AGILEAN's Articles for Increasing Stakeholder Value

Ø The Seven Wastes - Robbing Organizational Value
There are seven wastes found in every organization. Each is highly visible. Each frustrates customers and employees every day. And each steals top line revenue and bottom line profits. Yet for the most part, each of the seven wastes is allowed to fester and grow, even as organizations constantly look for ways to increase revenue and reduce costs.
(more...) The Seven Wastes - PDF version

Ø The Power of Principles - Linking Mission and Vision to Tactics
Most organizations have well defined statements of their value, mission, and vision. These serve to set the tone of the organization, where it is going, and how it is going to get there... Defining operating principles is the next step to bridge the gap between strategic direction and daily decision making. (more...) The Power of Principles - PDF version

Ø Lean Office Innovation
There are two types of processes that deliver customer value within any office environment: 1) operational and 2) innovative. Both operational and innovation processes deliver direct customer value.
(more...) Lean Office Innovation - PDF version

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Ø Process De-Provement - The Act of Poor Process Improvement
Many process improvement efforts actually cause process de-provements; the act of making an organization’s processes worse. What is the cause of process de-provements and how can they be avoided? (more...)
Process De-Provement - PDF version

Ø The Lean Revolution - One that is Spreading to the Office
There is a revolution occurring in business today... ...Companies joining the revolution early will benefit from sustainable competitive advantages. Those that come to the party late may not survive. (more...)
The Lean Revolution - PDF version

Ø The Trim and True Lean Office - Techniques for Implementing Lean Office
In sail boat racing there are two dynamics to winning: 1) going fast, and 2) going in the right direction. Going slow in the right direction won’t do any good. And going fast in the wrong direction just hurts more. The boat must be both trim and true. The same is true for the Lean Office.
(more...) Trim and True Lean Office - PDF version

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Value Matrix Management

Ø Trapping Customer Value - Leveraging the Symmetry of Matrix Management
To sustain consistent revenue growth a company must constantly increase the value it offers to its customers. Finding that that next bit of customer value, year-after-year, is really hard. To some it’s like trying to find water in the desert. (more...)
Trapping Customer Value - PDF version

Ø Matrix Redux - Revisiting Matrix Management
Writer-directors Andy and Larry Wachowski’s Matrix trilogy is built on the premise that we all live in an illusionary Matrix... ...Just like the Wachowski brothers’ trilogy, many businesses today are under the illusion that they do not operate in a matrix. (more...)
Matrix Redux - PDF version

Ø Role Playing - Putting Character into Employee Roles
What’s your role within your organization? Perhaps like many people, your role is defined by a job description that lists a number of tasks. Does this fully define the role you perform for the organization? Chances are not. Job descriptions sketch out the basics but they can’t build character into a role. (more...) Role Playing - PDF version

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Lean Information Technology

Ø Lean Software Development - Design for Productivity
There is a wide gap between the top and the “average” software developer. Is this an inherent problem that can only be solved once the “software wizard gene” is isolated? Or is there a way to modify the software development approach that increases everyone’s productivity? (more...)
Lean Software Development - PDF version

Ø Engineering or Market Driven? - Who Should Steer Product Planning?
In today’s global business environment, tech companies that are not moving forward are falling behind. Everyone is driven to constantly improve. But who in your company is doing the driving? Are you an engineering or market driven company? (more...)
Engineering Driven? - PDF version

Ø The Lean Software Factory - A New Era of Software Development
There are incredible pressures on the software industry to produce better software at less cost. Today software literally runs the world. Yet software is still created using manufacturing techniques that were developed hundreds of years ago. (more...)
The Lean Software Factory - PDF version

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