Agile Transformation != IT Transformation

End of the day, most simplistically, IT transformation is about delivering higher business outcomes with a happier engaged workforce. This is to have a customer-centric approach. To crash lead time, be lean, right size governance from all aspects to deliver faster, higher business outcomes.

Adopting Agile frameworks and executing them well, will enable delivery functions by adopting lean practices and fostering collaboration with Business. This will deliver business value, the question however begs, will this deliver all the business outcomes that you aspire for from the transformation?

Delivery processes are complicated, and value-stream mapping them and removing the impediments is an incredible achievement. However, these frameworks provide little governance in handling external influences that are usually the culprits in devoiding business agility. More prevalent in the new order of FaaS and SaaS - it may well be that it is the Vendor management process or the Procurement process that is causing the biggest pain? Or if your core business is around integrating packages and building systems, probably the need is also to address the Acquire and Maintain process? Is Automation arbitrage the priority of the transformation or Service Excellence?

Understanding of the current pain points (from a business perspective) is key

Have you involved Business as part of the design to seek inputs and get timely feedback?

How is your work program distribution (package acquisition, in-house build, product implementation, service management? Which part of your delivery hurts most?

Where are the most delays/pain to the business? Do you have a heat map of the pain areas?

While the above questions would help prioritise and deliver value along the transformation journey, the key is to ensure that the transformation addresses all areas from getting the basics right, to running, growing and transforming the business. The trap could be an over-emphasis of one of these areas.

Lastly, it will be good to be guided by an umbrella framework to unify processes across the board, taking security, privacy, quality and fiduciary requirements that play well along with other IT management frameworks ( such as ITIL, SAFe Agile and TOGAF that you may wish to consider).