My family and I travelled internationally, on Christmas, 2022. On our entry back to the USA, the immigration line (US Citizens and Permanent Residents line) was long … as long as a busy Disneyland line… multi-s shaped line… eight S-line deep full of weary and tired travelers like us.
Whilst waiting in line, I noticed a few people zipping through another separate line where they just stop by a kiosk, do something quickly, and off they go past the immigration — bypassing our line!
‘What is going on? What do they have that my family and I do not?’ I wondered. My wife and I talked about that scene, and she mentioned that they have the same thing her frequent international traveler sister has.
Global Entry!!! This is part of the ‘Trusted Traveler Program’ by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The policy to check is paramount. Cannot be removed.
However, it is the rethinking of the policy… to remediate the long wait line… allowed the accelerated flow — that I have witnessed — to be possible.
Likewise, this idea of remediating is applicable to ‘The Factory’. Remediate old policies and practices.
Example: an old practice is ‘testing after coding’.
Remediation: faster flow can be achieved by writing the test first … then code to the test. This is shift-left thinking … or test-first thinking.
Then replace the old practice of manual testing with automated testing. Cucumber is a great tool for automated testing with the test-first practice.
Testing is paramount. Cannot be removed.
However, it is the rethinking of the practice of testing … to remediate the long Lead Time … with test-first and automated testing to accelerate flow.
Where else?
Check your Definition of Done (DoD) and Definition of Ready (DoR) for the Team, ART, and Solution Train and Portfolio. Remediate DoD And DoR to accelerate flow without sacrificing quality, of course.
Where else?
Check your compliance policies — creatively remediate this to accelerate flow without breaking anything. Just like the creativity that was needed for the ‘Global Entry’.
Where else?
Check your rules. Are there rules that are unnecessarily decelerating flow?
Use Lean and Agile principles as your guide when remediating.
Not sure how?
Take this challenge of remediating… to your team and ART… utilize their talents (this is Lean Thinking! Not utilizing talent is a waste!) … and let yourself be amazed with the ideas and solutions that they collectively, iteratively, and creatively come up with vis-vis remediating antiquated policies and practices .
In every challenge there lies an opportunity… in this case, the opportunity to accelerate the delivery of flow.
Can you imagine the accelerated flow of value by creatively rethinking and remediating, posthaste, old policies and practices?!
International Travel is upon us again… and we are definitely getting us Global Entry this year!!!
