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World-Class EA: The Agile EnterpriseAgile BehaviorsExperience with agile best practices reveals a number of behaviors which characterize an agile approach. Inthis section, we introduce these behaviors – describing each one, and illustrating how it may be applied toeach of the four themes outlined in the previous section.4Responsiveness to ChangeA flexible approach which anticipates and explicitly plans for change. Typically involving short iterationsand frequent reprioritization of activities. Customer-Centric: To be customer-centric requires responding to the market – acting rapidly to adjustbased on customer priorities and feedback. Internal Efficiency: Efficiency is typically aided by stability; therefore, these objectives may sometimesbe in conflict. However, where the environment is unstable then it is important to design for change. Anoptimized but static process quickly becomes highly inefficient when the environment changes – only byconstantly adapting can efficiency be maintained. Product-Centric: Markets are increasingly volatile – products must respond to change and quickly evolveto meet customer expectations and competitor developments. Regulatory Requirements: Where the regulatory environment is slow-moving, then this behavior may notbe relevant. However, in other cases, particularly in innovative product areas, regulation may bedeveloping and/or the emphasis quickly changing based on public and media attention.Value-DrivenActivity is driven by delivering value. Priorities are continually re-assessed to deliver high-value items first.Work on intermediate products and documentation is minimized. Customer-Centric: Here the emphasis is on maximizing the “face-time” of skilled front-line staff withcustomers. Work on internal process and bureaucracy is minimized as far as possible. Internal Efficiency: There is a clear and direct link between internal efficiency and the elimination oflow-value work on intermediate products. Product-Centric: Products are brought to market more quickly by ensuring that features are linked tocustomer needs and value. “Gold plating” and features of marginal value are avoided. Regulatory Requirements: The value (and/or risk) relating to each aspect of new regulation is assessed.Work is focused on the priority items first.Practical ExperimentationA preference for trying things out and learning from experience, as opposed to extensive theoretical analysis.Sometimes characterized as “fail fast”. Customer-Centric: New service process and promotions are constantly trialed and evaluated (for4See also Appendix A: Agile Behaviors for a more complete definition of each agile behavior.www.opengroup.orgA White Paper Published by The Open Group7

World-Class EA: The Agile Enterpriseexample, using small samples of the customer base). Internal Efficiency: New techniques and processes are trialed, measured, and adopted or discarded basedon the results. Product-Centric: Product innovation is encouraged, with a wide range of new products being trialed earlywith real customers. A process of “natural selection” enables successful products to emerge. Regulatory Requirements: Regulation is an area where careful analysis and right-first-timeimplementation may be essential – particularly in, for example, safety-critical areas. However, in othercases some experimentation may be possible; for example, regarding the merits of differentimplementation approaches to a regulatory requirement.Empowered, Self-Managing TeamsSkilled, multi-disciplinary teams work closely together, taking responsibility for their own decisions andoutputs. Customer-Centric: Customer-facing teams are empowered to organize their own work in ways that servethe customer best. Internal Efficiency: Production teams have responsibility for managing and optimizing the productionprocess. Product-Centric: Product development is accelerated by cohesive multi-disciplinary teams, as opposed tobureaucratic hand-offs between specialist departments. Regulatory Requirements: The implication of new regulatory requirements is rapidly assessed by askilled team from all relevant business units working together on the impact assessment.Customer Communication and CollaborationWorking closely with the customer and adapting to their needs. Valuing collaboration and feedback overformalized documentation and contracts. Customer-Centric: Clearly this behavior is central to the customer-centric theme. Customers arecontacted and consulted as opposed to relying purely on forms and second-hand information. Internal Efficiency: Here the “customer” is likely to be another downstream internal department. Bybetter understanding the downstream department’s challenges and needs, the efficiency of the end-to-endprocess is improved. Product-Centric: This behavior is clearly central to the product-centric theme – ensuring that customerfeedback is sought directly and ensuring customer input to product development decisions. Regulatory Requirements: In this context an important “customer” will be the regulatory body. Oftennew regulatory requirements have areas of ambiguity, and adoption may be phased. By developing astrong working relationship with the regulator, misunderstandings can be avoided.www.opengroup.orgA White Paper Published by The Open Group8

World-Class EA: The Agile EnterpriseContinuous ImprovementThe internal drive to improve the way an organization performs. Customer-Centric: Customers will quickly come to consider any service improvements as “normal”.Continuous improvement is necessary to avoid complacency and loss of customers to competitors. Internal Efficiency: Constant small improvements (kaizen) is proven as a highly effective approach todriving operational efficiency. Product-Centric: Few products are perfect in their first version. More often the ability to adapt andimprove a product over time drives its success. Regulatory Requirements: Regulatory requirements are often extensive and difficult to implement in asingle step. Additionally, it may be necessary to put in place ad hoc manual processes initially andgradually incorporate into business-as-usual.Respect for PeoplePeople are put first, above process and tools. They are treated with respect; flexibility, knowledge transfer,and personal development are high priority. Customer-Centric: Respect for the customer is the basis of good customer service. However, respect forand development of the organization’s staff is equally important, with the attitude of staff being reflectedin their dealings with customers. Internal Efficiency: While processes and tools are also important, it is the people operating them who arein the optimum position to understand and suggest improvements. Respecting, developing, andharnessing their abilities and ideas is therefore a powerful driver for efficiency improvements. Product-Centric: Products are developed by people – their skills and commitment are directly reflected inthe product quality. Regulatory Requirements: While the aim may be to create watertight processes and controls, it isgenerally the case that educated, vigilant, and committed employees play an essential role in regulatorycompliance.www.opengroup.orgA White Paper Published by The Open Group9

