---
product_id: 4801287
title: "Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit"
price: "€ 39.91"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.ie/products/4801287-lean-software-development-an-agile-toolkit
store_origin: IE
region: Ireland
---

# Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit

**Price:** € 39.91
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit
- **How much does it cost?** € 39.91 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ie](https://www.desertcart.ie/products/4801287-lean-software-development-an-agile-toolkit)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit Adapting agile practices to your development organization Uncovering and eradicating waste throughout the software development lifecycle Practical techniques for every development manager, project manager, and technical leader Lean software development: applying agile principles to your organization In Lean Software Development , Mary and Tom Poppendieck identify seven fundamental "lean" principles, adapt them for the world of software development, and show how they can serve as the foundation for agile development approaches that work . Along the way, they introduce 22 "thinking tools" that can help you customize the right agile practices for any environment. Better, cheaper, faster software development. You can have all three– if you adopt the same lean principles that have already revolutionized manufacturing, logistics and product development. Iterating towards excellence: software development as an exercise in discovery Managing uncertainty: "decide as late as possible" by building change into the system. Compressing the value stream: rapid development, feedback, and improvement Empowering teams and individuals without compromising coordination Software with integrity : promoting coherence, usability, fitness, maintainability, and adaptability How to "see the whole"–even when your developers are scattered across multiple locations and contractors Simply put, Lean Software Development helps you refocus development on value, flow, and people –so you can achieve breakthrough quality, savings, speed, and business alignment.

Review: Useful and practical, with many new insights for agile software development - In the last couple of years, I have heard many times about lean manufacturing (and in particular the Toyota way of manufacturing). I have also read a couple of articles by Mary Popendieck on the web, so I thought I would get this book and find out more. I am glad I did. It is exactly the kind of book I like to read about software engineering - it is written by somebody with lots of hands on experience, it describes new and interesting techniques for producing high quality software, and it has plenty of references for further reading. It is written by Mary and Tom Poppendieck, but I get the feeling that most of the input comes from Mary. She has solid experience with software development in many roles and places. In addition, she also has extensive experience with manufacturing, and one of the biggest pluses with this book is how she shows how to transfer principles and practises from lean manufacturing to software development. The type of development they advocate is squarely in the agile camp (obvious from the subtitle as well). There are seven chapters on seven lean principles, with 22 "thinking tools" with specific practices or principles. If you are familiar with Extreme Programming (for example through Kent Beck's first XP book), you will recognize a lot of the ideas in the thinking tools. Examples are: Feedback (tool 3), Iterations (tool 4), Options Thinking (tool 7), Refactoring (tool 19) and Testing (tool 20). However, the value for me was the many ideas from manufacturing that I had not previously read about in the agile literature. Examples are: Value Stream Mapping (tool 2), Set-Based Development (tool 6), Pull Systems (tool 10) and Cost of Delay (tool 12) There is actually so much good material in this book that I will have to concentrate on just a few examples. The first lean principal is Eliminate Waste. "Waste is anything that does not add value to a product, value as perceived by the customer". This is a great starting point, and one that has many implications. Examples of waste in software development are: extra features (that are not needed now), task switching, waiting, motion (for example document hand-offs), and of course defects. With this definition of waste, a value stream map helps you to see waste by mapping where value is added, and where there is waiting etc as a product is developed. Another interesting part is tool 10 in chapter 4 (Deliver as Fast as Possible). Here the authors describe how pull systems work (you set things up so workers can figure out for themselves what needs to be done, instead of telling them what to do). They continue with an example of a pull system, the simple and ingenious Kanban card system used in Japan, and show how a similar system can be used for software development. The use of pull systems goes hand in hand with the theme in chapter 5 - Empower the Team. The idea here is that the front-line workers are the ones that know best how things should be done, and they should be empowered to act on this knowledge. Most of this material is covered in regular books on business improvement, and there wasn't much new material here for me. So for me, this was the least interesting chapter, together with the parts on contract negotiation in chapter 7 (simply because I am not involved in any contract negotiations). Another theme in the book is to not sub-optimize. There is a good example from the manufacturing world, where a video tape machine was run at full capacity. The utilization of the machine was maximized, but that did not maximize company profit. It is tempting to break up a task in smaller tasks, and then optimize each task individually. But as the authors show, that is very often a bad strategy. A good analogy from the book is when they point out that Lance Armstrong, winner of Tour de France for many years, only won 4 out of 21 daily stages, even though he was the eventual winner. Had he tried to win each daily stage, he probably would not have won the whole race. There are also many good examples in the book. I particularly liked the one about HP printers. By waiting to do the final electrical configuration of the printer until after it was ordered, it was much easier to match the supply of printers in a certain configuration with the demand. It cost a bit more to do the configuration so late, but that was more than off-set by the savings of not having to forecast exactly how many printers in a certain configuration that were needed at different locations. I also found many interesting nuggets of information about software development sprinkled through the book. The diagram on page 18 for example shows how experienced designers work out a solution to an ill-defined design problem by repeatedly moving between high level and low level design activities. I had never seen this described before, but immediately recognized that that is how I work too (as opposed to a straight top-down approach). This too explains why I think you should also keep coding even if you are an architect - because to find the best solution you must alternate between high and low levels of design. Another good part was their diagnosis of the problems with CMM and ISO9000. They write that both programs have a bias towards documenting and thus standardizing existing process, rather than improving the process, even though it is not the intent of either. I agree completely. This is a practical book, and there are lots of good (and well described) ideas that can be used in software development. It is well worth getting, both for developers, managers and project leaders. Recommended.
Review: Still Coming Back to this Title 3 Years Later - I bought Mary and Tom's book when it first came out in 2003 and knew immediately that it would have a lasting impact on my vocabulary around agile software development. Their view of applying lean thinking and lean development to software development gave the entire group of agile methodologies (Scrum, XP, Crystal Clear, etc.) something truly solid upon which to hang their collective hats. For my part, it gave me the theoretical background I lacked while also giving clear practical advice about how to apply the theory. Eliminate waste, amplify learning, delay commitment, delivery fast, empower the team, build integrity in, and see the whole. These are the 7 principles of Lean that are then applied directly into software development practices. It is now several years later and I keep coming back to this title, not just for my own reference, but also for my clients. In my work as an Agile Mentor, this book is one of my all time top references. I recommend this book to developers, managers, executives, stakeholders, testers, customers, everyone! "Lean Software Development" gets this mighty nod from me because it provides straightforward language around productivity, revenue, and quality that helps all of these various roles understand the value of agile software development practices. When development teams eliminate waste daily, they eliminate waste from the overall product release. And when multiple teams eliminate waste from product releases, they are eliminating organizational waste. And with organizatinal waste tracked and eliminated, the entire organization enjoys higher quality and productivity. This progression of benefit occurs with all of the seven principles and the Poppendiecks give you the path to apply these bottom up or top down. If you have but one book to choose in order to understand agile software development, start with "Lean Software Development". If your boss has only one book to choose in order to understand why YOU are interested in agile software development, have her start with "Lean Software Development".

