ishikawa-diagram

Ishikawa Diagram

Ishikawa Diagram, or Fishbone Diagram, visually analyzes causes of problems. It features categories like People, Process, Materials, Equipment, and Environment, pinpointing causes within. Its visual representation aids in root cause analysis, enhancing problem understanding and collaboration. Despite challenges in scope and subjectivity, real-world examples include addressing production delays and customer complaints.

Understanding Ishikawa Diagrams:

What is an Ishikawa Diagram?

An Ishikawa Diagram, also known as a Fishbone Diagram or Cause-and-Effect Diagram, is a visual tool used for problem-solving and root cause analysis. It is named after its creator, Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa, a Japanese quality control expert. The diagram resembles a fishbone, with the “head” representing the problem or effect, and the “bones” branching out to represent potential causes or contributing factors.

Key Elements of Ishikawa Diagrams:

  1. Structured Representation: Ishikawa Diagrams provide a structured and systematic way to identify and organize potential causes or factors contributing to a problem.
  2. Visual Clarity: The visual nature of the diagram makes it easy for teams to communicate and collaborate in analyzing complex issues.
  3. Cause-and-Effect Analysis: Ishikawa Diagrams facilitate cause-and-effect analysis by connecting causes to the observed problem or effect.

Why Ishikawa Diagrams Matter:

Understanding Ishikawa Diagrams is essential for quality control professionals, project managers, problem solvers, and individuals involved in process improvement initiatives. Recognizing the benefits and challenges associated with Ishikawa Diagrams informs strategies for effective problem-solving and root cause analysis.

The Impact of Ishikawa Diagrams:

  • Problem Solving: Ishikawa Diagrams serve as a powerful problem-solving tool by helping teams identify and address the root causes of issues.
  • Process Improvement: They contribute to process improvement efforts by enabling organizations to make informed decisions based on data and analysis.

Benefits of Understanding Ishikawa Diagrams:

  • Structured Analysis: The structured approach of Ishikawa Diagrams ensures a comprehensive examination of potential causes, reducing the risk of overlooking critical factors.
  • Team Collaboration: They promote teamwork and collaboration, allowing diverse perspectives to contribute to the problem-solving process.

Challenges of Understanding Ishikawa Diagrams:

  • Data Availability: Accurate data and information are crucial for creating effective Ishikawa Diagrams, which may pose challenges in some situations.
  • Complexity: For highly complex issues, creating a comprehensive Ishikawa Diagram can be time-consuming and may require significant effort.

Challenges in Understanding Ishikawa Diagrams:

Understanding the limitations and challenges associated with Ishikawa Diagrams is essential for researchers, practitioners, and individuals seeking to use them effectively.

Data Availability:

  • Data Quality: The accuracy and reliability of data used to populate the diagram can impact the effectiveness of the analysis.
  • Data Collection: Gathering relevant data for each potential cause may be challenging, especially when dealing with multifaceted problems.

Complexity:

  • Highly Complex Issues: For problems with numerous interconnected causes, creating a comprehensive Ishikawa Diagram can be daunting and may require expertise.
  • Time-Consuming: The process of creating and analyzing Ishikawa Diagrams can be time-consuming, which may not be practical for urgent issues.

Ishikawa Diagrams in Action:

To understand Ishikawa Diagrams better, let’s explore how they operate in real-life scenarios and what they reveal about their impact on problem-solving and root cause analysis.

Manufacturing Quality Control:

  • Scenario: A manufacturing company is experiencing a high defect rate in its products. The quality control team decides to use an Ishikawa Diagram to identify the root causes of the defects.
  • Ishikawa Diagram in Action:
    • Structured Representation: The diagram’s “head” represents the product defects, while the “bones” include categories like materials, equipment, processes, and human factors.
    • Cause-and-Effect Analysis: The team collaborates to populate the diagram with potential causes within each category, facilitating discussions and analysis.

Project Delay Analysis:

  • Scenario: A project manager is tasked with investigating the delays in a construction project. They create an Ishikawa Diagram to understand the root causes of the delays.
  • Ishikawa Diagram in Action:
    • Structured Representation: The “head” of the diagram signifies project delays, and the “bones” represent categories like weather, resource allocation, planning, and communication.
    • Cause-and-Effect Analysis: The project team utilizes the diagram to identify and evaluate potential causes within each category, aiming to pinpoint the root causes.

