Episode 543: Jon Smart on Patterns and Anti-Patterns for Successful Software Delivery in Enterprises

System Entropy

System entropy is a critical concept in understanding the degradation of both human and technical systems over time. Jon Smart explains that as systems age, they accumulate technical debt and bureaucratic processes, leading to inefficiencies and slower progress. He emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement in technology and processes to combat this entropy, advocating for a focus on technical excellence and regular refactoring 1.

Improving daily work is as important as daily work, and not doing that, you end up with the go slow to go faster, or you will end up going slower.

--- Jon Smart

This approach, he notes, is essential to maintain agility and prevent the pitfalls of the anti-pattern "go faster to go slower."

   

Technical Excellence

Achieving technical excellence requires specific metrics and practices that focus on delivering value efficiently. Jon Smart highlights key measures such as time to value, lead time, flow efficiency, and quality, which he defines as the absence of unplanned work or failure demand 2. Safety and happiness are also crucial metrics, with safety encompassing data security and privacy, and happiness reflecting the satisfaction of both colleagues and customers.

Time to value, lead time and flow, efficiency, quality, safety and happiness, all of which leads to business value.

--- Jon Smart

These metrics collectively contribute to business value, ensuring that technical excellence is not just about speed but also about sustainable and secure practices.

   

Evergreening

Evergreening is a vital practice to keep technology up-to-date and reduce technical debt. Jon Smart shares examples of organizations that failed to prioritize evergreening, resulting in outdated and unsupported software that hindered business operations 3. This neglect can lead to significant challenges, such as the inability to upgrade systems, forcing costly and risky overhauls.

It forces you into a corner where the only thing you can do is slash and burn and rewrite or roll out a new system, which is also not a good idea.

--- Jon Smart

By maintaining an evergreen approach, businesses can enhance their agility and capacity to deliver value efficiently.