Accelerating high-stakes delivery for Defence with Agile
Project Highlights
Remarkable efficiency gains
Reduced project timelines from six months to just one and a half weeks, drawing high-level interest for broader agile expansion
Agile implementation
Applied scrum and scaled agile to a diverse team, boosting collaboration and execution
Macro-prioritisation framework
Enabled streamlined team alignment for effective value delivery in dynamic, complex conditions
Leadership for scaling
Garnered interest from military leadership to expand agile practices across additional units.
Remarkable efficiency gains
Reduced project timelines from six months to just one and a half weeks, drawing high-level interest for broader agile expansion
Agile implementation
Applied scrum and scaled agile to a diverse team, boosting collaboration and execution
Macro-prioritisation framework
Enabled streamlined team alignment for effective value delivery in dynamic, complex conditions
Leadership for scaling
Garnered interest from military leadership to expand agile practices across additional units.
Our engagement with the Australian Department of Defence focused on optimising operational efficiency and effectiveness within a high-stakes organisation, leveraging Agile methodologies to foster adaptable, thriving and rapid value delivery teams in a complex delivery environment.
Challenge
The organisation required streamlining of its delivery process for more consistent and effective value delivery amidst a constantly changing environment. Integrating agile practices across a diverse team presented an additional challenge due to the varied expertise and backgrounds, including military personnel, engineers, and scientific specialists.
Our Approach
We established a macro-prioritisation framework to guide the organisation in focusing on strategic priorities and streamlining team efforts. To enhance team operations, we introduced scrum and scaled agile techniques to a specially formed cross-functional "skunk works" team first, which included special forces soldiers, engineers, and scientific experts. Comprehensive coaching was provided to ensure seamless adoption and successful implementation.
Results
Our approach led to a significant acceleration in project delivery, with work initially projected for six months delivery being completed in just one and a half weeks. The success of this accelerated delivery captured the interest of a one-star general, who expressed a desire to extend agile practices such as Scrum and Kanban to other units within his command.
