Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
This is another game that I have had great fun playing and also thought me an my clients a great deal. I use it as staple for all my intros to Lean and agile. The goal of the game is to move 20 coins through a series of process step (aka players). Each player flips the coins once before it can be passed over. The game shows very effectively how limiting the work in process (WIP) increases the throughput and improves lead times, both for the first coin and the total time for all 20 coins. If you move through the game slides quickly a nice little animation effect takes place. Watching that actually gave me a new understanding of what Flow means. Compare the first and last iterations and see the coins flow through the process, each step creating value. If you like this presentation you will find more like this in Kanban In Action (http://bit.ly/theKanbanBook) where we have dedicated a whole chapter on agile games.
Citation preview
Pass the penniesA simulation of a simulation showing
How to achive more, by doing less
Marcus Hammarberg@marcusoftnet, The Salvation Army Indonesia
What is needed
• 4 players• (4 supervisors, can be done by the players, must have
clocks)
• 20 coins• A table & 4 chairs• A whiteboard or flipchart to note results on (and a
pen)
How to run
• The goal is to move all the coins through all the players (the whole process)• Each player does his work by flipping each coin over• We time• The time each player works
• Start when flipping the first coin• Stop after flipping the last coin
• The time it takes for the first coin to come out of the process• The total time it takes for all the coins to goes through
the process
Our players, in the simulation• I’ve introduced some
variations to keep it interesting• Beth will use one hand
and make no mistakes• Cesar will use one hand
and drop 1 coin per iteration
• Daphne will use two hands and make no mistakes
• Adam will use one hand and make no mistakes
A word about timing
• There’s an artificial clock ticking in the leftcorner during the game• It ticks one tick per transition• These are my made up times for the tasks
• Flip of a coin takes 1• Move the coins to the next person take 1• Dropping a coin takes 3
• To see clearly who’s working (as in “time ticking”) I’ve added a green square around the active players
“Clock”:00:05
Iteration 120 coin batches
“Clock”:00:00
“Clock”:00:01
“Clock”:00:02
“Clock”:00:03
“Clock”:00:04
“Clock”:00:05
“Clock”:00:06
“Clock”:00:07
“Clock”:00:08
“Clock”:00:09
“Clock”:00:10
“Clock”:00:11
“Clock”:00:12
“Clock”:00:13
“Clock”:00:14
“Clock”:00:15
“Clock”:00:16
“Clock”:00:17
“Clock”:00:18
“Clock”:00:19
“Clock”:00:20
“Clock”:00:21
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:22
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:23
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:24
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:25
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:26
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:27
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:28
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:29
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:30
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:31
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:32
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:33
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:34
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:35
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:36
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:37
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:38
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:39
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:40
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:41
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:42
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:43
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:44
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:45
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:46
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
“Clock”:00:47
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
“Clock”:00:48
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
“Clock”:00:49
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:23
“Clock”:00:50
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
“Clock”:00:51
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
“Clock”:00:52
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
“Clock”:00:53
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
“Clock”:00:54
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
“Clock”:00:55
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
“Clock”:00:56
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
“Clock”:00:57
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
“Clock”:00:58
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:00:59
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:00
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:01
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:02
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:03
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:04
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:05
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:06
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:07
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:08
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:09
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:10
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:11
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:12
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:13
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:14
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:15
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:16
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:17
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:18
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
“Clock”:01:18
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:24
Daphne:00:11
Adam:00:20
First done:
01:18
All done:
