{"id":12738,"date":"2015-10-27T12:36:19","date_gmt":"2015-10-27T17:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/?p=12738"},"modified":"2020-03-02T12:41:05","modified_gmt":"2020-03-02T18:41:05","slug":"batch-on-flow-the-physics-of-lean-throughput","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/batch-on-flow-the-physics-of-lean-throughput\/","title":{"rendered":"Batch on Flow: The Physics of Lean Throughput"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Batch on Flow<\/h3>\n

My name is Bob Batcheler, but my friends and colleagues call me Batch. I am new at Planview AgilePlace. When I started here, I expected the ritual hazing about my last name, mostly having to do with my marital status, but Planview AgilePlace broke the mold.<\/p>\n

Early on, either\u00a0@leankitjon<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0@indomitablehef<\/span>\u00a0<\/a>(AgilePlace\u2019s COO and CEO, respectively)\u00a0commented that I may have to change my nickname from Batch to Flow \u2014 definitely an \u201cinside Lean\u201d joke. The more I thought about it, I realized it would be a great topic for my first blog post. So, here you go \u2014 Batch on flow.<\/p>\n

Boost Productivity: Introduce Slack<\/h3>\n

When I was introduced to Lean, one of the first challenges I experienced was that so much of Lean seemed counterintuitive. This is because we are selectively programmed to pay attention to things that fit our existing mental models \u2014 otherwise known as cognitive selection bias.<\/p>\n

One such bias tells us that if we want to produce more, we have to work harder. But this isn\u2019t the case; the key metric isn\u2019t effort, it\u2019s results \u2014\u00a0throughput<\/a>. To increase the productivity of a system running at 100%, we have to decrease the work in progress, or\u00a0WIP<\/a>. In Lean terms, we have to introduce slack (this slack<\/a>, not\u00a0this one<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Several writers\u00a0appropriately use a rush hour highway to illustrate this concept. We all know that having too many vehicles on the road creates traffic jams; a highway at capacity is a highway at a standstill. The same is true for teams \u2014 when a system is always at or near capacity, it introduces more friction. The result? Everyone slows down.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Capacity and Flow<\/h3>\n

As a civil engineer by training, the highway analogy resonates strongly with me. But that\u2019s not the only civil engineering example that supports this principle.<\/p>\n

Think of the culvert under a roadway, where water flows through by gravity. Interestingly enough, the pipe will carry more water when it\u2019s flowing at 90% of the diameter than when it\u2019s flowing full.<\/p>\n

The physics behind that phenomenon applies to our discussion on WIP: When water flows at 100% capacity, the roof of the pipe creates additional friction, reducing the throughput of the pipe. The same is true of any process \u2014 as a system approaches its capacity, increased \u201cfriction\u201d reduces throughput faster than it increases utilization. In simpler terms: The more you try to do, the harder it is to get anything done.<\/p>\n

The Bottom Line<\/h3>\n

The laws of physics make it easier for us to accept the truth that evidence clearly shows \u2014 if you want to achieve flow, you have to introduce slack.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Batch on Flow My name is Bob Batcheler, but my friends and colleagues call me Batch. I am new at Planview AgilePlace. When I started here, I expected the ritual hazing about my last name, mostly having to do with my marital status, but Planview AgilePlace broke the mold. Early on, either\u00a0@leankitjon\u00a0or\u00a0@indomitablehef\u00a0(AgilePlace\u2019s COO and CEO,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":167,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[511],"class_list":["post-12738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-work-collaboration","tag-leankit"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBatch on Flow: The Physics of Lean Throughput - Blog | Planview<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To increase the productivity of a system running at 100%, we have to decrease the work in progress, or\u00a0WIP. 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