Being receptive to innovative change is key to ensuring digital transformation in a changing business landscape.
In the midst of the ongoing global pandemic, companies across the world are rapidly becoming more agile to deliver business continuity amid their constantly changing environment. When the virus began impacting operations, many businesses were thrust into sudden instability and forced to quickly develop creative solutions in response. While the pandemic’s impacts to business are varied and perpetual, the need for greater agility and flexibility promises to be an enduring trend.
Beyond agility, however, is the need for companies to be receptive to vital change in order to remain competitive. Implementing agile methodologies is no longer a new idea, and those who embrace fundamental technical transformation will be on the forefront of revolutionizing their business operations. Building an organization that is receptive to change is the key to enterprise modernization.
Among the changes shifting the way companies operate in a modern world, we are monitoring three major insights we expect to promote innovation throughout the next year.
Product-centric models will be the goal for companies leveraging agility.
Product-centric delivery models emphasize innovation, tying teams to specific products and driving their level of ownership, dedication, and creativity. The business strategy concentrates entirely on building new products, updating and enhancing existing products, and expanding the product portfolio for the enterprise.
With the growing tendency to position as a product-focused versus project-focused organization, companies are readying for the long-term sustainment and innovation of their key sources of revenue. This model promotes agility, ownership, and creativity by fostering a continuous loop of improvement and delivery. Constant updates in existing products translates to added value for the customers who use them, and makes it easy to quickly shift focus, fix bugs, or rapidly change direction with any given offering. Product-centric development also supports the creation of original, innovative products that can unexpectedly revolutionize consumers’ lives.
While the pandemic’s impacts to business are varied and perpetual, the need for greater agility and flexibility promises to be an enduring trend.
Reposition the PMO as a champion of change.
As the shift to agility changes the role of project management, companies are moving their PMOs into action by positioning them as a vital resource for the enterprise. Build your PMO into an agile resource center by providing scrum masters and agile coaches across the organization, placing it at the center of innovation and agile advocacy. Provide training and coaching to continuously improve transformation efforts, and champion change from the ground up. The PMO can provide added innovative value by setting the standards for the enterprise’s delivery model, creating the agile playbook, and facilitating the community required to drive change.
Enterprise-wide cultural shifts enable digital transformation.
For meaningful digital transformation to be successful, the entire organization must adopt a cultural mindset shift toward a new, customer-first work environment. The PMO, acting as the catalyst for change and agility, will need to advocate for the shift across the organization by collaboratively defining expectations and remaining transparent throughout the process. Involving all groups whenever possible will encourage partnership and a more cohesive shift to a truly agile environment. Agile methodologies will never be effective if the organization has not thoroughly prepared and thoughtfully explained the reason for change to their teams.
Co-Authored by Amanda Inman, Agile Transformation Specialist
