Cycle time

Cycle Time

Cycle time is a critical metric used in various industries to measure the efficiency of processes, workflows, and operations. It represents the time it takes to complete a specific task or process from start to finish. Understanding and optimizing cycle time can significantly impact productivity, quality, and overall business performance.

Foundations of Cycle Time

To fully grasp the concept of cycle time, it’s essential to understand several foundational principles:

  1. Task or Process: Cycle time is applied to a specific task or process. It can refer to various activities, from manufacturing a product to processing customer service requests or software development tasks.
  2. Start and Finish: Cycle time measures the time elapsed between the initiation (start) and completion (finish) of a task. It includes both active work time and any waiting or idle time.
  3. Efficiency and Speed: Reducing cycle time often correlates with improved efficiency and speed in completing tasks. However, it should not compromise quality.
  4. Continuous Improvement: Cycle time analysis is a fundamental component of continuous improvement methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma. It helps identify bottlenecks, waste, and opportunities for optimization.

Core Principles of Cycle Time

Several core principles underpin the concept of cycle time:

  1. Measurement: Accurate measurement of cycle time is crucial. It requires defining clear start and end points for the task or process.
  2. Standardization: To compare cycle times across similar tasks or processes, standardization is essential. This ensures consistency in measurement.
  3. Reduction: The goal of cycle time analysis is often to reduce the time required to complete a task while maintaining or improving quality.
  4. Efficiency: Shorter cycle times generally signify improved efficiency, but it’s important to strike a balance between speed and quality.

Methods for Measuring Cycle Time

Cycle time can be measured using various methods, depending on the nature of the task or process:

  1. Stopwatch or Timer: For manual tasks or processes, a stopwatch or timer can be used to record the time taken from start to finish.
  2. Software Tools: Many digital tools and software applications are available to track cycle time for specific processes, such as project management software for software development tasks.
  3. Workflow Analysis: In complex workflows, cycle time can be analyzed by breaking down the process into its constituent steps and measuring the time taken at each stage.

Benefits of Measuring and Optimizing Cycle Time

The measurement and optimization of cycle time offer numerous benefits across various industries and sectors:

  1. Increased Productivity: Shorter cycle times mean tasks and processes are completed faster, leading to increased productivity.
  2. Improved Quality: Optimizing cycle time should not compromise quality. In fact, it often leads to improved quality as bottlenecks and inefficiencies are addressed.
  3. Faster Response Times: Shorter cycle times enable organizations to respond more quickly to customer demands and changing market conditions.
  4. Cost Savings: Efficiency gains resulting from cycle time optimization can lead to cost savings, as resources are used more effectively.
  5. Competitive Advantage: Organizations that can deliver products or services faster often gain a competitive advantage in the market.
  6. Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Faster response times and improved quality can lead to higher customer satisfaction.

Practical Applications of Cycle Time

Cycle time has practical applications in a wide range of industries and processes:

  1. Manufacturing: In manufacturing, cycle time measures the time it takes to produce a unit of a product. Reducing cycle time can lead to higher production rates and lower costs.
  2. Software Development: In agile software development, cycle time tracks how long it takes to complete a user story or feature. Shorter cycle times lead to faster product releases.
  3. Customer Service: In customer service operations, cycle time measures how quickly customer inquiries or requests are resolved. Faster response times lead to improved customer satisfaction.
  4. Healthcare: In healthcare, cycle time measures the time patients spend in various stages of care, from admission to discharge. Reducing cycle time can lead to improved patient outcomes and reduced costs.
  5. Supply Chain: In supply chain management, cycle time measures the time it takes for products or materials to move from suppliers to customers. Shorter cycle times can reduce inventory holding costs and improve order fulfillment.
  6. Project Management: In project management, cycle time measures how long it takes to complete specific project tasks or deliverables. It helps project managers track progress and make adjustments as needed.

