{"id":3220,"date":"2026-08-27T19:14:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T19:14:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdrefocus.com\/?page_id=3220"},"modified":"2026-08-27T19:14:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T19:14:13","slug":"value-driven-2026-08","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sdrefocus.com\/index.php\/value-driven-2026-08\/","title":{"rendered":"Value-Driven &#8211; August 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2>\n\t\t\tValue-Driven &#8211; August 2026\t<\/h2>\n<h3>\n\t\t\tThe &#8220;Whac-a-Mole&#8221; Game with Bottlenecks\t<\/h3>\n\tThe accelerated adoption of AI is triggering a review and even a questioning of software development cycles. You have likely seen articles and studies, here and elsewhere, highlighting shifting bottlenecks or asserting that a particular discipline has become <em>the<\/em> critical area to address-assuming, of course, that code writing is no longer the primary constraint in the <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/sdrefocus.com\/index.php\/vsm-approach\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>software value stream<\/strong><\/a> (though whether it ever was is a debate in itself).\nIf writing code becomes virtually instantaneous, all other activities effectively become bottlenecks-whether they occur downstream (code reviews, testing, security, deployment, etc.), upstream (discovery, architecture, design, etc.), or within the management of the engineering process (approvals, decisions, governance policies, leadership, etc.).\n<strong>But, as the saying goes, if everything is a priority, nothing is!<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Should we play &#8220;whac-a-mole&#8221; and try to guess which crisis will pop up next?<\/li>\n<li>Should we believe the generalized and often self-serving claims of this or that bottleneck (with the off-the-shelf solution ready to be bought)?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nIn fact, it seems to me that with AI-assisted code generation, we are facing the classic situation described by the <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/get-alfred.ai\/blog\/theory-of-constraints\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Theory of Constraints (TOC)<\/strong><\/a>. Implementing local optimizations-even significant ones-does not guarantee tangible progress across the entire value stream. They can even make the situation worse! This is why many companies are questioning the real benefits of AI code generation if it does not translate into value realization-such as reducing overall lead times for clients or users.\nBecause, as Eliyahu Goldratt said, any improvement effort directed anywhere other than at the primary constraint-the factor limiting the capacity of the entire system-is simply useless, yielding no visible positive effect; it is a mere illusion.\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Any improvement not made at the constraint is an illusion.&#8221; &#8211; Eliyahu Goldratt, The Goal<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<strong>So, where should we focus our efforts? How do we identify that crucial primary constraint (referring to the first of TOC&#8217;s five focusing steps) so that we can reduce or even eliminate it?<\/strong>\nFirst, it is essential to be clear about the goal being pursued and the value to be delivered.\nNext, one must step back to <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/sdrefocus.com\/index.php\/vsm-services\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>understand and analyze the current way things work<\/strong><\/a>-or fail to work-focusing on the reality rather than an idealized or imagined scenario. Nothing beats going to the place where value is created (*Gemba*) and actively involving and listening to the people who do the day-to-day work; they are the ones who best understand the challenges and friction points standing in the way of the expected goal.\nOnce you believe you have identified the chain&#8217;s most significant limiting factor using factual data (rather than guesswork), focus solely on addressing that constraint, observe and measure the results, learn from the experience, and repeat the cycle.\n<strong>Gone is the &#8220;whac-a-mole&#8221; approach; it is time for a measured analysis of our progress and the ability to demonstrate the impact of our initiatives. <\/strong>Do not look for a magic tool here-only the practical application of expertise built up over decades, grounded first and foremost in people and the ability to spark difficult conversations rather than continuing to play games.\n<h3>\n\t\t\tVSM Adoption\t<\/h3>\n\t<strong>Practice: <\/strong><a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/openpracticelibrary.com\/practice\/rapid-value-stream-mapping\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Rapid Value Stream Mapping<\/strong><\/a><strong> By <\/strong><a id=\"ember76\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/devopsto\/\">Steve Pereira<\/a><strong>.<\/strong> &#8220;Quickly visualize and measure end-to-end flow to reveal the most critical focal point for performance improvement&#8221;\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/wallacead_practical-value-stream-mapping-for-enterprise-ugcPost-7493295694598942721-MpIi\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>How to Map a Value Stream<\/strong><\/a><strong> By <\/strong><a id=\"ember78\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/wallacead\/\">Adrian Wallace<\/a><strong>.