Create a FLOW with Scaled Agile

Many companies and organizations have a complex challenge to fulfill for the realization of new systems and services. This involves a combination of internal teams and external suppliers where new technologies are introduced. Often also in a combination of hardware and software. An additional requirement is that one must be able to respond flexibly to a sometimes rapidly changing world; we have all experienced this last year…

Scaled agile working

In order to achieve a Flow in the development of new products and services, it has proven to be very effective to use a framework to flexibly and adaptively set up customer requirements. The core of this consists of using principles that were already available before the rise of ‘scaled agile’ frameworks such as SAFe. Think for example of working in a common cadence, early integration and using small work packages.

Competence Centers

Within CIMSOLUTIONS we work in various ways to proactively support customers in complex development challenges. For example, various propositions from the Competence Center SAFe, DevOps and Agile are available. Think of thinking along about the appropriate framework for your organization, or analysis and support if agile transformation is going smoothly. We are focused on sharing the knowledge, experience and insights from the Competence Centers with each other as colleagues and especially with customers.

The customer practice

I myself have been working for a client for some time that is working on the introduction of the new European train safety; safely running more trains, smoothly across national borders. We have set up the challenge of working together with multiple internal and external suppliers on one result based on the principles of SAFe; this is one of the leading frameworks for scaled agile working. The fact that it concerns a project of many millions of euros, with a multi-year horizon – in the context of a billion-euro program – gives an indication of the complexity of the assignment. I combine the roles of Agile project manager and SAFe Program Consultant: on the one hand achieving results and on the other hand setting up in parallel scaled agile working within my assignment.

CIMSOLUTIONS

What makes working at CIMSOLUTIONS interesting, besides participating in the aforementioned Competence Centers, is the space for personal initiative. For example, I have given training to colleagues in the field of SAFe; they made it their own and certified themselves, so that we can support customers even better in this area. And in addition, the training courses have been adapted to the situation that we work together remotely over the past year. I am currently preparing an internal training or workshop (as needed) for ‘SAFe for architects’.

Harm van Beek
Agile Project Manager