Do you want to scale agility and roll it out across entire divisions or the entire organization? Then it may be worthwhile to first create a company-specific scaling framework, using elements from existing frameworks.
Content
- Procedure for developing your own scaling framework
- Setting the framework for framework development
- Design principles and framework for the future organization
- Structure development
- IT architecture and infrastructure
- Outlook
Topics
Article series
- Kick off the transformation and design the framework
Do you want to scale agility and introduce it to entire departments or the entire organization?? Then it may be worthwhile to first create a company-specific scaling framework, with elements from existing frameworks.
Contents
- Procedure for developing your own scaling framework
- Setting the Framework for Framework Development
- Design principles and frameworks for the future organization
- Structural development
- IT architecture and infrastructure
- Outlook
Well-known scaling frameworks such as SAFe®, LeSS or Scrum@Scale offer supposed security based on pre-drawn blueprints, but blind adaptation is often harmful, as I have observed several times in my practice. At first, such adaptation usually harms the agility itself: Customer orientation Customer orientation Underlying the company’s focus on customer value is the assumption that long-term business success is based on customer satisfaction. Customer orientation thus means evaluating a company’s products, processes and strategies from the point of view of how they benefit the company’s customers. and quick decisions move into the background. It is replaced by complicated processes, additional roles and longer decision paths.
In this two-part article, I describe a procedure model Procedure model A procedure model compiles methods and elements of project management into processes and phases of a standardized project flow. , with which project managers, agile coaches and executives can develop a custom-fit scaling model for their own organization or further develop an existing framework.
In the first part, I explain how to establish the design principles and framework for the development of your framework (after a lean status quo analysis), which and how you need to address structural adjustments and how to proceed, especially related to the IT architecture and infrastructure. The procedure and the steps are suitable for the development of a framework for a small area with three to four agile teams as well as for an entire organization.
Procedure for the development of an own scaling framework
Since every organization is uniquely structured due to its history, every organization working according to agile principles needs an individual scaling framework. The practical experiences for the (further) development of agile scaling frameworks, which we at borisgloger consulting have gathered in various transformation projects, form the basis for "myScaled Agile" Procedure (Figure 1). The goal The goal is a predicted state that legitimizes a certain action. To achieve a goal a plan is required. Both goal and plan are characteristic components of a project . See project goal . The first step in this process is to map and prioritize all topics and development threads that are necessary for the (further) development of an agile working model.
Figure 1: The "myScaled Agile" framework Procedure
Procedure in three phases
Especially when it comes to framework development of larger departments or even entire organizational units, we recommend forming an agile change team that is responsible Responsibility consists of the three inseparable components of task, authority, and accountability. So it is not possible to be responsible for the execution of a task without the appropriate authority (z.B. right to sign, right to issue directives) to be responsible (sog. congruence principle). Likewise, responsibility implies that consequences such as z.B. Contractual or disciplinary penalties are incurred. for the change and acts as a point of contact within the organization. Its members form a cross-section of the areas of the organization that are being changed and also work in an agile manner (for more information on the work and composition of this team, see "Agile Transformation: Navigating Change Safely with the Transition Team").
The process is roughly divided into three phases:
- In the first phase the change team is formed, often also called transformation team. Together with top management, it decides what the goal of the change should be (z.B. Merging business units). Our experience shows that it is good to get a:n sponsor:in from top management to join in.
- In the second phase, this team develops the new scaling framework, based on the staked out frameworks. We recommend working with full-day workshops and regularly obtaining feedback from the organization and top management during the process.
- The third phase includes the planning and implementation of the new framework.
Setting the framework for framework development
Strategy and vision
Agile should only be scaled if the organization expects to benefit from expanding the organization’s agile operations. An agile organization can u.a. more easily anticipate customer needs and regularly satisfy their clientele with new products and services. In our opinion, this is the only way a company can survive in the market and become sustainably successful.
The most important question before developing a scaling framework is: in which direction should the business model and with it the organization evolve? A well-fitted agile scaling framework serves as a tool to achieve this goal and vision.
Example ING-DiBa
A prominent example of this is ING Group, which has declared a global agile transformation. In Germany, top management’s first goal is "Germany’s first agile bank" (see "The agile transformation of ING-DiBa").
For the banking industry, which to a large extent still works in dusty structures (in which many processes still have to be carried out manually by employees in IT systems from the past millennium), this is a very noble goal. It has an impact on IT architecture and systems and infrastructure as well as on organizational structure and the way employees will work together in the future.
The top management of an organization should have a vision and a strategy for the coming years. If it does not have these, both should be worked out together as a first step (see z.B. "A roadmap for digital transformation" under 3.).
Vision and strategy are the starting point for change and can form the basis for the strategic decision to develop and implement a scaling framework of one’s own – as at ING Germany. If a strategy already exists, developing a new one or adapting an existing scaling framework can help the company to implement it even more effectively.