This document discusses building value-based teams using lean agile practices. It begins with an introduction of the author and their experience. It then explains key lean concepts like alignment, built-in quality, and transparency. It defines value streams and uses a pizza delivery example to illustrate identifying the steps, systems, and requirements in a value stream. It provides guidance on estimating work and building cross-functional teams to work on end-to-end value streams in an iterative and synchronized manner.

1. Building value based teams
Lean Agile Practices
December 2019
hussam.ahmad@gmail.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/

2. page
02
Who am I?
• 67-model human(Palestinian Syrian Norwegian) working globally in multicultural environments
• Experience wise:
• 10 years from social care and education sector
• 25 years from the IT industry
• System Architect, Developer
• Product and Project Management
• C-level executive, CEO
• Coaching
• Lean-Agile @scale (leadership & Implementation)
• Waste management in Software development
• Communication & Motivation
• Goal setting & Achievement
• Personal development
hussam.ahmad@gmail.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/

3. page
03
The house of Lean
• Alignment
• Relevant briefing during the Product Increment planning
• Establish backlog visibility and grooming routines
• Adjust to match the vision and mission periodically
• Built in quality
• Refuse releasing undone work
• Reduce tech debt
• Integrate UX, Architecture and Operations in the flow
• Transparency
• Visualize everything
• Ownership for success & failures
• Allow failing & Learning (Coaching Kata, Coding Dojos,
Community of Practice)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/ hussam.ahmad@gmail.com

4. page
04
Value streams explained
• Value is whatever you provide your customer in exchange for something
valuable for you
• Value is created and delivered
• Value Creation Process + Value Delivery Process = Value Stream
• Information and Resources flow through the stream
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/ hussam.ahmad@gmail.com
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Value
Adding
value
Adding
value
Adding
value
Adding
value

5. page
05
A Pizza delivery value stream
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/ hussam.ahmad@gmail.com
Channels
Web, Phone,
Table
Pizza
Selection
Place an
order
Pizza baking
Pizza
delivery
Adding
value
Adding
value
Adding
value
Adding
value
I want a
pizza
1. Decide on a supplier
2. Go through the menu
3. Decide on order form
4. Chose the Pizza
1. Size
2. Thickness
3. Toppings
4. Cheese
5. Place the order
6. Bake the pizza
7. Deliver the pizza
8. Make a payment
9. Enjoy the deal 

6. page
06
A Pizza delivery value stream- How we identify the steps
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/ hussam.ahmad@gmail.com
Channels
Web, Phone,
Table
Pizza
Selection
Place an
order
Pizza baking
Pizza
delivery
Adding
value
Adding
value
Adding
value
Adding
value
I want a
pizza
• Identify the steps needed for value realization
• Do not go into details
• Exclude steps from external processes if not really needed (Braches like
in ERP)
• Ask: What does the process for value creation and delivery look like?
• Ensure: added value after each step

7. page
07
A Pizza delivery value stream – Identify the systems needed
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/ hussam.ahmad@gmail.com
Channels
Pizza
Selection
Place an
order
Pizza
baking
Pizza
delivery
I want a
pizza
• In this step we identify what systems either are already in use or should
be developed/involved in the value stream
• Also draw the connection between the system and steps it is used in
Web, Phone, Table
Pizza selection System
Pizza ordering ERP
Pizza Delivery System
Drivers & Routing

8. page
08
A Pizza delivery value stream – Identify system requirements
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/ hussam.ahmad@gmail.com
Channels
Pizza
Selection
Place an
order
Pizza
baking
Pizza
delivery
I want a
pizza
• For each system
• We need to identify both functional and non functional requirements => backlog
• Estimate the backlog based on experience => Prioritized backlog
• Estimate manpower needed for both creation and delivery => Cross functional team
Web, Phone, Table
Pizza selection System
Pizza ordering ERP
Pizza Delivery System
Drivers & Routing

9. page
09
Adding confidence level to the estimate
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/ hussam.ahmad@gmail.com
Knowledge Confidence rating
- Done similar many times
- Reliable measurements exists either
internally or externally
- No unclear requirements
High
- There are some unknowns
- Measurements exist, but vary in a range
Medium
- No experience in this area
- We need to acquire both system
development and Product Management
knowledge
Low

10. page
010
How to build the teams
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/ hussam.ahmad@gmail.com
• Team types
• T1: Component based team (ERP, Deployment, Front End, back end)
• T2: Technology based team (Web team, Mobile team, Oracle)
• T3: All Ends- End to End team (by product, value stream step, market segment)
• Optimized for:
• Speed and functional quality: T3
• Technical robustness: T1
• Expertise: T2
We should chose Cross functional Teams as often as possible
Web, Phone, Table
Pizza selection System
Pizza ordering ERP
Pizza Delivery System
Drivers & Routing

11. page
011
Empowertheteam
Effective complete delivery & communication in a development team
• With cross functional teams we gain:
• Coordination of whole requirement happens locally in the team
• No handing off before a complete requirement is DONE
• Broader skills and system knowledge
• Long lived with predictable delivery
• Can deliver independently from other teams
• Focus on whole system and not sub optimized
Developer
ArchitectTester
Developer
Developer
Business analyst
Product owner
Potentially shippable product
Customer specific
function
hussam.ahmad@gmail.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/
Eliminate
waste
Deliver as
fast as
possible
Amplify
learning
Build
integrity

12. page
012
We deliver iteratively and in increments
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/ hussam.ahmad@gmail.com

13. page
013
We work in cadence and synchronized manner
• All teams start their iteration at the same time to allow:
• Co-planning
• Predictable capacity
• Identification of dependencies
• System integrity by managing frequent integrations
• Learning
• Synchronization enabled by
• Capacity margins
• Synchronized events
• Short queues
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/ hussam.ahmad@gmail.com

14. page
014
Why should we gather around the VALUE
• System thinking
• We do not optimize one single process only
• We take a holistic view of the whole system
• Better efficiency:
• Less waste
• Fewer Handoffs
• Faster delivery
• Better collaboration:
• Collaborative work on common goals
• Easy to understand by everybody
• => Higher satisfaction both internally and externally
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/ hussam.ahmad@gmail.com

15. page
015
How to build the teams
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/ hussam.ahmad@gmail.com
• Let us do this as an exercise in groups
• Identify the Requirements
• Decide on number of resources with different skill set
• Decide on team type you think is a fit
• Decide on number of teams
• How to coordinate the teams
Web, Phone, Table
Pizza selection System
Pizza ordering ERP
Pizza Delivery System
Drivers & Routing

16. page
016
A Pizza delivery value stream – Identify the teams
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussamahmad/ hussam.ahmad@gmail.com
Channels
Pizza
Selection
Place an
order
Pizza
baking
Pizza
delivery
I want a
pizza
Web, Phone, Table
Pizza selection System
Pizza ordering ERP
Pizza Delivery System
Drivers & Routing
13 (4 Web, 3 mobile, 2 test, 1
BA, 1 Arch, 1 deployment, 1 SM)
Just integration with SAP
6 (1 GIS, 1 Web, 1 Test, 1 BA, 1
DB, 1 SM)