S4 E14 - Rob Park - Navigating Software Evolution through Deming's Principles
In this episode of the Profound Podcast, I have conversation with Rob Park, a veteran software developer and engineer with over 30 years of experience. Rob shares his journey from early involvement in extreme programming (XP) to his current fascination with W. Edwards Deming's principles and their application in modern software development.
Rob's career path offers a rich tapestry of experiences, from using case tools and adopting scrum practices before they were widely recognized, to working with Kanban and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) processes. He reminisces about his introduction to Deming's work through the influence of notable figures in the agile community, such as Mary Poppendieck and David Anderson, and the pivotal moment of discovering "The Goal" by Eliyahu Goldratt.
A significant portion of the discussion delves into the integration of Deming's theories into software practices. Rob talks about the impact of statistical process control (SPC) and control charts on his work, emphasizing the importance of understanding variation and employing data-driven decision-making. He highlights the utility of Dr. Donald Wheeler's teachings on process behavior charts and the critical difference between enumerative and analytical statistics.
Rob also touches on his involvement with the Praxis Flow team and the profound influence of participating in John Willis's profound book club. This engagement has deepened his understanding of Deming's System of Profound Knowledge and fostered a community dedicated to continuous learning and application of these principles.
The episode wraps up with Rob reflecting on the broader implications of Deming's work, advocating for its relevance in addressing contemporary challenges in software development. He shares his experiences of applying Deming's theories in real-world scenarios, illustrating how these timeless concepts continue to drive quality and efficiency in the digital age.
You can find Rob Park's LinkedIn below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robpark-4ls/