Customer Complaint Resolution:

  • Scenario: A customer service team receives numerous complaints about a software product. They decide to use an Ishikawa Diagram to identify the underlying issues causing customer dissatisfaction.
  • Ishikawa Diagram in Action:
    • Structured Representation: The diagram’s “head” represents customer complaints, while the “bones” include categories like software functionality, user interface, customer support, and documentation.
    • Cause-and-Effect Analysis: The customer service team collaborates to populate the diagram with potential causes within each category, enabling a systematic analysis of the problems.

Legacy and Relevance Today:

In conclusion, Ishikawa Diagrams remain a valuable tool for problem-solving and root cause analysis with far-reaching implications for quality control, process improvement, and decision-making. Understanding their significance, benefits, and challenges provides valuable knowledge about how organizations and individuals can effectively address complex issues.

The legacy of Ishikawa Diagrams continues to shape discussions about quality management, problem-solving methodologies, and organizational improvement efforts. While they may require effort and data availability, their role in facilitating structured analysis and fostering collaboration remains as relevant today as ever. By considering Ishikawa Diagrams, organizations, project teams, and individuals can harness the power of this problem-solving tool to identify and address root causes, leading to improved processes and outcomes.

Real-World Examples

Production Delay:

A manufacturing company may use the Ishikawa Diagram to analyze the causes of delays in its production process. This could lead to the identification of issues related to equipment maintenance, process inefficiencies, or materials.

Customer Complaints:

A customer service team dealing with recurring customer complaints might employ the Ishikawa Diagram to pinpoint the reasons behind these complaints. This could reveal issues such as communication breakdowns, training gaps, or process shortcomings.