The Role of Cycle Time in Workflow Optimization

Cycle time plays a crucial role in optimizing workflows:

  1. Identification of Bottlenecks: Analyzing cycle times can help identify bottlenecks or areas where tasks or processes are slowing down. This information allows organizations to focus their improvement efforts where they are needed most.
  2. Process Streamlining: By reducing cycle times, organizations can streamline their processes, making them more efficient and cost-effective.
  3. Resource Allocation: Understanding cycle times enables organizations to allocate resources more effectively and prioritize tasks or processes that have longer cycle times.
  4. Performance Monitoring: Cycle time serves as a key performance indicator (KPI) for monitoring the efficiency of workflows and measuring the impact of process improvements.

Challenges and Considerations

While measuring and optimizing cycle time offer substantial benefits, there are challenges and considerations to

keep in mind:

  1. Quality vs. Speed: Striking the right balance between speed (shorter cycle times) and quality is crucial. Optimizing for speed alone can lead to quality issues.
  2. Data Accuracy: Accurate measurement of cycle time relies on precise data collection and standardization. Inaccurate data can lead to misleading conclusions.
  3. Process Complexity: Complex processes may have multiple cycle times within them, making analysis and optimization more challenging.
  4. Human Factors: Human factors, such as skill levels and motivation, can impact cycle times. Addressing these factors may require additional interventions.
  5. Continuous Improvement: Optimizing cycle time is an ongoing process. Organizations should commit to continuous improvement and regularly revisit their workflows.

Conclusion

Cycle time is a fundamental metric for measuring and optimizing workflow efficiency across various industries. Whether in manufacturing, software development, customer service, or healthcare, understanding and improving cycle time can lead to increased productivity, improved quality, and better resource allocation. By identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies, organizations can streamline their processes and gain a competitive edge in today’s fast-paced business environment.

Key Highlights:

