12 Principles and 8 Wastes?

The Agile Manifesto, a set of guiding principles for software development, and the 7 Wastes (Muda), identified by Taiichi Ohno in the original Toyota Production System, both aim to improve efficiency and value delivery while minimizing waste.

The concept of waste in lean thinking has evolved over time. In the 1990s, when the Toyota Production System was adopted in the Western world, an eighth waste was introduced: non-utilized talent or ‘Skills’ of workers. This waste highlights the underutilization of employee skills and potential.

The 8 Wastes of Lean (often remembered by the acronym TIMWOODS) are crucial for identifying inefficiencies in processes. They include:

1. Transportation, 2. Inventory, 3. Motion, 4. Waiting,

5. Overproduction, 6. Overprocessing, 7. Defects, 8. Skills

This article summarizes the relationship between each of the 12 Principles of the Agile Manifesto and the 8 Wastes of Lean.

1. Customer satisfaction through early and continuous delivery of valuable software?

This principle directly addresses the waste of overproduction by emphasizing the importance of delivering value to customers early and continuously. By focusing on delivering working software in smaller increments, Agile practices minimize the risk of producing excess features or functionalities that may not align with customer needs.?

Indirectly the first principle addresses the waste of waiting. Delivering value promptly reduces waste of customers waiting for value.

2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development?

By embracing changing requirements, Agile reduces the waste of overprocessing. Instead of investing significant time and effort into detailed upfront planning, Agile teams adapt to evolving customer needs, avoiding excessive documentation and unnecessary work on features that might be discarded.?

3. Deliver working software frequently, with a preference for shorter timescales?

The principle of frequent software delivery relates to the waste of waiting. Agile teams aim to minimize delays in the development cycle by delivering working software in shorter iterations. This approach reduces idle time, as customers can provide feedback, and necessary adjustments can be made promptly.?

4. Collaboration between business stakeholders and developers throughout the project?

The emphasis on collaboration in Agile addresses the waste of transportation. By maintaining close communication and fostering collaboration, Agile teams minimize the need for excessive back-and-forth movement of information, reducing misinterpretation, and improving efficiency.?

5. Build projects around motivated individuals and give them the environment and support they need?

This principle addresses the waste of motion. Agile teams strive to create an environment where individuals can focus on their work without unnecessary interruptions or time wasted due to disorganized workspaces. Motivated individuals working efficiently contribute to the overall productivity of the team.?

Indirectly the fifth principle addresses the wastes of waiting and skills. Motivated individuals should not be waiting for decisions. By encouraging direct communication, this principle enables team members to share their expertise, learn from each other, and utilize their skills effectively.

6. Face-to-face conversation is the most efficient and effective method of conveying information?

By promoting face-to-face communication, Agile minimizes the waste of motion and waiting. This principle reduces the need for excessive emails, phone calls, or documentation, which can result in delays and miscommunication.?

Indirectly the sixth principle addresses the waste of overprocessing from inefficient communication channels. Direct communication minimizes waste.

7. Working software is the primary measure of progress?

The emphasis on working software as the primary measure of progress aligns with the waste of overproduction. Agile teams prioritize delivering tangible value to the customer, avoiding the accumulation of incomplete or unnecessary work that may not directly contribute to customer satisfaction.?

Indirectly the seventh principle addresses the waste of skills. When team members actively contribute their skills to building working software, progress becomes tangible and valuable.

8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely?

The principle of sustainable development addresses the waste of motion and overprocessing. Agile promotes a steady pace of work, minimizing the risk of burnout or excessive workloads that can lead to errors, rework, and reduced efficiency.?

9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility?

By emphasizing technical excellence and good design, Agile addresses the waste of defects. By investing in quality practices and thorough testing, Agile teams reduce the likelihood of introducing defects or issues that would require additional time and effort for correction.?

Indirectly the seventh principle addresses the waste of skills. Fostering technical excellence allows team members to apply their skills to create high-quality software.

10. Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential?

The focus on simplicity aligns with the waste of overprocessing and overproduction. Agile teams prioritize delivering the minimum viable product (MVP) to meet customer needs, avoiding unnecessary features, functionality, or complexity that does not contribute to the value delivered.?

11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams?

This principle promotes the waste reduction of overprocessing and waiting. Self-organizing teams, empowered to make decisions, can eliminate delays caused by hierarchical approval processes and excessive documentation. The collaborative nature of Agile enables emergent designs that adapt to changing requirements.

Indirectly the 11th principle addresses the wastes of waiting & skills. Motivated individuals are not waiting for decisions. Empowering self-organizing teams means trusting team members to utilize their skills to make informed decisions about architecture, design, and requirements.

12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly?

The principle of regular reflection and adjustment aligns with the waste reduction of overprocessing and defects. By conducting retrospectives and continuous improvement cycles, Agile teams identify process inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and defects, leading to their elimination and improved effectiveness.?

Summary

The 12 Principles and the 8 Wastes share a common goal of waste reduction and value maximization. Each of the 12 Principles of the Agile Manifesto contributes to the elimination or mitigation of one or more of the 8 Wastes identified in lean manufacturing. By embracing Agile principles, organizations can enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and deliver higher value to customers, ultimately achieving leaner and more effective manufacturing practices.?

Additional Resources

?A condensed version of the previous list

1. Customer satisfaction through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. Over Production?#5
2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development.? Over Processing?#6
3. Deliver working software frequently, with a preference for shorter timescales.? Waiting?#4
4. Collaboration between business stakeholders and developers throughout the project. Transportation?#1
5. Build projects around motivated individuals and give them the environment and support they need. Motion?#3
6. Face-to-face conversation is the most efficient and effective method of conveying information. Motion #3, Waiting?#4, Skills #8
7. Working software is the primary measure of progress. Over Production?#5 & Skills #8
8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely. Motion #3 & Over Processing?#6
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility. Defects?#7 & Skills #8
10. Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential.?Over Production?#5 & Over Processing #6
11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams. Over Processing #6, Waiting?#4 & Skills #8
12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly. Over Processing #6 & Defects?#7

Additional Reading

Lean Laboratory: Eliminate Waste (lablean.blogspot.com)

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