What is Lean Software Development?
A practice known as “lean software development” places a focus on reducing waste, maximizing value. And continuously improving the development process. A method called lean development was initially used in manufacturing. But it is now use in management, user experience, start ups, and software development.
The lean technique is only now beginning to be use in the service sector and in IT. Where waste might include manual, redundant, inefficient, and time consuming processes or procedures, on-site help, spread software, and tiresome or non value added work. Value is created by removing waste, and only that which adds value is retained. Lean software development (LSD), which focuses on decreasing waste and risk while maximizing customer value. Translates these lean manufacturing concepts for software development into seven essential principles.
Principles of Lean Development
The lean software development process include following seven principles:
- Eliminate waste: Eliminate any activities, processes, or features that do not add value to the customer or the development process.
- Amplify learning: Continuously seek feed back from customers and stake holders. And use that feed back to improve the product and the development process.
- Decide as late as possible: Delay decisions and commitments as much as possible to allow for the collection of additional information and to reduce the risk of making wrong decisions.
- Deliver as fast as possible: Deliver working software as quickly as possible to allow for rapid feed back and to shorten the development cycle.
- Empower the team: Empower the development team to make decisions and take ownership of the development process, and inspire tie-ups and communication among team members.
- Build unity in: Build quality and unity into the software development process from the beginning to reduce the risk of defects and ensure that the product meets the customer’s needs.
- See the whole: Take a full view of the development process and the product to ensure that all aspects are aligned and working together to achieve the desired outcome.
Overall, lean software development principles focus on giving value to the customer, reduce waste, and continuously improving the development process. By following these principles, teams can create software products that meet the needs of the customer. While also increase efficiency and reducing risk.
Pros and Cons of Lean Software Development
Following are the pros of the lean software development:
- Attempts to design and deliver an MVP quickly and on a tight budget.
- The planning and care that goes into changes helps to keep costs to a minimum.
- The decision making authority for the project rests with the development team. This raises their motivation and sense of ownership, which boosts productivity.
- Increased job happiness among employees is frequently a result of empowerment and respect. Which is essential to luring in and keeping talented IT workers.
Following are the cons of the lean software development:
- This method excludes learning. The method can be helpful, but only if the developers are really knowledgeable and skilful.
- A business analyst is important to the project’s success. If you don’t have a capable group of business analysts, feature creep may result.
- There is too much flexibility in lean. It enables the discovery phase to change over time, but too much flexibility can result in a delay in delivery.
- Depends on the ability of the team to work together, which can be difficult for distant or remote teams.
