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Jeff Patton, Agile Product Design Expert

 Jeff  Patton

Jeff Patton has designed and developed software for the past 15 years on a wide variety of products from on-line aircraft parts ordering to electronic medical records. Jeff has focused on Agile approaches since working on an early Extreme Programming team in 2000. In particular Jeff has specialized in the application of user experience design practice to improve Agile requirements, planning, and products. Since 2007, Jeff has been applying Lean thinking and Kanban-style development practices to agile development and Scrum to help teams focus on the throughput of value.

Jeff's current articles, essays, and presentations can be found at www.AgileProductDesign.com and in Alistair Cockburn's Crystal Clear. Jeff works currently as an independent coach, consultant, and instructor. Jeff is founder and list moderator of the agile-usability Yahoo discussion group, a columnist with StickyMinds.com and IEEE Software, a Certified Scrum Trainer, and winner of the Agile Alliance's 2007 Gordon Pask Award for contributions to Agile Development.

Presentation: "Using Kanban to help dysfunctional agile teams"

Time: Wednesday 10:30 - 11:30

Location: Metropolitan Ballroom

Abstract: In this short talk Jeff reviews some common agile team dysfunctions such as teams struggling with estimation, planning, poor communication and collaboration, and general resistance to agile development. Given these sorts of problems who wouldn't be resistant? Kanban style development is often positioned as at odds with common agile time-boxed development. But, in fact Kanban's Lean thinking folds quite well into an agile culture and what's more helps deal with some of the common problems agile teams struggle with. In this short talk Jeff will review some real world examples of common dysfunctions and how moving to a Kanban approach helped teams right themselves and get back to the agile ideals they'd originally strived for.

Training: "A Kanban Primer"

Track: Tutorial

Time: Monday 09:00 - 12:00

Location: City

Abstract:
Kanban style development seems to make everyone nervous.  Kanban emphasizes small complete packages of work, which concerns traditional development practitioners who might favor analysis and design of an entire product release.   Yet, Kanban continues to grow in popularity because it solves many of the problems found in both agile and traditional approaches.

In this half-day tutorial you’ll learn the essential theories behind Kanban and Lean development.  You’ll learn concepts that help you see your process from a different perspective.  You’ll take away the basics you’ll need to set up a Kanban approach within your team.  You’ll even get some tips on practicing Kanban without anyone knowing you are.  All they’ll notice is more consistent delivery of high quality software.

Topics covered:

*  The theory behind Kanban and pull thinking

*  A Lean concept vocabulary you can use to assess and tune your current process

*  The basics of setting up Kanban style development in your team

*  Some guidance on integrating a Kanban approach into a mixed-process organizaton