  • Foundations of Cycle Time:
    • Refers to the time between initiating and completing a specific task or process.
    • Emphasizes efficiency and speed without compromising quality.
    • Integral to continuous improvement methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma.
  • Core Principles:
    • Measurement: Accurate measurement with clear start and end points is crucial.
    • Standardization: Standardize measurement methods for consistency.
    • Reduction: Aim to reduce cycle time while maintaining or improving quality.
    • Efficiency: Shorter cycle times signify improved efficiency.
  • Methods for Measuring Cycle Time:
    • Stopwatch or Timer: Manual tasks can be timed using stopwatch or timer.
    • Software Tools: Digital tools track cycle time for specific processes.
    • Workflow Analysis: Complex workflows are broken down for analysis.
  • Benefits:
    • Increased Productivity: Faster completion leads to enhanced productivity.
    • Improved Quality: Optimization improves quality by addressing inefficiencies.
    • Faster Response Times: Quick response to demands and market changes.
    • Cost Savings: Efficient resource utilization reduces costs.
    • Competitive Advantage: Faster delivery provides a competitive edge.
    • Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Faster response and improved quality lead to higher satisfaction.
  • Practical Applications:
    • Manufacturing: Higher production rates and lower costs.
    • Software Development: Faster product releases in agile development.
    • Customer Service: Quick resolution enhances satisfaction.
    • Healthcare: Improved patient outcomes and reduced costs.
    • Supply Chain: Reduced inventory costs and improved fulfillment.
    • Project Management: Efficient task completion and progress tracking.
  • Role in Workflow Optimization:
    • Bottleneck Identification: Pinpoints areas needing improvement.
    • Process Streamlining: Enhances efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
    • Resource Allocation: Enables effective resource distribution.
    • Performance Monitoring: Serves as a key performance indicator.
  • Challenges and Considerations:
    • Quality vs. Speed: Balancing speed with quality is crucial.
    • Data Accuracy: Precise data collection ensures accurate analysis.
    • Process Complexity: Multiple cycle times in complex processes pose challenges.
    • Human Factors: Skills and motivation impact cycle times.
    • Continuous Improvement: Optimization is an ongoing process.
Related FrameworkDescriptionWhen to Apply
Lead TimeLead Time measures the total duration from the moment a customer or stakeholder submits a request until it is delivered or fulfilled. It includes all stages of the development process, such as backlog grooming, planning, implementation, testing, and deployment. Lead Time provides insights into the overall responsiveness and efficiency of the development team in delivering value to customers.When analyzing the end-to-end process of delivering value to customers in Agile development. Lead Time is used by Agile teams, product owners, and stakeholders to understand the time it takes to deliver requested features or changes, identify areas for improvement, and optimize the development process for faster delivery and enhanced customer satisfaction.
Cycle Time EfficiencyCycle Time Efficiency measures the ratio of value-added time to total cycle time in a process. It provides insights into process efficiency and waste reduction opportunities. By improving Cycle Time Efficiency, organizations can streamline processes, reduce lead times, and deliver products or services more quickly and efficiently.When evaluating process efficiency and identifying opportunities for waste reduction. Cycle Time Efficiency is used in Lean manufacturing, Agile development, and process improvement initiatives to assess the effectiveness of processes, identify non-value-added activities, and implement strategies to streamline workflows and improve productivity.
ThroughputThroughput measures the rate at which a system, process, or team delivers output or completes tasks within a specific time period. It provides insights into system capacity, productivity, and performance. By optimizing throughput, organizations can increase efficiency, meet demand, and deliver value to customers more effectively.When assessing system or team productivity and capacity. Throughput metrics are used in Agile development, manufacturing, and operations management to monitor output rates, identify bottlenecks, and improve overall productivity. They help organizations set realistic performance goals, allocate resources effectively, and optimize workflows to meet customer demand and deliver products or services in a timely manner.
Value Stream MappingValue Stream Mapping is a visual tool used to analyze, design, and improve the flow of materials, information, and activities required to deliver a product or service to customers. It helps organizations visualize end-to-end process flows, identify opportunities for improvement, and optimize workflows to enhance efficiency and customer value.When analyzing and improving end-to-end process flows and cycle times. Value Stream Mapping is used in Lean manufacturing, Agile development, and service industries to identify waste, streamline processes, and improve overall efficiency and performance. It helps organizations visualize process flows, identify bottlenecks, and implement changes to deliver products or services more quickly and effectively to customers.
Process Cycle EfficiencyProcess Cycle Efficiency measures the ratio of value-added time to total cycle time in a specific process. It provides insights into process effectiveness and waste reduction opportunities. By improving Process Cycle Efficiency, organizations can streamline processes, reduce lead times, and deliver products or services more quickly and efficiently.When evaluating process effectiveness and identifying opportunities for waste reduction. Process Cycle Efficiency metrics are used in Lean manufacturing, Agile development, and process improvement initiatives to assess the effectiveness of processes, identify non-value-added activities, and implement strategies to streamline workflows and improve productivity.
Process Lead TimeProcess Lead Time measures the total duration from the initiation of a process until its completion or delivery. It provides insights into the overall efficiency and responsiveness of a process in delivering value to customers. By reducing Process Lead Time, organizations can improve customer satisfaction, increase agility, and deliver products or services more quickly to the market.When analyzing the duration of specific processes and activities. Process Lead Time is used by organizations to assess process efficiency, identify bottlenecks, and optimize workflows to improve overall performance and responsiveness. It helps organizations measure and monitor the time it takes to complete tasks or deliverables, identify areas for improvement, and implement changes to enhance productivity and customer satisfaction.
Flow EfficiencyFlow Efficiency measures the ratio of value-added time to total cycle time in a specific process. It provides insights into process efficiency and waste reduction opportunities. By improving Flow Efficiency, organizations can streamline processes, reduce lead times, and deliver products or services more quickly and efficiently.When evaluating process efficiency and identifying opportunities for waste reduction. Flow Efficiency metrics are used in Lean manufacturing, Agile development, and process improvement initiatives to assess the effectiveness of processes, identify non-value-added activities, and implement strategies to streamline workflows and improve productivity.
Process Bottleneck AnalysisProcess Bottleneck Analysis is a method used to identify constraints or bottlenecks in a process that limit its capacity or throughput. It helps organizations identify opportunities to increase efficiency, reduce lead times, and optimize resource allocation to improve overall process performance.When analyzing process flow and identifying constraints that limit capacity or throughput. Process Bottleneck Analysis is used in Lean manufacturing, Agile development, and operations management to identify and address bottlenecks that hinder process efficiency and productivity. It helps organizations optimize resource allocation, streamline workflows, and improve overall process performance to meet customer demand and deliver value more effectively.
Work in Progress (WIP) LimitsWork in Progress (WIP) Limits are constraints placed on the number of tasks or items that can be actively worked on simultaneously in a process or workflow. They help prevent overloading and congestion, reduce multitasking, and improve flow efficiency.When managing workloads and optimizing flow in Agile development or Kanban workflows. WIP Limits are used in Agile development, Kanban, and Lean manufacturing to manage work in progress, balance workloads, and optimize flow efficiency. They help organizations prioritize tasks, limit multitasking, and maintain a steady flow of work to deliver value more effectively and efficiently to customers.
Value-added Time AnalysisValue-added Time Analysis is a method used to identify and quantify the time spent on activities that directly contribute to creating value for the customer in a process. It helps organizations identify opportunities to reduce waste, streamline processes, and optimize resource utilization to improve overall process efficiency and effectiveness.When analyzing process flow and identifying opportunities for waste reduction. Value-added Time Analysis is used in Lean manufacturing, Agile development, and process improvement initiatives to assess process efficiency, identify non-value-added activities, and implement strategies to streamline workflows and improve productivity. It helps organizations focus on activities that create value for customers and eliminate or minimize activities that do not contribute to customer value or satisfaction.

