Come and play at Agile 2009

Agile 2009, Chicago 24-28/08/2009

Next week Portia and I will present two sessions at Agile 2009 in Chicago. And we’ll be attending lots of other agile sessions, if we manage to choose from the massive program.

Besides that I hope to meet agilists from all over the world, see a bit of Chicago and finally see Edward Hopper‘s “Nighthawks“. Incidentally, I discovered Nighthawks after listening to Tom Waits’ “Nighthawks at the Diner“. I wanted to find out more about the inspiration for the album. Tom’s diner is warm and cosy, filled with misfits with tall tales; Hopper’s diner feels as cold as outside and is  filled with people who don’t have anything more to say or a place they want to go to.

Both Hopper and Waits are worth checking out if you want to know more about Americana.

I’m not a Bottleneck! I’m a Free Man!

In this game we apply theTheory of Constraints’ “Five Focusing Steps” to improve a simple simulation process. Step by step, we apply Agile, Lean and Real Options techniques to improve the work and its results.

Portia describes some Bottleneck Games we played recently. The techniques we present are really simple and broadly applicable, not just in manufacturing, where the techniques were developed, or in IT organisations, where we apply them most of the time.

After this session you can use the game materials to teach these concepts in your company. After this session you will be able to apply the techniques in your company. After the session, you will see bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement everywhere. You will look at the world differently.

The number of participants is limited to 60, so come to the session on Wednesday 26th of August at 9:00 sharp.

The Business Value Game

The Business Value Game pits 6 teams against each other to achieve the highest possible income by planning effectively. Each team has a limited development capacity and several customers who want their project implemented NOW. By creating a “Business Value Model”, an agreement on the way to value projects, teams can optimise their income without much time. Portfolio and program management doesn’t have to be complex if you’re value-driven.

After this session you can use the game materials to teach these concepts in your company. After this session you will be able to apply the techniques in your company. After this session, you will look at “business value” and project prioritisation differently.

The number of participants is limited to about 50, so come to the session on Wednesday 26th of August at 16:00 sharp.

Ask for help: will you help lead the Business Value Game?

The teams in the game need coaching from someone who’s familiar with the game and its concepts. If you’ve led or played the Business Value Game before and want to help us run the game, contact us.

See you in Chicago!