<\/strong> &#8220;A practical 6-step guide for enterprise IT. See where work moves. See where work waits. Find what to improve.&#8221;\n<strong><a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/sdrefocus.com\/index.php\/vsm-services\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" role=\"img\" draggable=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/svg\/1f517.svg\" alt=\"\ud83d\udd17\" \/><\/a><\/strong><a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/sdrefocus.com\/index.php\/vsm-services\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>SD ReFocus &#8211; Leveraging Lightweight Value Stream Mapping Workshops (<\/strong><\/a><strong><a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/sdrefocus.com\/index.php\/services-vsm\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\">fr<\/a>) <\/strong>&#8220;Digital leaders and teams can leverage customized Value-Driven VSM workshops to deliver high-quality software faster and increase customer value. Our approach offers immediate benefits, others within a few weeks, and sustainable impacts over time:&#8221;\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NqJiY4WkIiI\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>From Value Stream Maps to Digital Twins<\/strong><\/a><strong> (13&#8242;).<\/strong> &#8220;DevOps borrowed value stream mapping and used a sliver of what it can actually do. <a id=\"ember81\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jackmaherpmp\/\">Jack Maher<\/a>, Founder of ValueStreamPro, joins <a id=\"ember82\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/alanshimel\/\">Alan Shimel<\/a> on TechStrong TV to argue that the manufacturing world&#8217;s original toolkit &#8211; Kanban, Lean, and value stream analysis proven since the 1950s &#8211; is ready for a digital rebirth. Jack unpacks Deterministic Process Design, his newly released framework and book, and explains how detailed value stream maps become the foundation for digital twins, simulations, and forward-looking projections that let teams unleash AI, creativity, and change with psychological and systemic safety as the core.&#8221;\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/mikerenna_value-stream-mapping-your-process-isnt-share-7493319138262622208-PwmH\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Value Stream Mapping: Your Process Isn&#8217;t Broken Where You Think It Is<\/strong><\/a><strong>. By <\/strong><a id=\"ember84\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mikerenna\/\">Michael Renna<\/a><strong>. <\/strong>&#8220;Most organizations know delivery feels slower than it should. Fewer can explain exactly where the time goes. That is why Value Stream Mapping matters. It shows the path work takes from initial need to delivered value. More importantly, it helps leaders stop treating delivery as a collection of disconnected teams and start seeing the system those teams are working inside.&#8221;\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/hidden-cost-lean-jargon-why-your-transformation-losing-lemif\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>The Hidden Cost of &#8220;Lean Jargon&#8221;: Why Your Transformation is Losing the Frontline<\/strong><\/a><strong> By <\/strong><a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/kaizen-made-easy\/\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\">KAIZEN Made Easy<\/a><strong>.<\/strong> &#8220;When leadership speaks in abstract terms about &#8220;optimizing value streams&#8221; or &#8220;eliminating non-value-added activities,&#8221; and the frontline hears only a foreign tongue, a chasm forms.&#8221; =&gt; &#8220;When every employee understands the goals, feels heard, and is equipped with the language to articulate problems and solutions, the pace of transformation accelerates.&#8221;\n<img decoding=\"async\" role=\"img\" draggable=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/svg\/1f517.svg\" alt=\"\ud83d\udd17\" \/> <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/sdrefocus.com\/index.php\/vsm-approach\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>SD ReFocus &#8211; Learning to See Digital Value Streams<\/strong><\/a>\n<h3>\n\t\t\tImpacts of AI\t<\/h3>\n\t<strong>Podcast: <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/newsletter.getdx.com\/p\/how-microsoft-sees-engineering-bottlenecks\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\">How Microsoft sees engineering bottlenecks changing with AI<\/a> (39&#8242;) Hosted By @Brian Houck (DX) featuring Tim Bozarth (Microsoft). <\/strong>&#8220;Tim Bozarth, Microsoft CoreAI CVP, shares how AI is reshaping the software development lifecycle, where new bottlenecks are emerging, and why verification and confidence may become more valuable than code generation itself. We also explore why the purpose of engineering remains the same despite rising levels of abstraction, the skills that remain durable in an AI-driven world, and why engineering leaders should focus on outcomes rather than activity metrics.