Bringing two worlds together

How GRC in Agile started and evolved

GRCinAgile is a research and training collective that identifies the interfaces between Agile/DevOps organisational units and Governance, Risk & Compliance. The collective consists of Anko Tijman , Bas van Liere , Karleen Wijsman and Jan de Vries .

In 2019, Karleen and Jan launched a study on the changing role of Business Control and Financial Control in Agile/DevOps environments.

In 2020, we published our intermediate results in a Dutch-language LinkedIn article. Check https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/het-financi%25C3%25ABle-wagentje-de-agiledevops-rollercoaster-jan-de-vries/

That year, Bas van Liere and Anko Tijman joined the collective.

In 2021, we conducted the same research but this time focused exclusively on Dutch government bodies.

Meanwhile, based on this combined material, we designed training courses and workshops that aim to bring the worlds of Control and Agile/DevOps closer together. During the first training sessions, it already became clear that the content connects very well with the Controller target group.

And in 2023 we started to deliver this training course also to VRC - Vereniging van Registercontrollers , the Dutch Association of Registered Controllers that has been uniting graduates of the recognised Executive Master of Finance & Control (EMFC) program since 1988. Check their Finance Academy.

Research

In our research we found that the controller's current job profile includes many traditional analysis and reporting tasks, most of which have been or are being automated. The focus of the controller is therefore shifting to the front end, to planning and adjustment, where he or she can add more value. And the remit then is not sec financial but concerns return measurement in general.

Meanwhile, Agile and DevOps transformations are leaving a trail of changes in organisations where the help and insights from Control are indispensable.

This does require finding the right financial plugs within Agile/Scrum, DevOps, the Continuous Delivery pipeline and scaling methodologies to:

• make the transition to value streams as smooth as possible
• dynamically weigh risks against the organisation's risk tolerance
• facilitate visual management financially
• allow well-informed prioritisation to take place as low down in the organisation as possible
• track agile productivity development
• switch from traditional to modern KPIs or OKRs
• support a collaborative culture change (which is the most difficult one)

Contact us

Are you a controller in the middle of Agile and DevOps discussions and would you like to gain insight into the best practices in this area and / or contribute to excellent cooperation between Control and Agile and the route towards it, please contact us and send an email to [email protected]