Is Efficiency a Good Thing?

is efficiency a good thing? Holly Cummins 12 June, 2024
StaffPlus London

@holly_cummins #RedHat now senior principal software engineer helping to build
Quarkus

Quarkus 2007 let’s make garbage collection more efficient!

Quarkus 2007 let’s make garbage collection more efficient! 2015 lean and xp makes your team more efficient!

Quarkus 2007 let’s make garbage collection more efficient! 2015 lean and xp makes your team more efficient! 2022 quarkus is wonderfully efficient!

@holly_cummins #RedHat “I’d like to be more inefficient.”

@holly_cummins #RedHat “I’d like to be more inefficient.” none us
of us say this

@holly_cummins #RedHat

@holly_cummins #RedHat machine 1700s

@holly_cummins #RedHat machine 1700s energy

@holly_cummins #RedHat machine 1700s energy energy

@holly_cummins #RedHat machine 1700s energy energy useful

@holly_cummins #RedHat processes 1890s

@holly_cummins #RedHat processes time money 1890s

@holly_cummins #RedHat processes time money 1890s value

@holly_cummins #RedHat processes time money 1890s “interaction at scale” value

@holly_cummins #RedHat manufacturing 1900s

@holly_cummins #RedHat manufacturing 1900s value value

@holly_cummins #RedHat manufacturing 1900s value value value lean

@holly_cummins #RedHat software 1960s

@holly_cummins #RedHat software time electricity hardware 1960s

@holly_cummins #RedHat software time electricity hardware answers 1960s

@holly_cummins #RedHat takeaway consider all kinds of efficiency -processes -production
-software

@holly_cummins #RedHat after 200 years, we’re getting good at efficiency

@holly_cummins #RedHat source: http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~moyer/GEOS24705/2016/Assignments/PS7.pdf steam engine efficiency

@holly_cummins #RedHat koomey’s law: the energy efficiency of computers doubles
roughly every 18 months computer efficiency

software efficiency

starting a java application in 2010

starting a java application in 2010 slower than making tea

starting a java application in 2023

starting a java application in 2023 faster than a lightbulb

starting a java application in 2023 faster than a lightbulb
quarkus

@holly_cummins #RedHat we have automated all the things

@holly_cummins #RedHat infrastructure as code

@holly_cummins #RedHat … us as code

@holly_cummins #RedHat @holly_cummins

@holly_cummins #RedHat @holly_cummins all my cool ideas were apparently not
very original!

@holly_cummins #RedHat even after 200 years, we are not always
very good at efficiency but.

@holly_cummins #RedHat process inefficiency

@holly_cummins #RedHat “this provisioning software is broken”

@holly_cummins #RedHat what we sold “this provisioning software is broken”
10 minute provision-time

10 minute provision-time 3 month provision- time what the client thought they’d got

10 minute provision-time 3 month provision- time what the client thought they’d got the reason 84-step pre-approval process

@holly_cummins #RedHat software inefficiency

@holly_cummins #RedHat https://blog.linkedin.com/2017/august/3/making-linkedin-more-accessible-via-linkedin-lite

@holly_cummins #RedHat https://blog.linkedin.com/2017/august/3/making-linkedin-more-accessible-via-linkedin-lite “my heart sank … our new feature
failed to load because of poor internet connectivity”

@holly_cummins #RedHat https://blog.linkedin.com/2017/august/3/making-linkedin-more-accessible-via-linkedin-lite modern web is so inefficient it is
useless for part of its audience “my heart sank … our new feature failed to load because of poor internet connectivity”

#RedHat @[email protected] waste everywhere

#RedHat @[email protected] 25% of 16,000 servers doing no useful work
https://www.anthesisgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Comatose-Servers-Redux-2017.pdf zombie servers

#RedHat @[email protected] the average server: 12 - 18% of capacity
https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/data-center-efficiency-assessment-IB.pdf

@holly_cummins #RedHat it’s not just money

@holly_cummins #RedHat it’s not just electricity it’s not just money

@holly_cummins #RedHat it’s not just electricity it’s water it’s not
just money

@holly_cummins #RedHat it’s not just electricity it’s water it’s e-waste
it’s not just money

@holly_cummins #RedHat it’s not just electricity it’s water it’s e-waste
it’s not just money it’s embodied carbon

@holly_cummins #RedHat we cling on to inefficiency

@holly_cummins #RedHat true story from the software marketing trenches

@holly_cummins #RedHat our amazing product makes your team more efficient
true story from the software marketing trenches

ooh, no, definitely don’t want that true story from the software marketing trenches

ooh, no, definitely don’t want that and it’s yours for only – wait, what? true story from the software marketing trenches

ooh, no, definitely don’t want that and it’s yours for only – wait, what? if we became more efficient our headcount would be reduced true story from the software marketing trenches

ooh, no, definitely don’t want that and it’s yours for only – wait, what? if we became more efficient our headcount would be reduced my status would be lower true story from the software marketing trenches

ooh, no, definitely don’t want that and it’s yours for only – wait, what? if we became more efficient our headcount would be reduced my status would be lower true story from the software marketing trenches …

@holly_cummins #RedHat if I tell my boss about an inefficiency,
what if my friends get laid off because less staff are needed after it’s fixed?

