What does the word “process” mean to you?
I was taught long ago that a process was simply the set of activities that transform inputs into outputs (and, yes, inputs and outputs are often digital these days). A process includes people, technology (tools, including software), materials (including data) and information. A value stream is just a big process that begins and ends with a customer.
I have discovered more recently that “process” in the IT world (including both old-school waterfall types and agilists) means something quite different. “Process” in IT is equivalent to a formal, documented set of rules to follow. Process, in the IT view, excludes people, data, and technology. It is basically an instruction manual (what lean people might call a standard). Since everyone, perhaps knowledge workers most of all, generally dislikes following other people’s rules, “process” has acquired a negative connotation of top-down inflexible bureaucracy. It has come to mean, in the IT world, the very opposite of creativity, innovation and responsiveness to the unique and individual needs of customers.
I think these divergent concepts of process create an artificial and unhealthy divide between #lean and #agile. Both are ultimately progressive management systems that are customer-focused and privilege value creation, respect for people, flow and continuous improvement over short-term shareholder profitability. But the two tribes use different language. Lean people say “focus on process to get the right results” and agilists say “individuals and interactions over process and tools” (as stated in their manifesto).
Furthermore, lean focuses on developing people’s creativity and capability over rules and tools. And agile, or at least Scrum, is full of useful “process”: there are fairly strict prescriptions (standards) for roles, ceremonies and artifacts.
Is this just semantics or truly different philosophies? What do you think?
PIM...forever and always.
I think both lean and agile are prisms into the same mindset. But they are viewing from a slightly different angle. Agile thinkers don't say to get rid of process. They just want to be thoughtful about it. They want the processes to be owned by the people that have to follow it. I would argue that Lean is looking for the same thing. Though, in lean, you are usually encouraged to look at the bigger picture (systems thinking). In lean, leaders are encouraged to fix the system in order to empower employees to do their best work. This has been getting traction in agile circles as lean is getting more acknowledgement as the starting point for the philosophy. Lean is especially prominent in the DevOps community. So in a way, these are all similar ideas in a huge tumbler. Pick one and you'll probably be headed in a pretty good direction.
Good articles like this one give much pause for thought. Whether lean or agile may depend on the customer and the product itself. Is it B2B or B2C? Is it a service or a specific product? Having spent my entire career in the B2B environment I would say there is rarely a single simple solution that fits all customers or industries. Lean or agile, companies in competitive markets have to adapt to customers' processes.
I think process is process that should include people, process, technology and even risks and controls. The problem with IT world is the interpretation of the word process and I am pretty sure that some IT organizations has the the write implementation for the process. If not how apple has been successful if they didn’t focus on the customer and have the right interpretation of the process