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is efficiency
a good
thing?
Holly Cummins
12 June, 2024
StaffPlus London
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@holly_cummins
#RedHat
now
senior principal software engineer
helping to build Quarkus
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@holly_cummins
#RedHat
now
senior principal software engineer
helping to build Quarkus
2007
let’s make garbage
collection more
efficient!
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@holly_cummins
#RedHat
now
senior principal software engineer
helping to build Quarkus
2007
let’s make garbage
collection more
efficient!
2015
lean and xp makes
your team more
efficient!
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@holly_cummins
#RedHat
now
senior principal software engineer
helping to build Quarkus
2007
let’s make garbage
collection more
efficient!
2015
lean and xp makes
your team more
efficient!
2022
quarkus is
wonderfully efficient!
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
“I’d like to be more inefficient.”
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
“I’d like to be more inefficient.”
none us of us say this
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
machine
1700s
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
machine
1700s
energy
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
machine
1700s
energy energy
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
machine
1700s
energy energy
useful
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
processes
1890s
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
processes
time
money
1890s
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
processes
time
money
1890s
value
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
processes
time
money
1890s
“interaction at scale”
value
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
manufacturing
1900s
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
manufacturing
1900s
value
value
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
manufacturing
1900s
value
value
value
lean
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
software
1960s
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
software
time
electricity
hardware
1960s
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
software
time
electricity
hardware
answers
1960s
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
takeaway
consider all kinds of efficiency
-processes
-production
-software
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
after 200 years, we’re getting good at efficiency
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
source: http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~moyer/GEOS24705/2016/Assignments/PS7.pdf
steam engine
efficiency
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
koomey’s law: the energy efficiency of
computers doubles roughly every 18
months
computer
efficiency
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
koomey’s law: the energy efficiency of
computers doubles roughly every 18
months
computer
efficiency
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software
efficiency
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starting a java application in 2010
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starting a java application in 2010
slower than making tea
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starting a java application in 2023
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starting a java application in 2023
faster than a lightbulb
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starting a java application in 2023
faster than a lightbulb
quarkus
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
we have automated all the things
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
infrastructure as code
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
… us as code
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
@holly_cummins
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
@holly_cummins
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
@holly_cummins
all my cool ideas were
apparently not very original!
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
even after 200 years, we are not
always very good at efficiency
but.
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
process inefficiency
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
“this provisioning
software is broken”
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
what we sold
“this provisioning
software is broken”
10 minute
provision-time
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
what we sold
“this provisioning
software is broken”
10 minute
provision-time
3 month
provision-
time
what the
client
thought
they’d got
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
what we sold
“this provisioning
software is broken”
10 minute
provision-time
3 month
provision-
time
what the
client
thought
they’d got
the reason
84-step
pre-approval process
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
software inefficiency
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
https://blog.linkedin.com/2017/august/3/making-linkedin-more-accessible-via-linkedin-lite
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@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”
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@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”
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#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
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#RedHat
@[email protected]
the average server:
12 - 18%
of capacity
https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/data-center-efficiency-assessment-IB.pdf
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
it’s not just money
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
it’s not just electricity
it’s not just money
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
it’s not just electricity
it’s water
it’s not just money
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
it’s not just electricity
it’s water
it’s e-waste
it’s not just money
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
it’s not just electricity
it’s water
it’s e-waste
it’s not just money
it’s embodied carbon
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
we cling on to inefficiency
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
true story from the software marketing trenches
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
our amazing product makes
your team more efficient
true story from the software marketing trenches
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
our amazing product makes
your team more efficient
ooh, no, definitely
don’t want that
true story from the software marketing trenches
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
our amazing product makes
your team more efficient
ooh, no, definitely
don’t want that
and it’s yours for only –
wait, what?
true story from the software marketing trenches
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
our amazing product makes
your team more efficient
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
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
our amazing product makes
your team more efficient
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
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
our amazing product makes
your team more efficient
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
…
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@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?
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
takeaway
drive out inefficiency
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
takeaway
drive out inefficiency
⁃ stupid processes
⁃ bloated software
⁃ terrible resource utilisation
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
takeaway
drive out inefficiency
⁃ stupid processes
⁃ bloated software
⁃ terrible resource utilisation
make sure incentive structures do not reward inefficiency
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
once you’ve eliminated the obvious waste …
go further
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
“There is nothing so useless as
doing efficiently that which
should not be done at all."
Peter Drucker
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
defect triage team
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
defect triage team
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
let’s … set the priority
to ‘medium’!
defect triage team
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
let’s … set the priority
to ‘medium’!
defect triage team
could we turn this
whole meeting into a
small shell script?
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
let’s … set the priority
to ‘medium’!
defect triage team
could we turn this
whole meeting into a
small shell script?
what if … we just got rid
of the priority field?