@holly_cummins #RedHat takeaway drive out inefficiency

@holly_cummins #RedHat takeaway drive out inefficiency ⁃ stupid processes ⁃
bloated software ⁃ terrible resource utilisation

@holly_cummins #RedHat takeaway drive out inefficiency ⁃ stupid processes ⁃
bloated software ⁃ terrible resource utilisation make sure incentive structures do not reward inefficiency

@holly_cummins #RedHat once you’ve eliminated the obvious waste … go
further

@holly_cummins #RedHat “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently
that which should not be done at all." Peter Drucker

@holly_cummins #RedHat defect triage team

@holly_cummins #RedHat let’s … set the priority to ‘medium’! defect
triage team

triage team could we turn this whole meeting into a small shell script?

triage team could we turn this whole meeting into a small shell script? what if … we just got rid of the priority field?

@holly_cummins #RedHat instead of using ai to fill in boilerplate,
could we just … get rid of the boilerplate?

@holly_cummins #RedHat example: logging without quarkus package com.example; import org.jboss.logging.Logger;
public class MyService { private static final Logger log = Logger.getLogger(MyService.class); public void doSomething() { log.info("It works!"); } }

@holly_cummins #RedHat example: logging without quarkus package com.example; import org.jboss.logging.Logger;
public class MyService { private static final Logger log = Logger.getLogger(MyService.class); public void doSomething() { log.info("It works!"); } } import io.quarkus.logging.Log; Log with quarkus

@holly_cummins #RedHat takeaway - think different - go for radical
waste reduction

@holly_cummins #RedHat when efficiency isn’t efficient trade-offs

@holly_cummins #RedHat automation may not save as much time as
you think

@holly_cummins #RedHat sometimes, “AI” is just shifting who is doing
the work

@holly_cummins #RedHat sometimes, the person they’re shifting the work to
is you

is you -writing natural language specifications (ie “prompts”)

is you -writing natural language specifications (ie “prompts”) -validation

is you -writing natural language specifications (ie “prompts”) -validation -debugging

is you -writing natural language specifications (ie “prompts”) -validation -debugging -maintenance

@holly_cummins #RedHat https://www.sify.com/ai-analytics/the-hilarious-and-horrifying-hallucinations-of-ai/

@holly_cummins #RedHat “What is the world record for crossing the
English channel entirely on foot?” https://www.sify.com/ai-analytics/the-hilarious-and-horrifying-hallucinations-of-ai/

English channel entirely on foot?” “The world record for crossing the English Channel entirely on foot is held by Christof Wandratsch of Germany, who completed the crossing in 14 hours and 51 minutes on August 14, 2020.” https://www.sify.com/ai-analytics/the-hilarious-and-horrifying-hallucinations-of-ai/

English channel entirely on foot?” “The world record for crossing the English Channel entirely on foot is held by Christof Wandratsch of Germany, who completed the crossing in 14 hours and 51 minutes on August 14, 2020.” https://www.sify.com/ai-analytics/the-hilarious-and-horrifying-hallucinations-of-ai/ bullshit as a service

@holly_cummins #RedHat 70% unnecessary code

@holly_cummins #RedHat “illusion of efficiency”

@holly_cummins #RedHat “data-driven”

@holly_cummins #RedHat measuring the efficiency of people

@holly_cummins #RedHat you get what you measure are you measuring
what you actually want?

@holly_cummins #RedHat it’s easy to measure wrong

@holly_cummins #RedHat 1700 1900 2000

@holly_cummins #RedHat taylorism

@holly_cummins #RedHat taylorism ≃

reduce waste, not humanity

“efficiency” as a synonym for layoffs

@holly_cummins #RedHat energy less energy that is useful

@holly_cummins #RedHat energy less energy that is useful even for
machines, there is a limit to efficiency

@holly_cummins #RedHat energy less energy that is useful even for
machines, there is a limit to efficiency …and it’s lower than you think

@holly_cummins #RedHat consider other requirements, such as resiliency

@holly_cummins #RedHat #RedHat

@holly_cummins #RedHat less efficient (more legs than needed) #RedHat

@holly_cummins #RedHat highly efficient (optimum number of legs) less efficient
(more legs than needed) #RedHat

@holly_cummins #RedHat highly efficient (optimum number of legs) less efficient
(more legs than needed) resilient #RedHat

@holly_cummins #RedHat highly efficient (optimum number of legs) no resiliency
less efficient (more legs than needed) resilient #RedHat

@holly_cummins #RedHat highly efficient (optimum number of legs) no resiliency
less efficient (more legs than needed) resilient #RedHat resiliency lowers efficiency

@holly_cummins #RedHat it’s the same for people

@holly_cummins #RedHat it’s the same for people all work and
no play is … not efficient

@holly_cummins #RedHat research shows: fun is good for business.

