The Art of Lean Software Development

Book excerpt: This succinct book explains how you can apply the practices of Lean software development to dramatically increase productivity and quality. Based on techniques that revolutionized Japanese manufacturing, Lean principles are being applied successfully to product design, engineering, the supply chain, and now software development. With The Art of Lean Software Development, you'll learn how to adopt Lean practices one at a time rather than taking on the entire methodology at once. As you master each practice, you'll see significant, measurable results. With this book, you will: Understand Lean's origins from Japanese industries and how it applies to software development Learn the Lean software development principles and the five most important practices in detail Distinguish between the Lean and Agile methodologies and understand their similarities and differences Determine which Lean principles you should adopt first, and how you can gradually incorporate more of the methodology into your process Review hands-on practices, including descriptions, benefits, trade-offs, and roadblocks Learn how to sell these principles to management The Art of Lean Software Development is ideal for busy people who want to improve the development process but can't afford the disruption of a sudden and complete transformation. The Lean approach has been yielding dramatic results for decades, and with this book, you can make incremental changes that will produce immediate benefits. "This book presents Lean practices in a clear and concise manner so readers are motivated to make their software more reliable and less costly to maintain. I recommend it to anyone looking for an easy-to-follow guide to transform how the developer views the process of writing good software."-- Bryan Wells, Boeing Intelligence & Security Sytems Mission System "If you're new to Lean software development and you're not quite sure where to start, this book will help get your development process going in the right direction, one step at a time."-- John McClenning, software development lead, Aclara