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #230,546 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #103 in Software Design & Engineering #231 in Software Development (Books) #506 in Computer Software (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 299 Reviews |

## Images

![Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81DmTM3CqWL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Useful and practical, with many new insights for agile software development
*by H***E on October 1, 2006*

In the last couple of years, I have heard many times about lean manufacturing (and in particular the Toyota way of manufacturing). I have also read a couple of articles by Mary Popendieck on the web, so I thought I would get this book and find out more. I am glad I did. It is exactly the kind of book I like to read about software engineering - it is written by somebody with lots of hands on experience, it describes new and interesting techniques for producing high quality software, and it has plenty of references for further reading. It is written by Mary and Tom Poppendieck, but I get the feeling that most of the input comes from Mary. She has solid experience with software development in many roles and places. In addition, she also has extensive experience with manufacturing, and one of the biggest pluses with this book is how she shows how to transfer principles and practises from lean manufacturing to software development. The type of development they advocate is squarely in the agile camp (obvious from the subtitle as well). There are seven chapters on seven lean principles, with 22 "thinking tools" with specific practices or principles. If you are familiar with Extreme Programming (for example through Kent Beck's first XP book), you will recognize a lot of the ideas in the thinking tools. Examples are: Feedback (tool 3), Iterations (tool 4), Options Thinking (tool 7), Refactoring (tool 19) and Testing (tool 20). However, the value for me was the many ideas from manufacturing that I had not previously read about in the agile literature. Examples are: Value Stream Mapping (tool 2), Set-Based Development (tool 6), Pull Systems (tool 10) and Cost of Delay (tool 12) There is actually so much good material in this book that I will have to concentrate on just a few examples. The first lean principal is Eliminate Waste. "Waste is anything that does not add value to a product, value as perceived by the customer". This is a great starting point, and one that has many implications. Examples of waste in software development are: extra features (that are not needed now), task switching, waiting, motion (for example document hand-offs), and of course defects. With this definition of waste, a value stream map helps you to see waste by mapping where value is added, and where there is waiting etc as a product is developed. Another interesting part is tool 10 in chapter 4 (Deliver as Fast as Possible). Here the authors describe how pull systems work (you set things up so workers can figure out for themselves what needs to be done, instead of telling them what to do). They continue with an example of a pull system, the simple and ingenious Kanban card system used in Japan, and show how a similar system can be used for software development. The use of pull systems goes hand in hand with the theme in chapter 5 - Empower the Team. The idea here is that the front-line workers are the ones that know best how things should be done, and they should be empowered to act on this knowledge. Most of this material is covered in regular books on business improvement, and there wasn't much new material here for me. So for me, this was the least interesting chapter, together with the parts on contract negotiation in chapter 7 (simply because I am not involved in any contract negotiations). Another theme in the book is to not sub-optimize. There is a good example from the manufacturing world, where a video tape machine was run at full capacity. The utilization of the machine was maximized, but that did not maximize company profit. It is tempting to break up a task in smaller tasks, and then optimize each task individually. But as the authors show, that is very often a bad strategy. A good analogy from the book is when they point out that Lance Armstrong, winner of Tour de France for many years, only won 4 out of 21 daily stages, even though he was the eventual winner. Had he tried to win each daily stage, he probably would not have won the whole race. There are also many good examples in the book. I particularly liked the one about HP printers. By waiting to do the final electrical configuration of the printer until after it was ordered, it was much easier to match the supply of printers in a certain configuration with the demand. It cost a bit more to do the configuration so late, but that was more than off-set by the savings of not having to forecast exactly how many printers in a certain configuration that were needed at different locations. I also found many interesting nuggets of information about software development sprinkled through the book. The diagram on page 18 for example shows how experienced designers work out a solution to an ill-defined design problem by repeatedly moving between high level and low level design activities. I had never seen this described before, but immediately recognized that that is how I work too (as opposed to a straight top-down approach). This too explains why I think you should also keep coding even if you are an architect - because to find the best solution you must alternate between high and low levels of design. Another good part was their diagnosis of the problems with CMM and ISO9000. They write that both programs have a bias towards documenting and thus standardizing existing process, rather than improving the process, even though it is not the intent of either. I agree completely. This is a practical book, and there are lots of good (and well described) ideas that can be used in software development. It is well worth getting, both for developers, managers and project leaders. Recommended.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Still Coming Back to this Title 3 Years Later
*by J***A on February 14, 2006*