@holly_cummins #RedHat studies show…

@holly_cummins #RedHat studies show… employee fun

@holly_cummins #RedHat studies show… employee fun harder working

@holly_cummins #RedHat studies show… employee fun harder working more productivity

@holly_cummins #RedHat studies show… employee fun harder working more productivity
less sick leave

@holly_cummins #RedHat https:/ /hbr.org/2012/01/positive-intelligence

@holly_cummins #RedHat “Your brain at positive is 31% more productive
than your brain at negative, neutral or stressed. " https:/ /hbr.org/2012/01/positive-intelligence

@holly_cummins #RedHat https:/ /wrap.warwick.ac.uk/63228/7/WRAP_Oswald_681096.pdf

@holly_cummins #RedHat "Individuals [who just watched a comedy video] have
approximately 12% greater productivity." https:/ /wrap.warwick.ac.uk/63228/7/WRAP_Oswald_681096.pdf

@holly_cummins #RedHat play helps creativity we work in a creative
industry

@holly_cummins #RedHat doing nothing helps creativity

@holly_cummins #RedHat the default mode network idle minds can solve
hard problems

@holly_cummins #RedHat psychology says we need idle time; maths agrees

@holly_cummins #RedHat queueing theory says systems need to run under-capacity
to cope psychology says we need idle time; maths agrees

@holly_cummins #RedHat queuing theory basics

@holly_cummins #RedHat queuing theory basics arrival process

@holly_cummins #RedHat queuing theory basics arrival process Poisson distribution

@holly_cummins #RedHat queuing theory basics queue arrival process Poisson distribution

@holly_cummins #RedHat queuing theory basics queue arrival process servers Poisson
distribution

@holly_cummins #RedHat queuing theory basics queue arrival process servers completed
work Poisson distribution

@holly_cummins #RedHat queue arrival process servers completed work if server
capacity is too low, wait times are high

@holly_cummins #RedHat if arrival rates are low, servers will be
idle queue arrival process servers completed work

@holly_cummins #RedHat utilisation lead time http://brodzinski.com/2015/01/slack-time-value.html assuming Poisson distribution of
arrivals

@holly_cummins #RedHat utilisation lead time http://brodzinski.com/2015/01/slack-time-value.html assuming Poisson distribution of
arrivals 80% utilisation → 90% utilisation: wait times double

@holly_cummins #RedHat utilisation http://brodzinski.com/2015/01/slack-time-value.html cost delay cost assuming Poisson distribution
of arrivals 80% utilisation → 90% utilisation: wait times double

@holly_cummins #RedHat utilisation http://brodzinski.com/2015/01/slack-time-value.html cost delay cost cost of idle
capacity assuming Poisson distribution of arrivals 80% utilisation → 90% utilisation: wait times double

@holly_cummins #RedHat trains could go faster than the schedule needs
them to

@holly_cummins #RedHat speed trains could go faster than the schedule
needs them to

@holly_cummins #RedHat speed vs predictability trains could go faster than
the schedule needs them to but then any minor delay is irrecoverable

@holly_cummins #RedHat this is great news

@holly_cummins #RedHat this is great news relaxing has business value

@holly_cummins #RedHat takeaway - measure thoughtfully; you will get what
you measure - remember the paradoxes: - efficiency is not always efficient - fun and idleness improves efficiency

@holly_cummins #RedHat are you optimising the right thing? efficiency can
take unexpected forms

@holly_cummins #RedHat what problem are we trying to solve?

@holly_cummins #RedHat what problem are we trying to solve? efficient
cool and bouncy

@holly_cummins #RedHat what problem are we trying to solve? efficient
cool and bouncy more efficient squashy and blobby

@holly_cummins #RedHat tl;dpa ⁃ do look for waste, and get
rid of it ⁃ measure carefully, and beware the illusion of efficiency ⁃ remember that people and systems function better with some idle time (too long; didn’t pay attention)

slides thank you #RedHat @holly_cummins https://hollycummins.com/efficiency-staffplus/

Is Efficiency a Good Thing?

Is Efficiency a Good Thing?

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