Transformation & Agile Management
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Organizations do not become agile because they enjoy it, but rather because they are forced to do so by exogenous and endogenous factors. In order to take advantage of agile forms of organization, multi-dimensional measures are required, for which we can offer support from a single source. Why? We have been working in agile team structures for years and apply appropriate principles successfully. We create and configure entire agile collaboration ecosystems on cultural, organizational and systemic levels. That's how we learned what works and what doesn't. Even though we're still learning, we can still share our knowledge. Our experts have proven experience and take on various roles in agile organizational structures.
Drivers of Agilization
Why companies need to become more agile is obvious. External influence due to customer needs, technological change, market changes, increasing competitive pressure or tighter regulation require more ability to react, all with greater volatility and increasing speed. Within companies, people are confronted with increasing complexity when it comes to digitally transforming business value. Organizational systems must bow to external and internal pressure, otherwise they will become ineffective, inefficient and eventually obsolete. This does not only apply to the IT-related areas, but to all levels of the company.
Dimensions for agile transformation
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Culture and people
Although the importance of a strong corporate culture has been pointed out for decades, it is not only important but a prerequisite in agile network organizations. Weaknesses are particularly evident in organizational transformation. It is important to put people at the centre and involve them in the change. Management systems must meet the requirements of an agile organization. That is why we relied on The OKR method. Accordingly, we offer coaching services, systems and training.
Structures, methods and processes
By structures, we mean necessary elements of order that affect teams in a horizontal sense and company levels in a vertical sense. There are now more or less widespread and comprehensive frameworks and standards in this area. But regardless of whether SAFe, LESS, Lean, Scrum or Kanban, you have to find out what works for the respective organization and what doesn't. The focus should be on continuous improvement and not necessarily on adherence to methods. Here we regard the gradual but continuous introduction as essential. We believe that you don't have to destroy well-functioning management and organizational areas for the sake of change: in many cases, clever integration leads to success.
Tools, Technology, and Systems
Holocratic, agile and self-organizing forms of organization require well-functioning system support in order to be able to work effectively and efficiently. On the one hand, it concerns organizational support, collaboration and leadership, and on the other hand, the CI/CD pipeline must function as problem-free as possible. This requires a technology partner who understands the subject matter and has the appropriate technological know-how.
Agilization process
Challenges in the introduction of agile forms of work
Adaptability in the company
Exogenous and endogenous factors affect companies in all industries. In order to absorb these influences, agile forms of work must be introduced. However, this requires a certain degree of adaptability within the company. If this is missing, the gap between the strategic and operational levels is widening, which decreases the credibility of management.
Agile project execution and philosophy
Agile is a project management method and a philosophy, but not a magic formula for all problems. The expectation that the introduction of agile project management will solve all problems rooted in the organization can trigger even more frustration if this expectation is not met.
Change as a difficult task
In every company, there are established processes and habits that were supported by employees. In order for agile forms of work to be implemented correctly and to have a positive effect, it is essential that employees are not only trained in agile methods, but also develop an understanding of the agile philosophy and know why agile process management was introduced in the first place. A cultural change is necessary.
The introduction of agile forms of work may be a critical success factor for the future viability of your company. However, it is important that agility generates added value. Every start is difficult and mistakes must be made. In particular, a lack of adaptability in the company can result in change projects not reaching their target state, silting up or becoming significantly more expensive than planned. We are happy to assist you with the introduction and guide you through any start-up difficulties.
Benefits of agile project management
Stronger customer loyalty
Since the agile project management method always involves the customer in the decision-making process and execution, flexibility and adaptability are not lost. This ensures that the end product meets the customer's requirements.
Identify risks early
Agile processes are more transparent than traditional processes. This makes it easier to predict risks and plan accordingly to reduce risks. This ensures the smooth running of the project.
More flexibility
The implementation of agile processes gives teams more flexibility, as they work in smaller units and receive constant feedback. Because the agile way of working divides projects into short, more manageable sprints, teams are given the opportunity to respond to short-term changes.
Stronger teams
Agile teams organize and manage themselves, with team size being limited. The working groups therefore have more autonomy in their decisions. Furthermore, agile teams often come together to talk about challenges and the state of affairs, which allows individual members to grow in their position.
The added value of agile project management
A major advantage of agile project management methods is the fact that added value is generated earlier compared to traditional methods. Roughly speaking, this can be explained by the way the planning is carried out. With agile project management methods, projects are not first fully developed and only finally implemented; rather, partial solutions are implemented right from the start, so that the added value delivered increases linearly with working time. As a result, employees focus on short-term sub-goals throughout the project. This results in a high level of engagement and commitment on the part of the specific team, from start to finish of the project.
Agile project management yes — but when?
Agile project management methods are particularly suitable for large and complex projects where the target state is not yet 100 percent clear. As described above, initial ideas are implemented early on, even in large projects. As a result, errors are discovered early on and not just at the end. Furthermore, it is also easier to respond to desired suggestions for improvements or changes from customers on an ongoing basis. As a rule of thumb, you can say that the more complex and larger a project, and the less clear the target state is, the more you should rely on agile forms of execution.
“The more complex and larger a project, and the less clear the target status is, the more you should rely on agile forms of execution”
Marcel Hostettler, CEO of Linkyard Consulting