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
instead of using ai to fill in boilerplate,
could we just … get rid of the boilerplate?
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@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!");
}
}
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@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
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
takeaway
- think different
- go for radical waste reduction
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
when efficiency isn’t efficient
trade-offs
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
automation may not save as
much time as you think
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
sometimes, “AI” is just shifting who is doing the work
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
sometimes, the person they’re
shifting the work to is you
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
sometimes, the person they’re
shifting the work to is you
-writing natural language
specifications (ie “prompts”)
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
sometimes, the person they’re
shifting the work to is you
-writing natural language
specifications (ie “prompts”)
-validation
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
sometimes, the person they’re
shifting the work to is you
-writing natural language
specifications (ie “prompts”)
-validation
-debugging
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
sometimes, the person they’re
shifting the work to is you
-writing natural language
specifications (ie “prompts”)
-validation
-debugging
-maintenance
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
https://www.sify.com/ai-analytics/the-hilarious-and-horrifying-hallucinations-of-ai/
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@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/
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
“What is the world record for crossing
the 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/
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
“What is the world record for crossing
the 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
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
70%
unnecessary
code
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
“illusion of efficiency”
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
“data-driven”
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
measuring the efficiency of people
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
you get what you measure
are you measuring what you actually want?
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
it’s easy to measure wrong
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
1700 1900 2000
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
1700 1900 2000
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
1700 1900 2000
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
1700 1900 2000
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
1700 1900 2000
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
1700 1900 2000
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
taylorism
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
taylorism
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
taylorism
≃
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
taylorism
≃
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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reduce waste, not humanity
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“efficiency” as a synonym for layoffs
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
energy
less energy
that is useful
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
energy
less energy
that is useful
even for machines, there is a
limit to efficiency
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@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
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
consider other requirements, such as resiliency
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
#RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
less efficient
(more legs than needed)
#RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
highly efficient
(optimum number of legs)
less efficient
(more legs than needed)
#RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
highly efficient
(optimum number of legs)
less efficient
(more legs than needed)
resilient
#RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
highly efficient
(optimum number of legs)
less efficient
(more legs than needed)
resilient
#RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
highly efficient
(optimum number of legs)
no resiliency
less efficient
(more legs than needed)
resilient
#RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
highly efficient
(optimum number of legs)
no resiliency
less efficient
(more legs than needed)
resilient
#RedHat
resiliency
lowers
efficiency
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
it’s the same for people
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
it’s the same for people
all work and no play is … not efficient
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
research shows:
fun is good for business.
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
research shows:
fun is good for business.
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
studies show…
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
studies show…
employee
fun
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
studies show…
employee
fun
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
studies show…
employee
fun
harder
working
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
studies show…
employee
fun
harder
working
more
productivity
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
studies show…
employee
fun
harder
working
more
productivity
less sick leave
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
https:/
/hbr.org/2012/01/positive-intelligence
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@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
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
https:/
/wrap.warwick.ac.uk/63228/7/WRAP_Oswald_681096.pdf
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@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
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
play helps creativity
we work in a creative industry
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
doing nothing helps creativity
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
the default mode network
idle minds can solve hard problems
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
psychology says we need idle time; maths agrees
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
queueing theory says systems need to run under-capacity to cope
psychology says we need idle time; maths agrees
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
queuing theory basics
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
queuing theory basics
arrival process
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
queuing theory basics
arrival process
Poisson distribution
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
queuing theory basics
queue
arrival process
Poisson distribution
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
queuing theory basics
queue
arrival process
Poisson distribution
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
queuing theory basics
queue
arrival process servers
Poisson distribution
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
queuing theory basics
queue
arrival process servers
Poisson distribution
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
queuing theory basics
queue
arrival process servers completed work
Poisson distribution
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
queue
arrival process servers completed work
if server capacity is too low, wait times are high
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
if arrival rates are low, servers will be idle
queue
arrival process servers completed work
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
utilisation
lead time
http://brodzinski.com/2015/01/slack-time-value.html
assuming Poisson
distribution of arrivals
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@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
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@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
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@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
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
trains could go faster than
the schedule needs them to
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
speed
trains could go faster than
the schedule needs them to
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
speed
vs
predictability
trains could go faster than
the schedule needs them to
but then any minor
delay is irrecoverable
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
this is great news
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
this is great news
relaxing has business value
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@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
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
are you optimising the right thing?
efficiency can take unexpected forms
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
what problem are
we trying to solve?
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
what problem are
we trying to solve?
efficient
cool and bouncy
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@holly_cummins #RedHat
what problem are
we trying to solve?
efficient
cool and bouncy
more efficient
squashy and blobby
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@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)
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slides
thank you
#RedHat
@holly_cummins
https://hollycummins.com/efficiency-staffplus/