Mary and Tom Poppendieck were the speakers at the second Techcamp event, organized by TechCamp and ASCI, on 28th July, 08. They are today the foremost proponents of Lean software development. They are also highly acclaimed speakers. Techcampers gathered together with a sense of anticipation at Hotel Sea Princess in Mumbai, at 2 pm.

It was an informative afternoon. We learnt how the Lean and Agile approaches to software development spring from similar motivations. The Poppendiecks emphasized that although Lean thinking originated in the manufacturing sector, its principles can be applied effectively to the process of software development.

The talk discussed ways and means to identify and eliminate waste. We first looked at the Lean approach to defining value. We then drilled down into what constitutes waste. Mary showed, with several examples, that conventional ideas of waste may not hold good in all circumstances.

They also explained how the Lean thinking looks to eliminate waste by continuous improvment of processes. They explained that it is important to critique the process that creates value for customers in it’s entirety, else, waste will continue to exist in unaddressed areas, adversely affecting the value of the end result.

They then went on to introduce to us the value stream map.

The second half was a practical session. We used value stream maps to critically analyse processes within our own companies.

This session was a good, insightful introduction to Lean thinking. We left the venue with valuable insights into Lean software development, and ideas for putting them to use. Techcamp kept it’s promise, and delivered a focused atmosphere for likeminded technologists to learn, grow and make friends.