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Why you should be using GQM to measure software quality and value

In ConnectALL, Tech Talk, Value Stream, Value Stream Management by Lance Knight

Note: Originally published on Tech Beacon Organizations have been measuring output in some form and using it to fine-tune their efforts for ages, yet every generation seems to struggle to identify key metrics. In the software realm, since the first bit of software code was executed successfully in 1948, companies have striven to boost their software’s value and quality, often with mixed results. Between 2014 and 2016, in particular, renewed interest in reaching the “pinnacle” of software excellence only seemed to cause confusion, as project managers and their teams argued over what constituted software value. For example, functionality enabled as part of defect …

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ConnectALL Assists in Freeing Freighter from Flow Fiasco

In ConnectALL, Value Stream, Value Stream Management by Lance Knight

The ship Ever Given was removed from blocking the Suez Canal — how did that happen? One value stream management company played an important role in opening up this critical global supply vein. ConnectALL’s team has worked tirelessly with both the Egyptian authorities and excavation crews on the ground to create strategies to improve the flow of the Suez Canal. While the company normally specializes in optimizing software delivery, this recent event has provided a unique opportunity to apply value stream management concepts to the delivery of physical cargo. In close collaboration with ConnectALL, salvage crews were able to see, measure, and automate the flow of this valuable freight through the canal.

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What Can Super Bowl LV Teach Us About VSM?

In Value Stream, Value Stream Management by Lance Knight

In the United States, the first Sunday in February is Super Bowl Sunday, perhaps the most famous “unofficial” holiday in America. This year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9. We thought it’d be a great idea to analyze this most-loved and most-watched American sport and what it teaches us about value stream management. The purpose of this blog post is to to better understand the best practices associated with effective value stream management. We have outlined how we can utilize the three key steps of value stream management (See, Measure, Automate) to understand the reasons why the Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs and how this process can then be applied to improving the outcomes of software delivery.

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ConnectALL Training: Learn the Art of Value Stream Integration

In ConnectALL, Training by Lance Knight

What do Rocky Balboa, Luke Skywalker, Mulan, and Batman all have in common? Each of these movie protagonists engaged in focused training with an instructor in order to unlock their full potential.

We here at ConnectALL also understand the importance of training, especially when you are evaluating or learning to use new software, or you’re learning a new discipline like value stream management. While we currently offer many different types of focused training, as well as VSM services, this post will specifically focus on two levels of hands-on, complementary (and free) training that help users understand how to get the most out of ConnectALL’s Value Stream Integration Platform: Basic & Advanced Integration Training.

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How to monitor business goals with value stream management

In OKR, Value Stream Management by Lance Knight

Even as organizations and their teams work to stay abreast of meaningful improvement practices, many are still missing a big piece of the puzzle—tying software initiatives to business outcomes. Software system optimization from a technical perspective is a worthwhile accomplishment overall, but benchmarking its value can be elusive. This is problematic, since these efforts must further business objectives for corporate executives (and bean counters) to quantify the bottom-line value. How can management substantiate the assertion that software improvement promotes desired business outcomes? By incorporating objectives and key results (OKRs).

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The Role of DevOps Feedback Loops in Your Value Stream

In Value Stream Management by Lance Knight

In the past couple of years, there is a rise of VSM adoption to map and track software flow. However, companies aren’t mapping everything necessary to optimize software delivery. The focus on value streams is causing them to ignore or overlook the flow of work. And they are still not achieving the best possible outcomes with VSM. This is significant because the cost of poor-quality software is astronomical. The solution to this profit-killing challenge is to implement a rigorous governance program. In this blog post, we look at what good governance is, how you implement it, and how you make it better.

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3 Easy Steps for Using VSM in Everyday Life

In Value Stream by Lance Knight

Value stream management principles have helped organizations across the globe leverage lean strategies to optimize their software development processes. However, the benefits from effectively managing value streams are not limited to only software. Value streams exist all around us whether we realize it or not. The goal of this blog post is to help explain how value stream management works in the context of software delivery by applying VSM concepts to an activity we experience every day.

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Why value stream management success hinges on flow, governance

In Value Stream Management by Lance Knight

In the past couple of years, there is a rise of VSM adoption to map and track software flow. However, companies aren’t mapping everything necessary to optimize software delivery. The focus on value streams is causing them to ignore or overlook the flow of work. And they are still not achieving the best possible outcomes with VSM. This is significant because the cost of poor-quality software is astronomical. The solution to this profit-killing challenge is to implement a rigorous governance program. In this blog post, we look at what good governance is, how you implement it, and how you make it better.