To Agile or how to Scale Agile for Business? That is the question!

 The Dilemma – A Purists view Vs a Pragmatic View

Post a large number of interactions with fellow Agile practitioners and across various forums, there are many debates that I have come across on whether initiatives or organizations are actually Agile! Some debates range around, whether transformations are pseudo-agile i.e. while it does mimic Agile best practices - it is possibly limited by traditional impediments. While others pose a larger question on whether, Agile deployments are actually possible in large organizations, where organizational power is concentrated in the hierarchies. Still others question if the success of Agile observed in a small team which is empowered can actually be replicated across all the silos of an organization.

From my experience as an Agile practitioner I would like to highlight that the success of any Agile transformation depends on the organizational context and also how it is adopted in that context. A flat structured nimble organization can easily adopt a Purists version of Agile and run for growth. However in large organizations that are hierarchy driven, a tiered or customized approach can be adopted for success. Again one has to take context into consideration – by Agile are we only looking at Technology Transformations or are we looking at Business Transformations? In a Digitally connected world, are Business transformations any different from Technology transformations or are they Technology enabled? Agile is not limited to IT, interestingly it has its roots in traditional manufacturing (read Deming’s cycle, Six Sigma, the Toyota way..) Consequently, Agile has in one form or the other, contributed towards success, efficiency, growth and dynamism across various Sectors and Industries.

The key ingredient of Agile Success

Fig 1 : Key Ingredient of Agile Success

An Agile cycle is the key ingredient that determines the success of any Agile Initiative. Depending on whether an initiative is a Digital Transformation or a Technology enabled Business Transformation different methodology's can be followed. The key ingredient for success i.e. the Agile cycle may be called an iteration , a sprint or simply could be a variant of the PDCA Cycle when deployed in a Business Context. One variant of the Agile cycle that I have used in the Business context is as depicted in Fig 1. The components that constitute this cycle are Preparation, Execution, Validation and Adoption which can be customized based on the Business context.

Fig 2 : Agile Cycle adopted for Business

It is to be noted that there are multiple other success factors and principles that contribute to the success of Agile initiatives. However all of these factors are intrinsically linked to the Agile cycle in one form or the other.  

Scaling Agile for Business

While there are complete methodologies dedicated to Scaling Agile through the enterprise, a simplistic view of scaling agile for business would at all times include the Agile Cycle. The Agile Cycle is at the heart of scaling success through an Enterprise, since it provides a repeatable, iterative principle that can be deployed across the organization.

Fig 3 : Simplistic view of Scaling Agile across the enterprise

Even in deeply hierarchical organizations where command and control is the norm, an Agile Cycle can be used to obtain Business Engagement and can be tiered to imbibe the Organizational context i.e. the way an organization operates. There are multiple ways and views of scaling Agile through an organization. The business context should ultimately persuade which way or view is adopted.

One view could in effect be scaling Agile via Business functions. Be it looking at Agile Supply Chains, which are responsive to internal and external demand, through to Human Resources where continuous performance management has been envisaged, the fundamental principle of Agile cycle can always be tiered and applied.

Again a different view of Scaling Agile may be replicating the success of an Agile cycle in different Organizational Units which are in different locations and may be governed by different legislation. Clearly Business context and culture of an Organization would influence how Agile is scaled across an enterprise.

The key impediment to Scaling Agile initiatives across an enterprise involves compounding complexity due to many different moving parts – the Key factor that enables success is the construct of Agile itself!  

The Author is an International MBA, Enterprise Architect, SAFe Agilist and Practitioner, certified Scrum Master, Prince 2 Practitioner, Blockchain expert and an AA certified Advanced RPA professional.

This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author's employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.