Concepts
1. Excessive Documentation
In a traditional product development environment, documentation often plays a key role. However, in an agile environment, focusing excessively on documentation can delay the delivery of working software. Unnecessary documents that do not add value to the product or aid in its development can be seen as waste.
How it can be addressed in Scrum’s Definition of Done:
The team can define ‘done’ as the completion of a usable feature, rather than the completion of a document. Documentation should be necessary and sufficient – neither too sparse that it causes confusion, nor too extensive that it hinders progress. Minimum documentation aligned with Agile’s “Working software over comprehensive documentation” principle could be considered in the Definition of Done.
2. Extra Processes
Another type of waste that often seeps into product development processes are extraneous or unnecessary procedures and steps. These may include additional approval stages, excessive meetings, or overly-rigid standards that do not add direct value to the end product.
How it can be addressed in Scrum’s Definition of Done:
The Scrum team can tackle this by ensuring the Definition of Done is focused on verifying the delivery of value. By reviewing the Definition of Done frequently (for example – in each sprint retrospective), and refining it to reflect only those activities and processes necessary for confirming correct functionality, the team can avoid unnecessary tasks and focus more on delivering working software.
3. Unrealized Value
Unrealized value refers to the potential value that could have been added to the product, but was not due to poorly defined requirements, non-strategic prioritization, or focusing on tasks that do not directly contribute to the delivery of a useful product.
How it can be addressed in Scrum’s Definition of Done:
Maintaining focus on delivering value to the end product is crucial. This can be achieved by clearly defining ‘value’ in the Definition of Done. For example, a certain feature could be considered ‘done’ when it is not only coded and tested, but when customer or stakeholder feedback has confirmed it meets the intended usage and requirements.
In conclusion, identifying the types of waste in the product development process is fundamental for continuous improvement in Scrum. By incorporating the necessary changes in the definition of ‘done’, Scrum teams can work towards minimizing these wastes and maximizing value delivery. Remember, reviewing the Definition of Done is a recurring task that should ideally occur in each and every sprint retrospective, providing the opportunity to flush out waste and recalibrate the team’s efforts towards optimum productivity.
The ultimate goal of every Scrum team is to efficiently deliver a product that provides the maximum value to the customer. By addressing these common types of waste in the Definition of Done, teams can move closer to realizing this goal.
Answer the Questions in Comment Section
True or False: Waiting time is not considered a type of waste in product development environments.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Waiting time is indeed considered a type of waste in product development, as it unnecessarily slows down the process and ties up resources that could be otherwise beneficially used.
In your Scrum Team’s Definition of Done, you should:
- a) Ignore all types of wastes present in your development environment
- b) Address only the most pressing type of waste at the present moment
- c) Include ways to minimize or eliminate all identified types of waste
Answer: c) Include ways to minimize or eliminate all identified types of waste
Explanation: The aim of the Definition of Done (DoD) in Scrum is to ensure clear understanding of what ‘Done’ means. That includes addressing any types of waste that could possibly hamper the progress.
True or False: Overproduction is a type of waste in product development environments.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Overproduction refers to creating more of a product or component than what is actually needed. This is considered waste as it consumes resources needlessly.
Among the following options, which are considered types of waste in the Product Development environment? (Multiple select)
- a) Waiting
- b) Motion
- c) Talent
- d) Smoking
Answer: a) Waiting, b) Motion, c) Talent
Explanation: Smoking is not a type of waste in product development environments. However, waiting, movement (in terms of inefficient workflow or process) and underutilization of talent are considered types of waste.
True or False: It is not necessary to address waste in a Scrum Team’s Definition of Done.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: It is crucial to address waste in a Scrum Team’s Definition of Done. It helps to ensure an efficient, smooth running process and optimal resource use.
Which of the following is NOT a type of waste in product development environments?
- a) Overprocessing
- b) Overproduction
- c) Healthy team communication
- d) Inefficient use of resources
Answer: c) Healthy team communication
Explanation: While Overprocessing, Overproduction, and Inefficient use of resources are types of waste, healthy team communication is essential for efficient product development.
The Scrum Team’s Definition of Done should address:
- a) Only functional requirements of the software
- b) Both functional and non-functional requirements of the software
- c) All types of wastes inherent in the product development environment
- d) None of the above
Answer: c) All types of wastes inherent in the product development environment
Explanation: While functional and non-functional requirements are factors in the DoD, specifically addressing the different types of wastes helps promote optimal resource use and efficient development.
True or False: Transportation is considered a type of waste in a product development environment.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Transportation, in terms of unnecessary movement of resources or information, can be considered a type of waste in a product development environment.
Which of the following options are ways of addressing waste in product development environments? (Multiple select)
- a) Just-In-time production
- b) Cross-functional teams
- c) Removing any process that doesn’t add value
- d) Increasing team size to speed up work
Answer: a) Just-In-time production, b) Cross-functional teams, c) Removing any process that doesn’t add value
Explanation: Except increasing team size, all other options are typically used in lean methodology to address waste.
True or False: Including waste elimination in the Definition of Done (DoD) improves the product development process.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Addressing wastes in the DoD allows for more efficient use of resources and ensures a smoother operations process, improving the product development process.
True or False: Inefficient task management is not considered a type of waste in product development.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Inefficient task management or poor planning can also be classified as a type of waste as it can lead to unnecessary delays and overcomplication.
Which of these should a Scrum team do to reduce waste?
- a) Employ lean development methods
- b) Constantly assess and update the DoD
- c) Use tools to automate repetitive tasks
- d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: All these methods can help in reducing waste by optimizing processes, maintaining clearer expectations, and automating tasks where possible.
Great post! In a Scrum Team, one type of waste I’ve seen is ‘Waiting Waste’, which happens when team members are idled or delayed due to dependencies. Has anyone else encountered this?
Another common waste is ‘Overproduction Waste’, like creating extra features that users don’t need. This can be addressed by stricter backlog grooming sessions.
Thanks for the insights! I’ve also seen ‘Defects Waste’ in product development. Ensuring that the Definition of Done includes rigorous testing can help mitigate this.
Very informative post! I appreciate it.
Informative post. ‘Unused Talent Waste’ is often overlooked. Not leveraging the full potential of team members is a huge waste.
Can we discuss more on ‘Motion Waste’? I’ve seen teams spend considerable time just switching between tasks.
Great discussion! For ‘Waiting Waste’, we’ve found that integrating DevOps practices reduces many delays related to deployment and testing.
I’m curious to know how teams handle ‘Extra Processing Waste’.