I bought Mary and Tom's book when it first came out in 2003 and knew immediately that it would have a lasting impact on my vocabulary around agile software development. Their view of applying lean thinking and lean development to software development gave the entire group of agile methodologies (Scrum, XP, Crystal Clear, etc.) something truly solid upon which to hang their collective hats. For my part, it gave me the theoretical background I lacked while also giving clear practical advice about how to apply the theory. Eliminate waste, amplify learning, delay commitment, delivery fast, empower the team, build integrity in, and see the whole. These are the 7 principles of Lean that are then applied directly into software development practices. It is now several years later and I keep coming back to this title, not just for my own reference, but also for my clients. In my work as an Agile Mentor, this book is one of my all time top references. I recommend this book to developers, managers, executives, stakeholders, testers, customers, everyone! "Lean Software Development" gets this mighty nod from me because it provides straightforward language around productivity, revenue, and quality that helps all of these various roles understand the value of agile software development practices. When development teams eliminate waste daily, they eliminate waste from the overall product release. And when multiple teams eliminate waste from product releases, they are eliminating organizational waste. And with organizatinal waste tracked and eliminated, the entire organization enjoys higher quality and productivity. This progression of benefit occurs with all of the seven principles and the Poppendiecks give you the path to apply these bottom up or top down. If you have but one book to choose in order to understand agile software development, start with "Lean Software Development". If your boss has only one book to choose in order to understand why YOU are interested in agile software development, have her start with "Lean Software Development".

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Recommended Reading
*by D***T on December 30, 2009*

It was seven years and many software projects ago when I first read this book. At the time, I was trying to get my arms around the rapidly emerging agile movement. I enjoyed reading and learning about the practices for XP, Scrum, Crystal and other methodologies. However, this book helped me see the bigger picture and introduced me to valuable concepts from lean manufacturing such as value stream mapping, set based development and pull systems. The book also introduced me to a lean, systems-based way of approaching software development. Although I might have been pressed to enumerate all the principles and the tools in the book, I know that over the years I've applied many of them regularly- adapting them to fit the diverse domains and environments in which I worked. Over the years, my copy has became worn and dog-eared. It was marked with a yellow tag on the spine, my way of marking favorite books on my shelf. As such, it was often loaned out to others. I recently re-read the book and was surprised how relevant it remains in 2009. A few of the specifics in the book are dated, such as its characterization of how CMM, CMMI and PMI relate to agile. However, most of the material, is not only relevant; it's often more applicable today than when it was originally written. The book is well organized, easy to read and filled with "pearls of wisdom". I'll continue to include it right next to Goldratt in my list of recommended reading.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit
- Implementing Lean Software Development: From Concept to Cash

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ie/products/4801287-lean-software-development-an-agile-toolkit](https://www.desertcart.ie/products/4801287-lean-software-development-an-agile-toolkit)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Ireland*
*Store origin: IE*
*Last updated: 2026-11-12*