How to break the rules - Cucumber mix

We invest so much in technology, so why do we seem to get so little benefit in return? We introduce new processes, tools and methods, but when you stand back and squint the organisation still looks just the same.

Is technology over-hyped and oversold, as many would have us believe, or are we doing something that means we lose out on all those promised benefits? Societies work because we follow the rules, but what if those same rules are holding us back? The problem may not be in the technology, but in us failing to change our habits.

In this talk, Dan introduces some uncomfortable truths from Eliyahu Goldratt, author of “The Goal” and one of the fathers of modern management theory, that may help us to recognise and challenge this behaviour so we can start to get the real benefit from all that technology.

This version of the talk takes examples from BDD.

Transcript

1. How to break the rules Dan North @tastapod
2. @tastapod Eliyahu Goldratt https://alchetron.com/Eliyahu-M-Goldratt-1011218-W#- 1984 2005 1947-2011
3. @tastapod “Technology can bring benefits if, and only if, it diminishes a limitation.” —Eli Goldratt
4. @tastapod We are really, really bad at
 adopting new technology
5. @tastapod We are really, really bad at
 benefiting from new technology
6. @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?
7. @tastapod Which rules enabled us
8. @tastapod Which rules enabled us Rules designed to enable us
 inevitably constrain us
9. @tastapod http://www.ultraconsultants.com/mrp-vs-mrp-ii-vs-erp/
10. @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.
11. @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.
12. @tastapod
13. @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
14. @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
15. @tastapod behaviour-driven development
16. @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
17. @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
18. @tastapod The rules are holding us back! Law Culture Paradigm
19. @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?
20. @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?
21. @tastapod “Technology can bring benefits if, and only if, it diminishes a limitation.”
22. @tastapod Now, go break some rules! @tastapod https://dannorth.net dan@dannorth.net