Rational Agility

Is it possible to be agile in a complex, real-time, embedded environment?
And how does agility fit with the heavily regulated, ISO 15504/CMMI, product-safety-oriented processes increasingly demanded by OEMs?

An Old Misunderstanding

In my presentation at the Embedded World conference in February 2012, I argued that the difference between “agile” and “rational, controlled” project organization is an age-old misunderstanding.

• Being agile does not necessarily contradict being process-oriented. The marketing-driven argument suggests this conflict is obsolete.

• Decision-making processes are rarely purely rational. Modern brain science shows that we always decide empirically.

Projects Are Not Isolated

Another misconception is the fixation on projects as isolated entities. This view has proven disastrous in many organizations.

Why? Because the nature of product development changes with each subsequent product release. Projects must therefore adapt at every stage of the product life cycle.

Projects as Organic Systems

Project organizations are not machines. They are organic systems.

They require the right genes—the appropriate DNA—to develop the abilities needed to move from the agile, pre-release stage to rational, quality-oriented product development.

The Bottom Line

Integrating both dimensions—the project as an organic system and the project’s lifecycle-centric DNA—renders the debate “Should we be agile or heavyweight in our process orientation?” obsolete.

With the right, DNA-like project management pattern, systems-developing organizations can:

• deliver product releases successfully,

• preserve team motivation, and

• satisfy their customers.

What’s Next

This presentation is the first article in this series. In the following posts, I will share relevant slides and further insights.

👉 See the presentation here: Rational Agility

Enjoy—and feel free to share your thoughts on the idea.

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