What is lean?
You’ve probably been hearing it more and more lately: lean development, lean management or lean startup, but what does that mean exactly? Simply put, lean is a management method with the aim of preventing waste. Originating from the need for efficiency in the automotive industry, it is now finding its way to other sectors, including the software development sector. With good reason, because the abstract nature of software lends itself perfectly to this flexible working method.
In the past, software projects were often defined, developed and implemented from start to finish. This is known as the waterfall method. When these systems are released, the publishers often find that a large part of the functionalities is not used, or that things are missing. That’s a shame! Lean counters this by keeping the product scope smaller and releasing earlier to end users.
The findings resulting from user feedback or usage statistics enable developers to switch faster, avoid wasting time and money and create more value for the end users.
Prevent waste
Easier said than done! Zoom in on your development process and eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy, slow communication and unnecessary functionalities. Focus on what your end users really want and the problems your system solves for them. Deliver quickly to find out whether you are on the right track and automate as many peripheral processes as possible.
Gives responsibility to the team
Decisions that need to be made across multiple business layers slow down the development process a lot. Find a small team of committed people who are able to make decisions at both technical and product level.
Encourage learning
The interesting thing about software development is that it is so widely applicable. From games to logistics, software systems are deployed everywhere today. Due to this dynamic, it is often difficult for developers to put themselves in the shoes of the end users. You simply cannot know what all these different users need. That’s why it’s important to roll out your system as early as possible so you can start learning quickly.
Depending on your system, you can choose to contact your users directly and, for example, have them complete a survey. You can also analyze (anonymized) usage statistics. Find out which pages or features are popular among your users and don’t spend extra time working on unused parts.
Go one step further and set up an A/B test. In an A/B test, two different versions of the system are rolled out. Analyze the results and make a pivot where necessary.
Lean development at Fastlane
At Fastlane we are fans of lean. Our name is a reference to this powerful method for a reason. We always start by establishing an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). An MVP is a delineation of main functionalities with everything else left out.
A clickable prototype is then made of this MVP. This is a static representation of your future system. A clickable prototype already allows you to go through your system without having to write any code. Together we search for your perfect clickable prototype in an iterative way.
When we have achieved this, we use it as a guideline for the actual system. Our team of experts will convert this static prototype into an actual app or website at lightning speed! Then it’s time to go live.
When the first version of your system has been rolled out, we are happy to support you with collecting user statistics. This way you can make informed decisions about future expansions.