&#8221;\n<strong>Report: <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/brianhouck_state-of-ai-impact-in-engineering-q2-report-share-7485699989550026752-0wNA\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\">&#8220;State of AI Impact in Engineering: Q2 2026&#8221;<\/a> by DX. <\/strong>&#8220;Data from 500+ teams reveals that AI is delivering measurable velocity gains, but velocity alone isn&#8217;t the story.&#8221;\n<p><a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mRF99to28sA\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>A Software Engineer&#8217;s Take On The REAL Threat Of AI&#8230;<\/strong><\/a><strong> (21&#8242;) By Dave Farley at Modern Software Engineering.<\/strong> &#8220;Is the future of ai out of control? Dave Farley explores the genuine ai threat and ai risk through the lens of modern software engineering. Beyond the hype of chatgpt, openai, claude, or anthropic, the real danger is our own carelessness when building non-deterministic systems. Is artificial intelligence untestable? Learn how a disciplined software development approach can save software engineering from a catastrophic dev disaster.&#8221;<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" role=\"img\" draggable=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/svg\/1f517.svg\" alt=\"\ud83d\udd17\" \/> <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/sdrefocus.com\/index.php\/resources\/industry-reports\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>SD ReFocus &#8211; Index of industry reports<\/strong><\/a>\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/saucelabs.com\/resources\/blog\/ai-is-writing-your-code-faster-than-anyone-can-check-it\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>AI is Writing Your Code Faster Than Anyone Can Check It<\/strong><\/a><strong> by SauceLabs.<\/strong> &#8220;AI is writing more of your codebase every quarter. A new Sauce Labs report surveying 400 U.S. executives and engineering leaders shows most organizations still can&#8217;t verify it&#8217;s safe to ship, and the incidents are piling up.&#8221;\n<strong>Report: <\/strong><a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/devops.com\/survey-surfaces-rising-tide-of-production-issues-traced-back-to-ai-code\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>The Enterprise AI Code Verification Crisis<\/strong><\/a><strong>. <\/strong>&#8220;Al in Software Testing 2026 &#8211; What happens when organizations bet big on Al-generated code before they can verify it.&#8221;\n<strong>Report: <\/strong><strong><a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.puppet.com\/resources\/2026-state-of-platform-engineering\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\">State of DevOps Report: Platform Engineering Edition 2026<\/a> <\/strong><strong>By Perforce Puppet. <\/strong>&#8220;The State of DevOps Report: Platform Engineering Edition 2026 offers critical insights into how enterprise organizations are evolving their platform practices to operate confidently in an AI-driven era.&#8221;\n<strong>Whitepaper: &#8220;<\/strong><a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/platformengineering.org\/reports\/platform-engineering-2-0-an-evolution-for-the-ai-era\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Platform engineering 2.0: An evolution for the AI era<\/strong><\/a><strong>&#8220;. <\/strong>&#8220;Platform engineering has crossed the adoption threshold, but the platforms most teams are running were built for a different era. As AI workloads, autonomous agents, and cost volatility converge, the discipline faces its most significant evolution yet. This report, produced by Weave Intelligence and commissioned by Broadcom, defines what that evolution looks like.&#8221;\n<strong>Report: &#8220;<\/strong><a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/devops.com\/adoption-and-fragmentation-of-ai-in-ci-cd-and-operational-readiness\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Adoption and Fragmentation of AI in CI\/CD<\/strong><\/a><strong>&#8221; By Guy Currier (Techstrong report sponsored by CloudBees). <\/strong>&#8220;Active interest is running ahead of operational readiness, with most organizations either experimenting in isolated areas or beginning to expand AI use in selected parts of the pipeline, while fragmented toolchains, governance concerns and integration complexity remain the primary barriers to scale.&#8221;\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/en\/articles\/cybersecurity-for-cios\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Cybersecurity for CIOs: Build Resilience and Mitigate Risk in the AI Age<\/strong><\/a><strong> By Gartner. <\/strong>&#8220;Ninety-three percent of boards see cybersecurity as a threat to value, and 61% of CIOs treat cybersecurity as a business outcome. Perfect prevention is not possible in a world of advanced, AI-driven threats and complex ecosystems. Resilience &#8211; minimizing impact and recovering quickly from incidents &#8211; is the new benchmark for effective cybersecurity leadership.&#8221;\n<h3>\n\t\t\tValue Realization\t<\/h3>\n\t<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/ingibjorg-rafnar-petursdottir-66060273_two-years-ago-we-started-questioning-something-ugcPost-7493344778374541312-LDYS\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Case Study (Blue Lagoon Iceland): From Projects to Products: Rethinking How We Organize Work Around Outcomes<\/strong><\/a><strong> By Ingibjorg Rafnar Petursdottir.