Mary Poppendieck has been in the information technology industry for 25 years. She has managed solutions for companies in several disciplines, including supply chain management, manufacturing systems, and digital media. As a seasoned leader in both operations and new product development, she provides a business perspective to software development problems.

Lean development is just one of Ms. Poppendieck's areas of expertise. She first encountered the Toyota Production System, which later became known as Lean Production, as Information Systems Manager in a video tape manufacturing plant. She implemented one of the first just-in-time systems in 3M, resulting in dramatic improvements in the plant's performance. Ms. Poppendieck's team leadership skills are legendary at 3M, where new product development is a core competency. One team commercialized a graphics interface controller three times faster than normal. Another team not only developed an image database system in partnership with a start-up company, but also set a new international standard for image formats. Poppendieck, a popular writer and speaker, is the author of Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit and Managing Director of AgileAlliance.

For more by Mary Poppendieck, visit the Cutter Consortium Bookstore:

• Lean Development and the Predictability Paradox
• Using XP for Safety-Critical Software