Agile Collaboration

The business side is affected by how software is being developed. This has an impact in two parts: one is the closer collaboration between business and IT, the other is business organization moving closer towards the customer and applying basics from lean startup, doing a series of small experiments with fast feedback loops on the market. Going public, getting fast market feedback. The learning effect for the organization can be huge. For an organization that aims to increase its agility, it is key to have a closer collaboration with all its stakeholders for being more effective in the market.

Agile Leadership

We need alignment and transparency through various layers in the hierarchy. In order to be successful, you need to communicate clear vision and give clear goals so that everyone is working in the same direction. This is something that is becoming more and more a key success factor. As an example, we can mention a customer with three different project teams that are not having a common understanding of the goals and are pulling into different directions. As a result, the project is stuck for several months. An agile leader encourages cross-functional teams to communicate, fail forward, have a common understanding and take responsibility for the decisions. Moving away from a commanding authority figure towards a servant leadership style inspiring with a vision and empowering teams to deliver in a self-organized way.

Lean Portfolio Management

A pain point we are seeing at the moment is, that portfolios are set up in a traditional way whilst development practices and project execution methods have evolved– meaning a traditional project portfolio is blocking a fast execution. Talking about projects improving the own organisation, like a new service, new website etc. lean portfolio management functions with a given goal and a given budget. It distributes decision making whilst upholding accountability. This means, splitting budget and work. As long as the delivery is aligned with the mission and within the budget, decisions are taken fast without asking the higher hierarchy and carry accountability and responsibility for the decision taken. To sum up the benefit in a few words; decision making is faster and better informed.

Big Room Planning

In a VUCA world, the complexity is growing and it can’t be managed by a few experts doing the work planning. We see big room planning meetings on the rise; everyone who is involved in the execution is also part of the work planning. It is an All Hands on Deck concept. This means that all involved parties are in the same big room at the same time and plan together. With teams being distributed across functions, big room planning is a very effective method to achieve transparency and alignment. It can also be executed over several locations with the corresponding preparation and communication technology. With big room planning, teams are enabled to plan their work autonomously, cross-team communication is enhanced and misunderstandings avoided so that people communicate face-to-face in a big, even virtual room. It is a means to quickly get all teams and team members together, so that they can self-organise and determine the most efficient means to reach the goal.

(Biz)DevOps

We explicitly write (Biz)DevOps. When organizations address DevOps in its full intention the business part is fully integrated in the process, as also proposed by the main experts. (Biz)DevOps has two dimensions to look at. The first one being the Lean / Agile mindset- everything we talked about before – combining the previously mentioned methods. In addition to this we have the second dimension: the technical aspect that enables fast execution feedback loops. It focuses on how (IT) organisations execute fast delivery of software packages to the market and then records and tracks relevant feedback, to keep learning and improving. If you want to improve the practices of getting business needs into production more quickly and reliably, with business involved during the entire lifetime of a project, then this is the way to go.

News from ERNI

In our newsroom, you find all our articles, blogs and series entries in one place.

  • 06.12.2023.
    Newsroom

    Streamlining software development: The journey from multiple to unified requirements management tools

    Productivity in software development is slowed down by managing specifications across various requirements management (RM) tools. Although moving to a single, updated RM tool involves an upfront investment, the long-term benefits are considerable. These include increased process efficiency, enhanced collaboration, superior traceability, improved software specification quality, cost reductions, scalability and better integration with other RM tools, among others.

  • 22.11.2023.
    Newsroom

    Recognising trends: An insight into regression analysis

    Data plays a very important role in every area of a company. When it comes to data, a distinction is made primarily between operational data and dispositive data. Operational data play an important role, especially in day-to-day business. However, they are not nearly as relevant as dispositive data. This is because these data are collected over a longer period of time and provide an initial insight into the history or the past.

  • 08.11.2023.
    Newsroom

    Why do we need digital transformation for medical devices?

    For hospitals, it is not up for discussion as to whether they want to digitalise. The increasing age of the population in western countries and the progressive shortage of medical professionals mean that without digitalisation, the healthcare system will not be able to provide the quality that patients want in the future.

  • 25.10.2023.
    Newsroom

    Mastering the challenges of mobile app testing: Strategies for efficient quality assurance

    Discover the unique challenges faced in testing mobile applications and learn how to overcome them effectively. From selecting suitable devices and operating systems to leveraging cloud-based test platforms, test automation and emulators, this article provides seven essential strategies for optimising your mobile app testing process.

  • 11.10.2023.
    Newsroom

    Incorporating classical requirements engineering methods in agile software development for a laboratory automation system

    Traditional agile methodologies can sometimes struggle to accommodate the complexity and regulatory requirements of laboratory automation systems, leading to misalignment with stakeholder needs, scope creep, and potential delays. The lack of comprehensive requirements documentation can result in ambiguous expectations and hinder effective communication among cross-functional teams.

  • 27.09.2023.
    Newsroom

    Unveiling the power of data: Part III – Navigating challenges and harnessing insights in data-driven projects

    Transforming an idea into a successful machine learning (ML)-based product involves navigating various challenges. In this final part of our series, we delve into two crucial aspects: ensuring 24/7 operation of the product and prioritising user experience (UX).

  • 13.09.2023.
    Newsroom

    Exploring Language Models: An overview of LLMs and their practical implementation

    Generative AI models have recently amazed with unprecedented outputs, such as hyper-realistic images, diverse music, coherent texts, and synthetic videos, sparking excitement. Despite this progress, addressing ethical and societal concerns is crucial for responsible and beneficial utilization, guarding against issues like misinformation and manipulation in this AI-powered creative era.

  • 01.09.2023.
    Newsroom

    Peter Zuber becomes the new Managing Director of ERNI Switzerland

    ERNI is setting an agenda for growth and innovation with the appointment of Peter Zuber as Managing Director of the Swiss business unit. With his previous experience and expertise, he will further expand the positioning of ERNI Switzerland, as a leading consulting firm for software development and digital innovation.