Connected Agile & Lean Frameworks

AIOps

aiops
AIOps is the application of artificial intelligence to IT operations. It has become particularly useful for modern IT management in hybridized, distributed, and dynamic environments. AIOps has become a key operational component of modern digital-based organizations, built around software and algorithms.

AgileSHIFT

AgileSHIFT
AgileSHIFT is a framework that prepares individuals for transformational change by creating a culture of agility.

Agile Methodology

agile-methodology
Agile started as a lightweight development method compared to heavyweight software development, which is the core paradigm of the previous decades of software development. By 2001 the Manifesto for Agile Software Development was born as a set of principles that defined the new paradigm for software development as a continuous iteration. This would also influence the way of doing business.

Agile Program Management

agile-program-management
Agile Program Management is a means of managing, planning, and coordinating interrelated work in such a way that value delivery is emphasized for all key stakeholders. Agile Program Management (AgilePgM) is a disciplined yet flexible agile approach to managing transformational change within an organization.

Agile Project Management

agile-project-management
Agile project management (APM) is a strategy that breaks large projects into smaller, more manageable tasks. In the APM methodology, each project is completed in small sections – often referred to as iterations. Each iteration is completed according to its project life cycle, beginning with the initial design and progressing to testing and then quality assurance.

Agile Modeling

agile-modeling
Agile Modeling (AM) is a methodology for modeling and documenting software-based systems. Agile Modeling is critical to the rapid and continuous delivery of software. It is a collection of values, principles, and practices that guide effective, lightweight software modeling.

Agile Business Analysis

agile-business-analysis
Agile Business Analysis (AgileBA) is certification in the form of guidance and training for business analysts seeking to work in agile environments. To support this shift, AgileBA also helps the business analyst relate Agile projects to a wider organizational mission or strategy. To ensure that analysts have the necessary skills and expertise, AgileBA certification was developed.

Agile Leadership

agile-leadership
Agile leadership is the embodiment of agile manifesto principles by a manager or management team. Agile leadership impacts two important levels of a business. The structural level defines the roles, responsibilities, and key performance indicators. The behavioral level describes the actions leaders exhibit to others based on agile principles. 

Andon System

andon-system
The andon system alerts managerial, maintenance, or other staff of a production process problem. The alert itself can be activated manually with a button or pull cord, but it can also be activated automatically by production equipment. Most Andon boards utilize three colored lights similar to a traffic signal: green (no errors), yellow or amber (problem identified, or quality check needed), and red (production stopped due to unidentified issue).

Bimodal Portfolio Management

bimodal-portfolio-management
Bimodal Portfolio Management (BimodalPfM) helps an organization manage both agile and traditional portfolios concurrently. Bimodal Portfolio Management – sometimes referred to as bimodal development – was coined by research and advisory company Gartner. The firm argued that many agile organizations still needed to run some aspects of their operations using traditional delivery models.

