Embrace Modular Technology & Agile Process to Deliver Business Impact (Section 7)

Conclusion

Modular technology platform architecture and Agile development are core elements of a successful digital transformation in all organizations. Organizations need to focus on continuous improvement and currency of technologies to deliver business results for the enterprise while inspiring a culture of learning for employees.

Digital transformation is the use of technology to radically improve the performance or reach of an organization. In a truly digital business that is digitally enabled, new technologies enable process improvement, talent engagement, and new business models.

-The Nine Elements of Digital Transformation, MIT Sloan Management Review 

Organizations that are successfully negotiating the needed modernization and technology reengineering have leadership who recognize the need for growth in organizational architecture, Agile adoption, and understanding across the business.

With this shift, enterprise architects and technologists are becoming more accountable for solution outcomes and the need to increase technology and software development productivity. They are also driving Agile adoption and speed to market to assist the enterprise to grow, and mitigate future risks.

Take Aways

·      Technical architecture and development productivity have a symbiotic relationship. The technical readiness of the platform is a force which has enormous impact on Agile teams. The ability of those teams to achieve short term objectives without hampering the effectiveness of the technical strategy is crucial.

·      Stakeholders in the output of Agile development are stakeholders in the platform. The voice of the customer and product needs must be heard and will naturally be a priority, while development with a view of the long-term extensibility of the application will also enable the meeting of future customer needs.

Investing in technical readiness requires its own organization focus. The rewards of a strong architecture and up-to-date technology are many, and will be supportive of Agile efforts. In contrast to the more easily determined ROI of the development of outward facing product functionality, the case for technical investment must ultimately come from an organizational understanding of its importance.