How to break the rules Dan North @tastapod

@tastapod Eliyahu Goldratt https://alchetron.com/Eliyahu-M-Goldratt-1011218-W#- 1984 2005 1947-2011

@tastapod “Technology can bring benefits if, and only if, it diminishes a limitation.” —Eli Goldratt

@tastapod We are really, really bad at
 adopting new technology

@tastapod We are really, really bad at
 benefiting from new technology

@tastapod Goldratt’s four questions 1. What is the power of the technology? 2. What limitation does the technology diminish? 3. Which rules enabled us to manage this limitation? 4. Which new rules will we need?

@tastapod Which rules enabled us

@tastapod Which rules enabled us Rules designed to enable us
 inevitably constrain us

@tastapod http://www.ultraconsultants.com/mrp-vs-mrp-ii-vs-erp/

@tastapod Applying the questions to ERP 1. We can collect and analyse information across the org. 2. Diminishes ignorance of what other divisions are doing. 3. You must use cost accounting rules to run your division. 4. Use throughput accounting to measure flow of value.

@tastapod Rules become law 1. We can collect and analyse information across the org. 2. Diminishes ignorance of what other divisions are doing. 3. You must use cost accounting rules to run your division. 4. Use throughput accounting to measure flow of value.

@tastapod

@tastapod 1. Whole team can drive scenarios using plain text specification. 2. Diminishes handoffs between silos of responsibility. 3. Analysts must hand off requirements to programmers to automate. Programmers must hand off code to testers to check. 4. The team works together to define, automate and check scenarios. Applying the questions to Cucumber

@tastapod 1. Whole team can drive scenarios using plain text specification. 2. Diminishes handoffs between silos of responsibility. 3. Analysts must hand off requirements to programmers to automate. Programmers must hand off code to testers to check. 4. The team works together to define, automate and check scenarios. Rules become culture

@tastapod behaviour-driven development

@tastapod 1. The whole team can focus on delivering software that matters. 2. Diminishes speculative features and over-engineering. 3. Requirements must be comprehensive and unambiguous. Solution must be flexible and extensible. 4. Iterate quickly to provide valuable feedback. Assume we are wrong but that we can learn and adapt. Applying the questions to BDD behaviour-driven development

@tastapod Behaviour-Driven Development 1. The whole team can focus on delivering software that matters. 2. Diminishes speculative features and over-engineering. 3. Requirements must be comprehensive and unambiguous. Solution must be flexible and extensible. 4. Iterate quickly to provide valuable feedback. Assume we are wrong but that we can learn and adapt. Rules become paradigm

@tastapod The rules are holding us back! Law Culture Paradigm

@tastapod How to break the rules 1. Understand the power of the new technology What does it do? How does it work? How can we exploit this technology? 2. Recognise the limitation the technology will diminish How could you prove the limitation was holding you back? How would you know it was diminishing?

@tastapod How to break the rules 3. Identify the existing rules we use to manage the limitation How will they get in the way? What assumptions do they make? How can we make it safe to change? How to create a graceful exit? 4. Identify and implement the new rules How can we safely exploit this new technology? How do we introduce and institutionalise these new rules?

@tastapod “Technology can bring benefits if, and only if, it diminishes a limitation.”

@tastapod Now, go break some rules! @tastapod https://dannorth.net dan@dannorth.net