Consistent and Predictable Delivery

Why Consistent and Predictable Delivery is More Important Than Increased Throughput

In the world of product delivery, it’s easy to get caught up in the allure of increased throughput—the idea that more work equals more value. However, for product delivery teams, consistency and predictability in delivery are often more important than simply maximizing output. Let’s explore why this is the case and how teams can achieve consistent and predictable delivery.

The Importance of Consistency and Predictability

Building Trust with Stakeholders

Consistent and predictable delivery builds trust with stakeholders, including customers, executives, and other teams within the organization. When teams deliver on time, with the expected quality, stakeholders gain confidence in the team’s ability to meet their commitments. This trust is critical for long-term success, as it ensures that stakeholders feel comfortable relying on the team for future projects.

Stat Insight: According to a 2021 survey by McKinsey, 87% of executives said that consistent delivery was more important than delivering more features at a faster rate .

Better Planning and Resource Allocation

When teams deliver predictably, it becomes easier to plan and allocate resources effectively. Product managers can better align releases with market opportunities, and operations teams can prepare for deployments more efficiently. Consistency reduces the chaos that often accompanies unpredictable delivery, leading to smoother operations overall.

Example: A team that consistently delivers updates every two weeks can plan marketing campaigns, customer communication, and technical support around these releases, ensuring that all departments are aligned and ready.

Quality Over Quantity

Focusing on increased throughput can sometimes lead to a compromise in quality. When the pressure to deliver more, faster, takes precedence, teams may cut corners, skip essential testing, or push incomplete features to meet deadlines. Consistent and predictable delivery, on the other hand, emphasizes sustainable development practices that ensure quality is maintained throughout the product lifecycle.

Stat Insight: A study by Forrester found that teams prioritizing consistent delivery had 30% fewer post-release defects compared to teams focused on increasing throughput .

Managing Technical Debt

Consistent delivery helps in managing and reducing technical debt. When teams are under constant pressure to deliver more, they may accrue technical debt—shortcuts or workarounds that must be addressed later. This debt can slow down future development and increase the likelihood of bugs and issues. By focusing on predictable delivery, teams can ensure that they are not accumulating unnecessary debt and that the codebase remains healthy.

Further Reading: Understanding Technical Debt and How to Manage It - Martin Fowler’s Blog

Improved Team Morale and Sustainability

Teams that are pressured to constantly increase throughput may experience burnout, which can lead to high turnover rates and reduced productivity. Consistent and predictable delivery fosters a sustainable work pace, allowing team members to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This, in turn, improves morale, job satisfaction, and long-term productivity.

Stat Insight: Gallup’s 2022 State of the Global Workplace report found that teams with sustainable work practices had a 25% lower turnover rate and were 20% more productive than teams facing high pressure to deliver more .

How to Achieve Consistent and Predictable Delivery

Implementing Agile Practices

Agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban are designed to help teams achieve consistent and predictable delivery. By breaking work into manageable increments (sprints or iterations) and regularly reviewing progress, teams can maintain a steady pace and quickly address any issues that arise.

Example: In Scrum, the use of time-boxed sprints ensures that the team delivers a potentially shippable product increment every sprint, leading to a predictable release schedule.

Further Reading: The Agile Manifesto

Emphasizing Continuous Improvement

Consistency and predictability are not achieved overnight. Teams need to continuously evaluate their processes, identify bottlenecks, and make incremental improvements. Regular retrospectives and feedback loops are essential for identifying areas where the team can improve and for making necessary adjustments.

Example: After each sprint, conduct a retrospective to discuss what went well, what didn’t, and what can be improved. Use these insights to refine processes and improve predictability in future sprints.

Further Reading: Continuous Improvement in Agile - Scrum.org

Setting Realistic Goals and Managing Expectations

To achieve consistent delivery, it’s important to set realistic goals and manage expectations with stakeholders. Overpromising and underdelivering can erode trust and lead to a cycle of rushed work and inconsistent output. Instead, teams should commit to deliverables that they can confidently achieve, taking into account potential risks and uncertainties.

Example: Use velocity data to set realistic sprint goals. If the team’s velocity averages 30 story points per sprint, avoid committing to more than that, even if there’s pressure to deliver more.

Automating Repetitive Processes

Automation plays a crucial role in achieving consistent and predictable delivery. By automating repetitive tasks such as testing, deployment, and monitoring, teams can reduce the likelihood of human error and ensure that processes are followed consistently. This not only saves time but also enhances the reliability of the delivery process.

Example: Implement a Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline to automate the build, test, and deployment processes. This ensures that every code change is automatically validated and deployed in a consistent manner.

Further Reading: The Benefits of CI/CD for Agile Teams - Atlassian

Prioritizing Technical Debt Management

Consistent and predictable delivery requires a healthy codebase. Prioritizing technical debt management—by addressing debt as it arises rather than deferring it indefinitely—ensures that the team can maintain a steady delivery pace without being bogged down by unresolved issues.

Example: Allocate a portion of each sprint to addressing technical debt. This could involve refactoring code, improving test coverage, or resolving long-standing bugs.

Further Reading: How to Manage Technical Debt in Agile Development - Mountain Goat Software

Fostering a Culture of Accountability

Consistency in delivery is closely tied to accountability. Teams that take ownership of their commitments are more likely to deliver predictably. Fostering a culture where team members feel responsible for their work, and where they are held accountable for their commitments, is key to achieving consistent delivery.

Example: Use daily stand-ups to reinforce accountability, where each team member reports on their progress and any obstacles they’re facing.

Further Reading: Building a Culture of Accountability in Agile Teams - Forbes

Conclusion: The Case for Consistency

While increasing throughput can be tempting, especially in high-pressure environments, it’s the consistency and predictability of delivery that truly drive long-term success for product delivery teams. By focusing on delivering high-quality work at a steady, reliable pace, teams can build trust with stakeholders, improve planning and resource allocation, and maintain a sustainable work environment.

Achieving this consistency requires a combination of Agile practices, continuous improvement, realistic goal-setting, automation, and a focus on technical debt management. By prioritizing these elements, teams can deliver value more effectively, ensuring that they meet their commitments and exceed stakeholder expectations.

Related Content:

Why Consistency is Key in Agile Delivery - Scrum Alliance

The Importance of Predictability in Agile - Agile Alliance

By understanding the importance of consistent and predictable delivery, and by implementing the strategies outlined above, your team can achieve greater success and deliver more value to your customers and stakeholders.