Business Innovation Matrix

business-innovation
Business innovation is about creating new opportunities for an organization to reinvent its core offerings, revenue streams, and enhance the value proposition for existing or new customers, thus renewing its whole business model. Business innovation springs by understanding the structure of the market, thus adapting or anticipating those changes.

Business Model Innovation

business-model-innovation
Business model innovation is about increasing the success of an organization with existing products and technologies by crafting a compelling value proposition able to propel a new business model to scale up customers and create a lasting competitive advantage. And it all starts by mastering the key customers.

Constructive Disruption

constructive-disruption
A consumer brand company like Procter & Gamble (P&G) defines “Constructive Disruption” as: a willingness to change, adapt, and create new trends and technologies that will shape our industry for the future. According to P&G, it moves around four pillars: lean innovation, brand building, supply chain, and digitalization & data analytics.

Continuous Innovation

continuous-innovation
That is a process that requires a continuous feedback loop to develop a valuable product and build a viable business model. Continuous innovation is a mindset where products and services are designed and delivered to tune them around the customers’ problem and not the technical solution of its founders.

Design Sprint

design-sprint
A design sprint is a proven five-day process where critical business questions are answered through speedy design and prototyping, focusing on the end-user. A design sprint starts with a weekly challenge that should finish with a prototype, test at the end, and therefore a lesson learned to be iterated.

Design Thinking

design-thinking
Tim Brown, Executive Chair of IDEO, defined design thinking as “a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.” Therefore, desirability, feasibility, and viability are balanced to solve critical problems.

DevOps

devops-engineering
DevOps refers to a series of practices performed to perform automated software development processes. It is a conjugation of the term “development” and “operations” to emphasize how functions integrate across IT teams. DevOps strategies promote seamless building, testing, and deployment of products. It aims to bridge a gap between development and operations teams to streamline the development altogether.

Dual Track Agile

dual-track-agile
Product discovery is a critical part of agile methodologies, as its aim is to ensure that products customers love are built. Product discovery involves learning through a raft of methods, including design thinking, lean start-up, and A/B testing to name a few. Dual Track Agile is an agile methodology containing two separate tracks: the “discovery” track and the “delivery” track.

eXtreme Programming

extreme-programming
eXtreme Programming was developed in the late 1990s by Ken Beck, Ron Jeffries, and Ward Cunningham. During this time, the trio was working on the Chrysler Comprehensive Compensation System (C3) to help manage the company payroll system. eXtreme Programming (XP) is a software development methodology. It is designed to improve software quality and the ability of software to adapt to changing customer needs.

Feature-Driven Development

feature-driven-development
Feature-Driven Development is a pragmatic software process that is client and architecture-centric. Feature-Driven Development (FDD) is an agile software development model that organizes workflow according to which features need to be developed next.

Gemba Walk

gemba-walk
A Gemba Walk is a fundamental component of lean management. It describes the personal observation of work to learn more about it. Gemba is a Japanese word that loosely translates as “the real place”, or in business, “the place where value is created”. The Gemba Walk as a concept was created by Taiichi Ohno, the father of the Toyota Production System of lean manufacturing. Ohno wanted to encourage management executives to leave their offices and see where the real work happened. This, he hoped, would build relationships between employees with vastly different skillsets and build trust.

GIST Planning

gist-planning
GIST Planning is a relatively easy and lightweight agile approach to product planning that favors autonomous working. GIST Planning is a lean and agile methodology that was created by former Google product manager Itamar Gilad. GIST Planning seeks to address this situation by creating lightweight plans that are responsive and adaptable to change. GIST Planning also improves team velocity, autonomy, and alignment by reducing the pervasive influence of management. It consists of four blocks: goals, ideas, step-projects, and tasks.

