Agile Teams and the Everywhere Workforce

Introduction

Unilever, the huge international consumer products company, is a master of balancing local markets and large global operations. They do this in part by combining the concept of remote teams and an agile approach for business processes.?

The Everywhere Workforce and Agile are often considered opposites.?? But Unilever has made them not only work together but found that their combination and alignment produces outstanding results.??

This article looks at the blending together of agile teamwork and the everywhere workforce.??Once thought to be a contradiction, bringing together these two ways of conducting business is becoming the winning ticket for enhanced success.?

The Agile Method

At its core, the agile approach for software or product development and other business processes is to be flexible in the application of resources and extremely iterative.? This is done by using small, highly productive teams that make fast decisions.? Agile teams are cross-functional.? Everyone plays a role and there is not the traditional hierarchy of someone overseeing and approving each step.?

Using frequent feedback from internal and external customers, the agile team develops products and solutions that evolve over a series of versions or iterations.??

The agile team promptly adapts to internal and external customer feedback.?? Throughout this process, the ultimate customers are heard and their needs drive development and functionality.?

Supplying meaningful value to customers is the goal.? Teams are constantly asking basic questions like: Why does the customer want this?? How will this be used?? What tangible value is being created? ?Who is the user, and how does this benefit her?? ?

Agile Adds Value for All Stakeholders: ?Business, Partner, Customer

Users of the agile method see increased performance outcomes and improved customer satisfaction. It is a proven way to be more responsive to actual customer needs, break down silos and not get caught up in internal bureaucracy.? It helps put the focus on what matters most.?? As a result, a company is more successful (customer satisfaction and new revenue.)? What’s more, customers benefit from better solutions that are received in less time.?

Agile Used to Be Heavily In-Person – Now the Everywhere Workforce Plays a Role

Originally, the agile format emphasized in-person collaboration.? Teams would meet face-to-face to get the job done.? Today, successful companies have taken the agile method and combined it with the everywhere workforce to develop an enhanced version of the agile method.?

The same philosophy of agile applies.?? But it is adapted for the modern way of communication and working remotely. ?In fact, the everywhere workforce complements the agile method. For one reason, it allows the company to assemble the best team members from anywhere in the world to work on each assignment.??

The Unilever Example

Established over 100 years ago, Unilever is one of the leading consumer goods companies with familiar brands such as Hellmann’s, Ben and Jerry’s and Dove.? The company says it is “known for great brands and our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance.”??

Since the company operates in 190 countries, it has deep expertise in working globally.?? At the same time, Unilever is a master of tailoring products to the preferences of local markets.?? Skip laundry soap in France and Breeze brand soap in Thailand are among hundreds of examples.?

Tsedal Neeley, Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, is an expert on virtual and global work.?? In Professor Neeley’s terrific book, “Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere,” she highlights Unilever as an example of combining agile and the everywhere workforce.? ?

Based on an interview with Rahul Welde, Unilever’s Executive Vice President of Digital Transformation, Neeley wrote that “these seemingly opposed approaches to teamwork – agile and remote – could be combined and were in fact necessary as the company underwent a digital transformation strategy. Unilever’s approach is testimony to agile teams’ ability to be remote, global, and operate at scale.”

A “Glocal” Approach

Essentially, Unilever has successfully blended agile with the everywhere workforce to create an advantage in the market with this combination.??

Unilever describes the method as working “glocally.”? It is the use of technology to develop relationships in local markets, support a local and everywhere workforce.? ??

Neeley writes:

“The actual point of sale occurs as a local experience and is dependent on what happens on the last mile before the product reaches its final destination in a town, a shop, and ultimately, its placement on a shelf.? Agile, results-oriented teams that worked iteratively, autonomously, and remotely could focus on the unique demands of a particular last mile while simultaneously guiding their work with the company’s digital capacities across multiple countries. “

Summary

Neeley concludes that the interplay between local knowledge and global scale is emerging as a key element to success for many firms. ??The combination of agile teams and technology bridges the global-local divide. ?

In other words, joining agile and the everywhere workforce can produce superior results: for employers, employees and customers.? ?