Saying that analysis comes before design is not the same thing as saying all analysis comes before all design. Some seem to interpret the idea of abandoning phased processes as abandoning the idea of sequence altogether, but even the slackest *cough* (Scrum) agile process still expects that more-or-less traditional development activities happen in the more-or-less traditional order. They just happen in smaller batches.
The fact that these activities occur in a mostly-regular sequence is exactly why we can apply ideas from lean thinking and Theory of Constraints. And in spite of the opinion of a few unenlightened souls, lean and TOC are not about manufacturing processes. They are about sequential processes.
Is it possible that some kinds of software development are not subject to sequentiality? Yes, but you would most likely characterize this kind of development as art or research or hobbyist tinkering. Probably not line-of-business or product development, and certainly not software engineering.




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