Shifting up a digital acceleration gear
The coronavirus crisis led two years of digital transformation to take place in two months – Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, was not exaggerating when he said this last year. Our professional and private lives have become more digital than ever before. Such lightning fast evolution requires a flexible attitude from us as individuals and from every organization. Existing and new products and services have to be integrated into this new digital reality. Technology proves to be the difference here in terms of strategy. Customers and end users expect a seamless experience which is fully tailored to their needs and wishes. The quality of the technology is therefore of major importance.
The speed at which organizations have to make decisions means that there isn't always time to plan chosen solutions in detail before they are executed. There is a need for shorter product (or service) development cycles, meaning an organization can bring something rapidly to market to avoid realising on launch that demand has changed in the meantime. It is also interesting to measure whether this "output" has also achieved the desired "outcome" (= value) for both internal and external customers. This focus on creating value for end users in an iterative, prioritized approach is what we like to call "business agility".
From idea to value in an end-to-end flow
On reading the previous paragraph, you are probably – and justifiably –wondering: "Which services and products should my organization be focusing on in order to create added value?", and "How can I realize this added value as quickly as possible in a complex, ever-changing environment?" The link between technology and business needs to be constantly updated and strengthened with an eye to maintaining quality. This can only be achieved by closely examining the entire flow from idea to value. An ideal flow enables a value-driven, iterative and incremental approach and allows the organization to reap the benefits of this approach. For example, gaining speed in one silo is useless unless the entire process is adapted to match it. There are various models you can use to visualize and design the dynamics behind an end-to-end value creation flow. The visualization below combines insights from User Experience Design, Lean Kanban and Agile.