01:18
ResultsName 20 coin batch
Beth 00:21
Cesar 00:24
Daphne 00:11
Adam 00:20
Time to first 01:18
Time for all 01:18
Notice
• Only one person active at the time• The others are waiting with nothing to do
• Daphne, working with two hands, is A LOT faster than the others• Cesar dropping one coin, slowed down the progress
for the entire chain• Daphne had to wait her turn
• The first coin was finished at the same time as the last
Let’s try that again!Same rules and behavior as before.But this time with 5 coin batchesThat’s; flip 5 coins and then pass them over
“Clock”:00:00
“Clock”:00:01
“Clock”:00:02
“Clock”:00:03
“Clock”:00:04
“Clock”:00:05
“Clock”:00:06
“Clock”:00:07
“Clock”:00:08
“Clock”:00:09
“Clock”:00:10
“Clock”:00:11
“Clock”:00:12
“Clock”:00:13
“Clock”:00:14
“Clock”:00:15
“Clock”:00:16
“Clock”:00:17
“Clock”:00:18
“Clock”:00:19
“Clock”:00:20
“Clock”:00:21
“Clock”:00:22
“Clock”:00:23
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:24
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:25
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:26
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:27
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:28
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:29
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:30
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:31
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:32
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:33
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:34
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:35
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:36
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
“Clock”:00:37
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
Cesar:00:30
“Clock”:00:38
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
Cesar:00:30
“Clock”:00:39
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
Cesar:00:30
“Clock”:00:40
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
Cesar:00:30
“Clock”:00:41
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
Cesar:00:30
“Clock”:00:42
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
Cesar:00:30
Daphne:00:29
“Clock”:00:42
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
Cesar:00:30
Daphne:00:29
“Clock”:00:43
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
Cesar:00:30
Daphne:00:29
“Clock”:00:44
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
Cesar:00:30
Daphne:00:29
“Clock”:00:45
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
Cesar:00:30
Daphne:00:29
“Clock”:00:46
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
Cesar:00:30
Daphne:00:29
“Clock”:00:47
Beth:00:26
First done:
00:23
Cesar:00:30
Daphne:00:29
Adam:00:29
All done:
00:47
ResultsName 20 coin batch 5 coin batch
Beth 00:21 00:26
Cesar 00:24 00:30
Daphne 00:11 00:29
Adam 00:20 00:29
Time to first 01:18 00:23
Time for all 01:18 00:47
Notice
• Many people active at the same time• Daphne, working with two hands, doesn’t help her
much• Cesar dropping one coin, slowed down the progress
for the entire chain• Daphne times were MUCH worse, because she waited
for Cesar• Even Adam, last in line, was affected
• The last coin came in 31 ticks earlier• The first coin came in MUCH earlier (55 ticks)
Let’s try that again!Same rules and behavior as before.But this time with 1 coin batchesThat’s; flip 1 coins and then pass it over
“Clock”:00:00
“Clock”:00:01
“Clock”:00:02
“Clock”:00:03
“Clock”:00:04
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:05
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:06
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:07
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:08
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:09
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:10
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:11
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:12
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:13
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:14
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:15
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:16
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:17
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:18
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:19
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:20
First done:
00:04
“Clock”:00:21
First done:
00:04
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:22
First done:
00:04
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:23
First done:
00:04
Beth:00:21
“Clock”:00:24
First done:
00:04
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:23
“Clock”:00:25
First done:
00:04
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:23
Daphne:00:23
“Clock”:00:26
First done:
00:04
Beth:00:21
Cesar:00:23
Daphne:00:23
First done:
00:0400:23
All done:
00:26
Adam:
ResultsName 20 coin batch 5 coin batch 1 coin batch
Beth 00:21 00:26 00:21
Cesar 00:24 00:30 00:23
Daphne 00:11 00:29 00:23
Adam 00:20 00:29 00:23
Time to first 01:18 00:23 00:04
Time for all 01:18 00:47 00:26
Notice
• At 61% of all states EVERYONE was active, adding value, moving the coins forward• Daphne, working with two hands, doesn’t help her
much this time either• Cesar dropping one coin, slowed down the progress for
the entire chain• But it recovered faster and soon everyone was turning coins
again
• The last coin came in 52 ticks earlier than the first round• The first coin came in MUCH earlier (74 ticks)
Comments
• Overall time goes down by doing fewer things at the same time• Time to first goes WAY down• When played with humans individual times goes up• Still not sure why this doesn’t happen here… • My simulation is probably making simplifications
• In first round there was a lot of waiting• Every person waited ¾ of the total time
• In last round everyone was working all the time• Every person was waiting 3-5 ticks
More comments
• What’s different?• Same workers, coins, process and table• Only difference is number of coins per batch• Work in Process – WIP is lower
• Number of slides (aka steps in the process)• 20 coin iteration: 79 slides • 5 coin iteration: 48 slides• 1 coin iteration: 26 slides
Thank youMarcus Hammarberg
http://bit.ly/theKanbanBook
