In many of my encounters, I often hear variations of the statement:
We’re doing agile for some of our work, but other needs waterfall.
This assertion increasingly grates on my nerves. The truth is, waterfall, with its phased approach and large work batches, is unequivocally flawed. It’s high time to break free from this outdated mindset.
Contrary to popular belief, waterfall is not an antiquated relic. It persists and is lauded in numerous organizations today, particularly on the business side of operations.
To illustrate this point, let’s turn to an authority on the subject—Dr. Winston Royce, the very man who coined the term “waterfall.” In his seminal paper, “MANAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE SOFTWARE SYSTEMS”, Dr. Royce himself expresses reservations about the model’s efficacy.
Why Waterfall Falls Short
The pitfalls of waterfall are myriad and well-documented. From my years of experience and observation, a few key issues stand out:
- Maximized Risk Exposure: Large work batches entail making critical decisions upfront, when information is scant. This approach maximizes the risk of failure.
- Limited Predictability: With nothing completed until everything is done, even minor tasks are hindered by major undertakings, making predictability elusive.
- Delayed Return on Investment: By deferring the use and testing of deliverables until project completion, organizations prolong the time to realize returns on investment.
- Limited Learning Opportunities: Fewer, larger releases impede feedback loops, hindering learning and improvement.
- Stifled Innovation: In a waterfall setting, critical thinking is stifled, and opportunities for innovation are squandered.
- Compromised Quality: Fixed deadlines often lead to compromises in quality, as teams prioritize meeting timelines over delivering a robust product.
A Better Way Forward
The path to agile transformation begins with a shift in mindset and practices. While the journey is multifaceted, a few guiding principles include:
- Favor Small, Incremental Changes: Embrace a hypothesis-driven approach, striving to deliver small ideas to users rapidly.
- Optimize for Learning: Create an environment conducive to experimentation and continuous learning.
- Empower Autonomous Teams: Enable teams to take ownership and deliver value autonomously.
- Embrace Change: Continuously evaluate and refine processes, adapting them to evolving needs and circumstances.
- Visualize Work: Foster transparency by making work processes and progress visible to all stakeholders.
- Limit Work in Progress: Restricting work in progress accelerates flow and enhances efficiency.
- Embrace Incremental Delivery: Prioritize incremental delivery over monolithic releases, delivering value iteratively.
Challenging the Status Quo
A common refrain is that certain endeavors—such as large-scale ERP implementations—are incompatible with lean and agile methodologies. To this, I offer a simple yet profound response: “Not yet.” Rather than accepting the status quo, we must challenge it, seeking innovative solutions guided by lean principles.
Consider the story of Taiichi Ohno, the pioneering mind behind Toyota’s lean philosophy. By relentlessly pursuing faster flow and shorter lead times, he revolutionized die-change processes, achieving feats once deemed impossible.
In Conclusion
Waterfall is not just occasionally misguided; it is fundamentally flawed. As we strive for organizational agility and resilience, we must heed the lessons of the past and chart a new course forward.
Let us not settle for the status quo. Instead, let us embrace change, innovation, and continuous improvement. Our customers—and our future—depend on it.