is specially relevant in large scale environments since traditional batches of work have a non-linear impact on cycle time. Understand how systems with queues behave in the R&D domain, and apply those insights to managing queue sizes, work-in-progress limits, multitasking, work packages, and variability.

Audit requirements and strict compliance processes can be handled with the right Agile method.

When faced with audit requirements and compliance, companies can dismiss Agile - and its focus on working software over comprehensive documentation. The author has found it more meaningful to focus on the types of regulation and reporting teams are facing - they are either descriptive or prescriptive. Agile, he has found, can create more empowered teams who embrace both types, optimize their work while meeting all regulatory requirements.