Key Highlights

  • Ishikawa Diagrams, also known as Fishbone or Cause-and-Effect Diagrams, are visual tools used for problem-solving and root cause analysis, created by Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa.
  • They represent problems as the “head” of a fishbone, with “bones” branching out to represent potential causes or contributing factors.
  • Ishikawa Diagrams provide a structured and visual way to identify and organize potential causes, aiding in cause-and-effect analysis.
  • These diagrams are essential for quality control professionals, project managers, and those involved in process improvement, helping to address complex issues and make data-driven decisions.
  • Benefits include structured analysis and team collaboration, while challenges involve data availability and complexity for multifaceted problems.
  • Understanding the limitations and challenges associated with Ishikawa Diagrams is crucial for effective use.
  • Data quality and collection are critical factors that can impact the accuracy and effectiveness of the analysis.
  • Ishikawa Diagrams are applied in real-life scenarios, such as manufacturing quality control, project delay analysis, and customer complaint resolution.
  • Their legacy continues to influence quality management, problem-solving methodologies, and organizational improvement efforts.
  • Despite the effort and data requirements, Ishikawa Diagrams remain relevant in facilitating structured analysis and fostering collaboration, making them a valuable tool for identifying and addressing root causes in complex issues.
Related FrameworksDescriptionWhen to Apply
5 Whys Technique– The 5 Whys Technique is a problem-solving method used to identify the root cause of an issue by repeatedly asking “why” until the underlying cause is uncovered. By probing deeper into the causal chain behind a problem, the 5 Whys Technique helps teams move beyond symptoms to address fundamental issues. This method encourages critical thinking and systematic analysis to prevent recurrence of problems.– When investigating the root cause of a problem or issue to implement effective corrective actions. – In situations where understanding the underlying causes of recurring problems is crucial for process improvement or quality assurance.
Fishbone Diagram– The Fishbone Diagram, also known as the Ishikawa Diagram or Cause-and-Effect Diagram, is a visual tool used to identify and analyze potential causes of a problem or effect. The diagram organizes causes into categories (e.g., people, process, equipment, environment) connected to the central problem or effect, resembling the skeleton of a fish. Fishbone Diagrams facilitate structured brainstorming and root cause analysis by visually mapping out causal relationships and contributing factors.– When conducting root cause analysis or problem-solving sessions to explore potential causes and their interrelationships. – In situations where visualizing complex relationships between contributing factors and a central problem can aid in understanding and addressing issues effectively.
PDCA Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act)– The PDCA Cycle, also known as the Deming Cycle or Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle, is a continuous improvement framework used to drive iterative problem-solving and process optimization. The PDCA Cycle consists of four stages: Plan (identify a problem and plan improvement actions), Do (implement the plan), Check (monitor results and collect data), and Act (adjust the plan based on feedback and continue improvement efforts). By following the PDCA Cycle, teams systematically identify, address, and evaluate solutions to improve performance and achieve organizational goals.– When implementing systematic problem-solving and continuous improvement initiatives to address recurring issues and drive organizational excellence. – In projects where iterative testing and refinement of solutions are necessary to achieve desired outcomes and performance targets.
Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)– Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is a systematic method for identifying and analyzing potential failures within a system or process. FTA begins with a top event (undesirable outcome) and systematically identifies contributing factors or events (basic events) that could lead to the top event. FTA uses logical gates (AND, OR) to represent relationships between events and assesses the probability of the top event occurring based on the combination of contributing factors. FTA helps organizations understand system vulnerabilities, prioritize risk mitigation strategies, and improve system reliability.– When assessing system or process reliability, identifying potential failure modes, and designing risk mitigation strategies. – In projects where understanding the impact of individual failure events on system performance and reliability is critical for ensuring safety, compliance, or operational efficiency.
Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)– The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule, suggests that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. In problem-solving contexts, the Pareto Principle implies that a significant portion of problems or defects often stem from a small number of root causes. By identifying and prioritizing the most critical causes, teams can focus their resources on addressing high-impact issues to achieve maximum improvement. The Pareto Principle guides decision-making and resource allocation in quality management, process improvement, and risk management initiatives.– When prioritizing problem-solving efforts, allocating resources effectively, or optimizing processes to achieve maximum impact. – In situations where identifying and addressing key contributing factors can lead to significant improvements in performance, quality, or efficiency.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)– Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic preventive approach to food safety that identifies, evaluates, and controls potential hazards throughout the food production process. HACCP principles involve conducting hazard analysis to identify critical control points (CCPs) where preventive measures can be applied to eliminate, prevent, or reduce hazards to acceptable levels. By implementing HACCP plans, food businesses ensure the safety and quality of their products, comply with regulatory requirements, and protect consumers from foodborne illnesses.– When ensuring food safety, identifying potential hazards in food production processes, and implementing preventive measures to mitigate risks. – In food industry settings where compliance with food safety regulations and standards is essential for maintaining consumer trust and preventing foodborne illnesses.
Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA)– Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a structured method for evaluating potential failure modes within a system, product, or process and assessing their potential effects on performance, safety, or reliability. FMEA systematically identifies failure modes, analyzes their root causes, evaluates the severity, occurrence, and detectability of each failure mode, and prioritizes them based on risk priority numbers (RPNs). FMEA helps organizations proactively identify and mitigate risks, improve product quality, and enhance system reliability and safety.– When conducting proactive risk assessments, identifying potential failure modes, and implementing preventive measures to reduce risks. – In projects where understanding the potential effects of failure modes on system performance, safety, or reliability is critical for ensuring product quality and customer satisfaction.
Root Cause Analysis (RCA)– Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a problem-solving technique used to identify the underlying causes of problems or incidents. RCA involves systematically analyzing events, symptoms, or deviations to uncover their root causes and address them effectively. RCA methodologies include techniques such as the 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagrams, and Fault Tree Analysis, which help teams explore contributing factors, assess their interrelationships, and develop corrective actions to prevent recurrence. By addressing root causes, organizations can improve processes, prevent future incidents, and enhance overall performance.– When investigating incidents, errors, or deviations to determine their underlying causes and prevent recurrence. – In situations where understanding the root causes of problems is essential for implementing effective corrective actions and driving continuous improvement efforts.
Trend Analysis– Trend Analysis involves analyzing historical data or patterns over time to identify trends, anomalies, or recurring patterns. By examining data trends, organizations can gain insights into performance changes, identify emerging issues, and forecast future developments. Trend Analysis helps organizations monitor performance metrics, detect deviations from expected norms, and make data-driven decisions to drive continuous improvement and mitigate risks.– When analyzing historical data to identify long-term trends, patterns, or shifts in performance metrics or key indicators. – In projects where detecting deviations from expected norms and forecasting future developments are essential for proactive decision-making and risk management.
Control Charts– Control Charts are statistical tools used to monitor process performance, detect variation, and identify trends over time. Control Charts plot data points (e.g., measurements, defects) against control limits to visualize process stability and identify signals of special cause variation (e.g., outliers, trends, shifts). By distinguishing between common cause and special cause variation, Control Charts help organizations understand process behavior, identify areas for improvement, and take corrective actions to maintain quality and consistency.– When monitoring process performance, detecting variation, and identifying trends or patterns over time. – In quality management or process improvement initiatives where maintaining process stability and consistency is critical for meeting quality standards and customer requirements.

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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