Agile<\/a> is a project management and software development<\/a> methodology that focuses on creating collaborative environments in which solutions evolve between cross-functional teams. Quick turnarounds, adaptability and repetition, rather than a top-down approach, are key to Agile. It generally starts with a single team and expands to departments and, ultimately, the entire enterprise.<\/p>\n Perhaps you\u2019ve run a successful pilot with a single or a few teams, or maybe you\u2019ve used Agile within your organization for years. The question then becomes: When do you take the big leap to scale Agile?<\/strong><\/p>\n If you are uncertain of the signs that it\u2019s time to scale, this article will help you determine if it\u2019s time to take the next steps to adopt Agile practices across your entire enterprise. If your organization has noticed one or more of the following, it may be time to scale.<\/p>\n You may notice your teams work great independently, but they have challenges with dependencies and cross-team collaboration. The cause may be too many interdependencies, leading to teams becoming too reliant on one another.<\/strong><\/p>\n Departments may struggle to break work into independent deliverables one or two teams can complete within expected timelines, which leads to slow progress and missed commitments. Missing from your practice is the scaled Agile\u2019s coordination and predictability across multiple teams and levels. Companies miss out when they don\u2019t have a standard approach and a common language to collaborate across teams and departments.<\/p>\n A surefire sign it\u2019s time to step up to scaled Agile is if teams unknowingly duplicate work. For example, someone may recreate the same or similar tools rather than creating them once and sharing them. You may also notice problems in common functionalities. For example, teams may build similar APIs for the same purpose but in separate ways depending on which team wrote the code.<\/p>\n Another indication you\u2019re ready to scale is if your product lacks a uniform customer experience or doesn\u2019t have a coherent architecture. This lack of cohesion leads to multiple problems, making it confusing for customers to navigate the product and find the services they need.<\/strong> This also makes it difficult for teams to support the underlying applications and add new functionality.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve tried diverse ways to increase your teams\u2019 effectiveness but haven\u2019t seen much benefit, you may have reached a point of diminishing returns or where significant effort at the team level leads to minimal improvement.<\/p>\n Development at the individual team level can only go so far before teams begin to create optimizations that slow the overall rate of delivery. When that happens, consider scaling to bring Agile techniques to higher levels of the organization, eliminate systemic problems and increase your overall effectiveness.<\/p>\n Finally, if your small teams can\u2019t keep up with changes in the market that demand a shift from simple gadgets to complex solutions, it\u2019s an unmistakable sign you need business agility throughout your enterprise.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll need the right amount of structure and governance to help several large teams working on complex solutions, which may mean bringing your entire organization under one roof and linking all departments, people and work around your business\u2019s value streams.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t scale bad code \u2013 This sentiment also applies to scaling teams. Do not attempt to move ahead with scaling Agile until you have succeeded with one team<\/strong>. The team will only face more challenges when integrating their work across teams into a single product increment.<\/p>\n Even if your team seems to operate well, before considering scaling to future teams, ensure the pilot team:<\/p>\n The team should no longer operate on a project basis. You should empower them, allow for self-organization, and they should focus on flow for dependable delivery.<\/strong> To scale well, you also need to confirm you have at least one team that fully embraces automation and can release working software without introducing large amounts of risk or overhead.<\/p>\n You may have heard of a methodology called Scaled Agile Framework<\/a> (SAFe). First introduced in 2011, SAFe\u2019s initial focus was on the software and information technology side of organizations. SAFe now applies to all aspects of enterprises, big and small, to enable quicker decision making, more effective communication, streamlined operations and staying focused on the customer. You can apply and customize it in different organizations with varying levels of agile maturity.<\/p>\n You may want the help of an experienced partner when you scale using SAFe because it’s comprehensive yet not a true blueprint.<\/strong> Although it provides guidance in every aspect of the organization \u2014 from managing the enterprise portfolio to how solutions are delivered, you do not have to implement everything it offers.<\/p>\n In fact, You shouldn\u2019t implement SAFe \u201cby the book.\u201d As an organizational leader, you must discern what to apply, so it best meets your company\u2019s needs, and just as critical \u2014\u00a0 your customers\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n To adopt SAFe and achieve business and technical agility, training everyone from leaders to business, technical and support teams is vital. A good coach in this area will pay off in spades with quicker adoption and stabilization that lead to magnified success.<\/p>\n \u201cAn agile coach helps organizations, teams, and individuals adopt agile practices and methods while embedding agile values and mindsets. The goal of an agile coach is to foster more effective, transparent, and cohesive teams and to enable better outcomes, solutions, and products\/services for customers,\u201d the 2021 State of Agile Coaching said<\/a>.<\/p>\n A coach will be a true partner in your journey to scale Agile and will help you realize and sustain your organizational goals.<\/strong><\/p>\n Knowing when it\u2019s time to scale Agile can be difficult, but if you know the signs to look for, you\u2019ll be better prepared to make that decision. Once you decide it\u2019s time to expand your Agile teams to your entire company, consider SAFe as a method of implementation. Once you begin your journey into scaled Agile, you\u2019ll see the benefits of a collaborative environment in more ways than one.<\/p>\n\n Five Signs Your Organization Needs to Scale Agile<\/h2>\n
1. Trouble with Dependencies<\/h3>\n
2. Team Duplication<\/h3>\n
3. Problems with Product Cohesion<\/h3>\n
4. Agile Team Effectiveness Not Improving<\/h3>\n
5. Lack of Enterprise Business Agility<\/h3>\n
Before You Scale Agile<\/h2>\n
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How to Scale<\/h2>\n
Coaches Help Ensure Success<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n