One of the core concepts in the Extreme Programming approach to software development is to put information on 3 by 5 cards and post them on the wall, rearrange them, and use them to convey information to the team, customer and management.
I'm sitting at my desk (taking a short break to type) filling out colored 4 by 6 cards (we write with a fat pen) which are the raw materials to be used in a IMP/IMS Kaizen to be conducted over the next week. Each card has a Program Event, Significant Accomplishment, Accomplishment Criteria, or Task/Sub Task. They are pinned to both side a VERY large wall (probably 90 feet long) in the hall way outside our work area.
The Systems Engineers, Planners, and Business Operations staff will arrange these cards in the proper order (with our help) to represent the increasing maturity of the currently executing program - a moderately small $35M conceptual design project. This effort is in preparation for a large $4B program that will be the return to manned space flight - the replacement for the Space Shuttle.
What struck me as somewhat odd, is the nearly direct connection between our billion dollar ways of doing things on the extreme ways of doing XP programming. 3 by 5 cards stuck to the wall for everyone to stand in front of and argue about what to do next.