<\/strong>\n&#8221; As the model matured, our dialogue increasingly moved away from functional responsibilities and toward something much more valuable: <strong><em>What does the customer need? What does the business need to achieve? And how do we bring the right capabilities together to create that value? <\/em><\/strong>\nFor me, that is an increasingly important part of what moving toward a product operating model means. <strong><em>Organizing the dialogue, decisions and capabilities around value-not around functional boundaries.<\/em><\/strong> &#8221;\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/basheershaik-sw_product-centricity-outcomes-most-organisations-share-7491044391088861184-gj-2\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>The Chain of Clarity. Connecting Strategy to Execution at every level makes Delivery Purposeful. Value realisation starts with &#8216;Why&#8217;.<\/strong><\/a><strong> By Basheer Shaik. <\/strong>&#8220;Outcomes are the only honest measure of whether any of it mattered. The chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And in most organisations, the weakest link is the connection between portfolio decisions and the outcomes they were supposed to drive.&#8221;\n<strong>SD ReFocus &#8211; <\/strong><a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/patricecorbard_value-outcome-impact-ugcPost-7491489135183036416-1ap2\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Moving towards Value-Driven Software Delivery<\/strong><\/a><strong> (Update, v3 &#8211; August 2026). <\/strong>&#8220;By adopting a value stream management (VSM) approach that seamlessly integrates other existing areas of expertise, it becomes possible to connect the dots and create a value-driven, continuous learning loop.&#8221;\n<strong>Output to Outcome: an Operating Model for the Age of AI with Dr. Mik Kersten (61&#8242;).<\/strong> &#8220;In this session, Mik joins us (SSH America) for an AMA-style conversation on the ideas behind his new book &#8216;Output to Outcome: An Operating Model for the Age of AI&#8217;. We&#8217;ll explore:\n<ul>\n<li>Why AI productivity gains are failing to materialize for many organizations<\/li>\n<li>The key organizational shifts required to thrive in the Age of AI<\/li>\n<li>The Outcome Loop and its role in connecting strategy to results<\/li>\n<li>Moving from functional silos to flow-optimized value streams<\/li>\n<li>Replacing vanity metrics with meaningful outcome measures&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/difference-between-activity-improvement-patrick-adams-eqa0c\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>The Difference Between Activity and Improvement<\/strong><\/a><strong> By Patrick Adams. <\/strong>&#8220;Instead of measuring success by how much work is getting done, leaders should also ask whether the work itself is becoming easier, faster, safer, or more valuable.&#8221;\n<strong><a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.antmurphy.me\/newsletter\/nobody-actually-prioritising-value\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\">Nobody&#8217;s Actually Prioritising &#8216;Value&#8217;<\/a> <\/strong><strong>By Ant Murphy. <\/strong>&#8220;Value is contextual. It needs to be defined. And most PMs who have been told to &#8220;prioritise by value&#8221; have never been taught how to identify and define value.&#8221;\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/newsletter.herbig.co\/posts\/423\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Business Value, Customer Value, and Team Value Are Different Arguments<\/strong><\/a><strong> By Tim Herbig.<\/strong> &#8220;As long as everyone focused on Value you can&#8217;t do the wrong work, right? RIGHT? Well, as lovely as that sounds, I believe there&#8217;s a tremendous amount of misdirected focus on value going on in teams.&#8221;\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/jeffgothelf.com\/blog\/defining-value-the-most-ambiguous-word-in-product-development\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Defining value: the most ambiguous word in product development (2019)<\/strong><\/a><strong> By Jeff Gothelf. <\/strong>&#8220;&#8221;Value&#8221; is the most ambiguous word in business. It means something different to every person that says it, primarily based on where they&#8217;re positioned in an organisation.&#8221;\n<h3>\n\t\t\tFlow Optimization\t<\/h3>\n\t<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/email.prokanban.org\/emails\/webview\/266905\/195684973247726637\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Flowtopia &amp; ProKanban Partner to Advance Professional Flow and Kanban Practices<\/strong><\/a>\n&#8220;Flowtopia and <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"http:\/\/ProKanban.org\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\">ProKanban.org<\/a> have officially announced a new partnership, with <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"http:\/\/ProKanban.org\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\">ProKanban.org<\/a> joining the Flowtopia ecosystem as a Flow Friend. The collaboration unites two organizations dedicated to helping professionals master flow, optimize work systems, and build agile, resilient delivery pipelines.