ICE Scoring

ice-scoring-model
The ICE Scoring Model is an agile methodology that prioritizes features using data according to three components: impact, confidence, and ease of implementation. The ICE Scoring Model was initially created by author and growth expert Sean Ellis to help companies expand. Today, the model is broadly used to prioritize projects, features, initiatives, and rollouts. It is ideally suited for early-stage product development where there is a continuous flow of ideas and momentum must be maintained.

Innovation Funnel

innovation-funnel
An innovation funnel is a tool or process ensuring only the best ideas are executed. In a metaphorical sense, the funnel screens innovative ideas for viability so that only the best products, processes, or business models are launched to the market. An innovation funnel provides a framework for the screening and testing of innovative ideas for viability.

Innovation Matrix

types-of-innovation
According to how well defined is the problem and how well defined the domain, we have four main types of innovations: basic research (problem and domain or not well defined); breakthrough innovation (domain is not well defined, the problem is well defined); sustaining innovation (both problem and domain are well defined); and disruptive innovation (domain is well defined, the problem is not well defined).

Innovation Theory

innovation-theory
The innovation loop is a methodology/framework derived from the Bell Labs, which produced innovation at scale throughout the 20th century. They learned how to leverage a hybrid innovation management model based on science, invention, engineering, and manufacturing at scale. By leveraging individual genius, creativity, and small/large groups.

Lean vs. Agile

lean-methodology-vs-agile
The Agile methodology has been primarily thought of for software development (and other business disciplines have also adopted it). Lean thinking is a process improvement technique where teams prioritize the value streams to improve it continuously. Both methodologies look at the customer as the key driver to improvement and waste reduction. Both methodologies look at improvement as something continuous.

Lean Startup

startup-company
A startup company is a high-tech business that tries to build a scalable business model in tech-driven industries. A startup company usually follows a lean methodology, where continuous innovation, driven by built-in viral loops is the rule. Thus, driving growth and building network effects as a consequence of this strategy.

Minimum Viable Product

minimum-viable-product
As pointed out by Eric Ries, a minimum viable product is that version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort through a cycle of build, measure, learn; that is the foundation of the lean startup methodology.

Leaner MVP

leaner-mvp
A leaner MVP is the evolution of the MPV approach. Where the market risk is validated before anything else

Kanban

kanban
Kanban is a lean manufacturing framework first developed by Toyota in the late 1940s. The Kanban framework is a means of visualizing work as it moves through identifying potential bottlenecks. It does that through a process called just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing to optimize engineering processes, speed up manufacturing products, and improve the go-to-market strategy.

Jidoka

jidoka
Jidoka was first used in 1896 by Sakichi Toyoda, who invented a textile loom that would stop automatically when it encountered a defective thread. Jidoka is a Japanese term used in lean manufacturing. The term describes a scenario where machines cease operating without human intervention when a problem or defect is discovered.

PDCA Cycle

pdca-cycle
The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle was first proposed by American physicist and engineer Walter A. Shewhart in the 1920s. The PDCA cycle is a continuous process and product improvement method and an essential component of the lean manufacturing philosophy.

Rational Unified Process

rational-unified-process
Rational unified process (RUP) is an agile software development methodology that breaks the project life cycle down into four distinct phases.

Rapid Application Development

rapid-application-development
RAD was first introduced by author and consultant James Martin in 1991. Martin recognized and then took advantage of the endless malleability of software in designing development models. Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a methodology focusing on delivering rapidly through continuous feedback and frequent iterations.

Retrospective Analysis

retrospective-analysis
Retrospective analyses are held after a project to determine what worked well and what did not. They are also conducted at the end of an iteration in Agile project management. Agile practitioners call these meetings retrospectives or retros. They are an effective way to check the pulse of a project team, reflect on the work performed to date, and reach a consensus on how to tackle the next sprint cycle. These are the five stages of a retrospective analysis for effective Agile project management: set the stage, gather the data, generate insights, decide on the next steps, and close the retrospective.

Scaled Agile

scaled-agile-lean-development
Scaled Agile Lean Development (ScALeD) helps businesses discover a balanced approach to agile transition and scaling questions. The ScALed approach helps businesses successfully respond to change. Inspired by a combination of lean and agile values, ScALed is practitioner-based and can be completed through various agile frameworks and practices.

