Milk Kanban • Hacker News Board

Re: Milk Kanban

#171

Post by themadturk » Mon, Mar 17, 2025, 10:23 PM UTC

maxekman wrote: post #147

somat wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a subject that bothers me far more than it should, but when I was first exposed to the term kanban I naturally look it up and go "what on earth does any of this have to do with software?" The term refers to a method to attach the logistical back pressure mechanism to the logistical items in question, basically distributing it to solve the problems of large central control. However the logistics of software deve…

I can recommend reading “The Phoenix Project”.

Just finished it. So true.

Re: Milk Kanban

#172

Post by michaelcampbell » Tue, Mar 18, 2025, 4:34 PM UTC

celticninja wrote: post #160

michaelcampbell wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My angst with this (IMO tortured) metaphor, is each step is different every time. If we were knocking out exact clones of software systems this would work more like it is expected to. Management seems to latch on this system since they understand it; it's getting both better and worse in that a lot of management now days has actually written code in smaller companies, but in bigger ones they still bring in their budd…

I guess within a product this metaphor works better. For example a new page with a new form is likely to be an adaptation of an existing form. Service ot service this is less appropriate, but extending an existing service is a bit more like assembly line stuff

> but extending an existing service is a bit more like assembly line stuff

(IMO) only if most of the assembly line has to be at least partially retooled every time you do it. No software feature in any but the most basic of systems stands alone.

Which, tbf, a lot of Lean/Kanban software teachings do account for, but most management likes to gloss over.

Re: Milk Kanban

#173

Post by mrngm » Wed, Mar 19, 2025, 12:12 PM UTC

greatgib wrote: post #126

carreau wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love how you are not even realising that behind the oatmilk ticket is written "last oatmilk", the behind the half and half one is written "only 3 half and half" behind the foo ticket "foo down to f(frequency of foo use)", and the person now now only need to go through the tickets at the end of the week (or if more than N tickets). I will let you ponder if you need to reticket all, or just the reordered product, wet…

I don't understand how you consider all this complexity to be better than to just have an inventory of what have to be ordered once in a while. In a batch, at the secretary or office manager own time. Instead of all the things to be managed, the tickets that have to be written, with somehow a kind of brain fuck logic, someone going to this person desk at any interval, might even be interrupting the office manager, th…

I think the societal aspect of your collegues being helpful to each other, while not having that exact task assigned, is the reason you could appreciate this setup. I think putting a card on another person's desk and walking away isn't really interrupting, anyway.

Besides, visually seeing stock going low helps the one doing purchases in deciding whether said supply needs immediate restocking, or that there's ample time to collect more low-velocity stock to batch them in one order.

As mentioned elsewhere, the person purchasing may not consume (in this example) milk at all!