&#8221;\nSpeaking on the new alliance, <a id=\"ember113\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/colleen-johnson\/\">Colleen Johnson<\/a>, founder of <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"http:\/\/ProKanban.org\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\">ProKanban.org<\/a>, shared her perspective on the collaboration:\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Partnering with Flowtopia allows us to connect the power of professional Kanban practices directly with a broader community of value stream leaders. True agility comes from shared knowledge and independent collaboration, and we are excited to help practitioners build healthier, more predictable flow systems.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<img decoding=\"async\" role=\"img\" draggable=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/svg\/1f517.svg\" alt=\"\ud83d\udd17\" \/><strong> <a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flowtopia.io\/checkout\/flow-pro-membership?affiliate_code=f836d3\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\">Link to join our Flowtopia community<\/a><\/strong>\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flowtopia.io\/c\/blog\/fast-flow-happens-when-friction-fades\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Fast Flow Happens When Friction Fades<\/strong><\/a><strong> By <\/strong><a id=\"ember116\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/philclark\/\">Phil Clark<\/a> <strong>.<\/strong> &#8220;When teams can see where work slows, form a hypothesis, test a small change, and learn from the results, improvement does not need to be commanded from above.&#8221;\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.paulisthrivving.xyz\/writing\/decision-queue-is-delivery-problem\/\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Your decision queue is your delivery problem<\/strong><\/a><strong> By <\/strong><a id=\"ember119\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/paulisthrivving\/\">Paul Brown<\/a> <strong>. <\/strong>&#8220;18 weeks from request to production, and engineering held it for 9 days. Everything else was waiting on someone to decide. Why the queue nobody manages owns most of your elapsed time, and the four measures that expose it.&#8221;\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.malcolmbastien.com\/notes\/focus-on-flow-not-where-people-sit\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Focus on Flow, Not Where People Sit<\/strong><\/a><strong> By Malcolm Bastien. <\/strong>&#8220;Achieving fast flow team comes from identifying and removing sources of delay, not from return-to-office mandates&#8230; Companies like to mandate a return to office in the name of strengthening collaboration and culture, but the offices they&#8217;re sending people to are rarely designed around the team dynamics that support flow&#8230; Before focusing on where people sit, focus on how the work flows. What&#8217;s the bottleneck? Where are handoffs breaking down?&#8221;\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.balkanski.net\/blog\/kanban-metrics-in-the-age-of-ai\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Kanban Metrics in the Age of AI<\/strong><\/a><strong> By Plamen Balkanski. <\/strong>&#8220;One of the things I spend a lot of time explaining is that Kanban metrics were never about measuring effort. They are about understanding flow. And flow is exactly what AI does not manage for you. In fact, as systems become faster and more complex, you need better signals, not fewer.&#8221;\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:groupPost:6585254-7492813756192681984\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Reduce MTTR? First, Know What&#8217;s Slow<\/strong><\/a><strong> By Santosh Harge. <\/strong>&#8220;If diagnosis takes 40 minutes, making rollback 2 minutes faster won&#8217;t meaningfully improve MTTR. Measure each stage first. Then optimize the bottleneck.&#8221;\n<a tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/fastflowtoolkit.com\/diagnostic\" target=\"_self\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\"><strong>Toolkit: Delivery has slowed &#8211; and your leadership team can&#8217;t agree why<\/strong><\/a><strong> By <\/strong><a id=\"ember124\" tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/richardallen\/\">Rich Allen<\/a>. &#8220;The Flow Decision Diagnostic tests where work is getting stuck, which explanation the evidence supports, and what to change next &#8211; before you commit to something difficult to reverse. &#8221;\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Value-Driven &#8211; August 2026 The &#8220;Whac-a-Mole&#8221; Game with Bottlenecks The accelerated adoption of AI is triggering a review and even a questioning of software development cycles. You have likely seen articles and studies, here and elsewhere, highlighting shifting bottlenecks or asserting that a particular discipline has become the critical area to address-assuming, of course, that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"unboxed","site-sidebar-style":"unboxed","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"enabled","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3220","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 5.0.1 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Value-Driven - August 2026 The &quot;Whac-a-Mole&quot; Game with Bottlenecks The accelerated adoption of AI is triggering a review and even a questioning of software development cycles. 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