SMED

smed
The SMED (single minute exchange of die) method is a lean production framework to reduce waste and increase production efficiency. The SMED method is a framework for reducing the time associated with completing an equipment changeover.

Spotify Model

spotify-model
The Spotify Model is an autonomous approach to scaling agile, focusing on culture communication, accountability, and quality. The Spotify model was first recognized in 2012 after Henrik Kniberg, and Anders Ivarsson released a white paper detailing how streaming company Spotify approached agility. Therefore, the Spotify model represents an evolution of agile.

Test-Driven Development

test-driven-development
As the name suggests, TDD is a test-driven technique for delivering high-quality software rapidly and sustainably. It is an iterative approach based on the idea that a failing test should be written before any code for a feature or function is written. Test-Driven Development (TDD) is an approach to software development that relies on very short development cycles.

Timeboxing

timeboxing
Timeboxing is a simple yet powerful time-management technique for improving productivity. Timeboxing describes the process of proactively scheduling a block of time to spend on a task in the future. It was first described by author James Martin in a book about agile software development.

Scrum

what-is-scrum
Scrum is a methodology co-created by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland for effective team collaboration on complex products. Scrum was primarily thought for software development projects to deliver new software capability every 2-4 weeks. It is a sub-group of agile also used in project management to improve startups’ productivity.

Scrumban

scrumban
Scrumban is a project management framework that is a hybrid of two popular agile methodologies: Scrum and Kanban. Scrumban is a popular approach to helping businesses focus on the right strategic tasks while simultaneously strengthening their processes.

Scrum Anti-Patterns

scrum-anti-patterns
Scrum anti-patterns describe any attractive, easy-to-implement solution that ultimately makes a problem worse. Therefore, these are the practice not to follow to prevent issues from emerging. Some classic examples of scrum anti-patterns comprise absent product owners, pre-assigned tickets (making individuals work in isolation), and discounting retrospectives (where review meetings are not useful to really make improvements).

Scrum At Scale

scrum-at-scale
Scrum at Scale (Scrum@Scale) is a framework that Scrum teams use to address complex problems and deliver high-value products. Scrum at Scale was created through a joint venture between the Scrum Alliance and Scrum Inc. The joint venture was overseen by Jeff Sutherland, a co-creator of Scrum and one of the principal authors of the Agile Manifesto.

Six Sigma

six-sigma
Six Sigma is a data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating errors or defects in a product, service, or process. Six Sigma was developed by Motorola as a management approach based on quality fundamentals in the early 1980s. A decade later, it was popularized by General Electric who estimated that the methodology saved them $12 billion in the first five years of operation.

Stretch Objectives

stretch-objectives
Stretch objectives describe any task an agile team plans to complete without expressly committing to do so. Teams incorporate stretch objectives during a Sprint or Program Increment (PI) as part of Scaled Agile. They are used when the agile team is unsure of its capacity to attain an objective. Therefore, stretch objectives are instead outcomes that, while extremely desirable, are not the difference between the success or failure of each sprint.

Toyota Production System

toyota-production-system
The Toyota Production System (TPS) is an early form of lean manufacturing created by auto-manufacturer Toyota. Created by the Toyota Motor Corporation in the 1940s and 50s, the Toyota Production System seeks to manufacture vehicles ordered by customers most quickly and efficiently possible.

Total Quality Management

total-quality-management
The Total Quality Management (TQM) framework is a technique based on the premise that employees continuously work on their ability to provide value to customers. Importantly, the word “total” means that all employees are involved in the process – regardless of whether they work in development, production, or fulfillment.

Waterfall

waterfall-model
The waterfall model was first described by Herbert D. Benington in 1956 during a presentation about the software used in radar imaging during the Cold War. Since there were no knowledge-based, creative software development strategies at the time, the waterfall method became standard practice. The waterfall model is a linear and sequential project management framework. 

Read Also: Continuous InnovationAgile MethodologyLean StartupBusiness Model InnovationProject Management.

Read Next: Agile Methodology, Lean Methodology, Agile Project Management, Scrum, Kanban, Six Sigma.

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