Describing Planning: High level metaphors
Metaphor 1 : Air Traffic Control
- Planning is playing a role analogous to ATC.
- It provides active guidance in terms of priorities and choices besides enabling smooth takeoff and landing.
- It is felt in its absence.
Metaphor 2 : Nerve Center
- As a nerve center it is connected to all parts of the system.
- It carries information to and from all parts of the system.
Metaphor 3: Router
- As a router it enables the optimal matching between resources and needs.
Exploring the goals of Planning
- Planning has 3 components – i) Planning enables DUs on the project side to function optimally ii) Planning enables kitchen activities to meet requirements optimally, iii) Planning provides visibility to all stakeholders in terms of commitments to be met.
- Enabling visibility: Planning has end-to-end information of what is going on – in DUs, CUs and centrally. It is able to provide this information to leadership and all relevant stakeholders.
- Balancing: Planning balances resources and project needs across the system on a dynamic basis.
- Communicating dynamic intent: The intent of the system represents the commitment of the system in P1. In the best case, this becomes the intent of the system throughout the project. However, this intent may evolve over time due to changes in priorities and resource availability. This gets crystallized into changes in work modes and changes in commitments. Planning plays a critical role of detailing /granulating these commitments into milestones.
- Supporting DUs: With the end-to-end information that they have, planning can offer new execution configurations so that the DU can get things done better/ faster, utilizing resources better. This is a support/advisory role.
- Supporting CUs: With this end-to-end information, it plays a similar support/ advisory role for CUs to manage resources according to priorities.
- Early Warning: Planning at the CU and DU level is able to anticipate if commitments may not be met and provide early earning to the teams.