World-Class EA: The Agile EnterpriseOrganizational CapabilitiesHaving outlined how the application of agile behaviors can provide value in addressing the industrychallenges, in this section we consider the organizational capabilities required to put these new behaviors intopractice. These capabilities span the aspects of people, process, and technology and, while all aspects areimportant, the priorities typically vary across each of the four HighMediumInternal umProduct-CentricRegulatory RequirementsPeoplePeople need to be developed to understand agile ways of working – accepting the importance ofcommunication and collaboration, and the greater initial ambiguity as to the final result.ProcessProcesses need to be adapted to allow for agile approaches – in particular, the more iterative approach and thegreater emphasis on interactions over documentation.TechnologyTechnology investments have historically had a long lead-time; therefore, new approaches to technologydevelopment and acquisition are needed.Technology can also act as an enabler, automating mundane activities and facilitating collaboration.www.opengroup.orgA White Paper Published by The Open Group10

World-Class EA: The Agile EnterpriseConclusionIn this White Paper we have examined how benefit may be gained by applying agile concepts not just totechnical activities such as software development, but holistically to the entire operations of an enterprise.A set of behaviors which characterize an agile approach have been identified, and these linked to thecontribution they can make to four key themes based on cross-industry challenges. The organizationalcapabilities needed to put these new behaviors into practice have then been considered.To reiterate the introduction, we consider that agile is a mindset rather than a specific technical approach. Wesuggest that the application of an agile mindset is essential to meeting many of the business challenges whichface enterprises today.www.opengroup.orgA White Paper Published by The Open Group11

World-Class EA: The Agile EnterpriseAppendix A: Agile BehaviorsWhat are the behaviors that characterize an agile ness to A flexible approachchangewhich anticipates andexplicitly plans forchange. Typicallyinvolving short iterationsand frequentreprioritization ofactivities.Pace of change isincreasing; for example,driven by markets,technologydevelopments, legal,and regulatorydemands.Approaches whichassume a staticenvironment are at riskof methodicallydelivering an outdatedsolution which no longermeets the real businessneed.If the environment genuinely is static,then well established linearapproaches may be simpler andmore predictable.Need to distinguish betweeninnovative, volatile areas highlysuitable for an agile approach, andstable supporting infrastructurewhich may not need it. However, alinear approach to the delivery of anytechnical solution always carries therisk that assumptions will prove to bewrong and until at least partiallydeveloped and tested the issue willnot be discovered until too late.Value-drivenActivity is driven bydelivering value.Priorities are continuallyre-assessed to deliverhigh-value items first.Work on intermediateproducts anddocumentation isminimized.Obvious need tomaximize the value ofthe organization – theagile approach providesa way to do this.In an environmentwhere the available timeor budget is uncertain orconstrained it ensuresthat the availableresources are used tobest effect.Needs a clear strategic vision toclarify a common view of whatconstitutes “value”.Need to ensure that the definition of“value” allows for delivery of longterm enabling components, and notjust immediate tactical priorities, andremains balanced against themanagement of risk and alignment toother strategic goals. Need to ensurenot misinterpreted as “nodocumentation”. Documentation canbe valuable if it meets a clearlyunderstood need; e.g., for education,support, or compliance purposes.PracticalexperimentationA preference for tryingthings out and learningfrom experience, asopposed to extensivetheoretical analysis.Sometimescharacterised as “failfast”.Increasingunderstanding thatcomplex environmentsand challenges cannotbe understood bytheoretical analysisalone.Practical small-scaleexperiments provide amuch faster route tounderstanding, andincrease confidence andreduce risk of a largescale failure later.In some environments the stakes(e.g., financial, regulatory, safety)are too high for experimentation –and careful up-front analysis isessential. However, not all“experimentation” needs to bedeployed, so the use of proof-ofconcepts for use within the deliveryteam can significantly reduce riskand allow the team to learn-fast.www.opengroup.orgDescriptionA White Paper Published by The Open Group12

World-Class EA: The Agile powered, selfmanaging teamsSkilled, multi-disciplinaryteams work closelytogether, takingresponsibility for theirown decisions andoutputs.Improved commitmentand morale when teamsare responsible for theirown work. Faster andbetter decision-making.Remove the need forproject managers to tellpeople how to do theirjob, keeping the projectmanager focussed onthe removal of obstaclesand managing thestakeholders.Need to consider wider governanceenvironment and limits of teamresponsibility.Potential need to make use ofspecialist external expertise.Customercommunicationand collaborationWorking closely with thecustomer and adaptingto their needs. Valuingcollaboration andfeedback overformalizeddocumentation andcontracts.Need for true customersatisfaction – givingthem what they need,not just what they saidthey wanted.Consideration of contractualrelationships; for example, withappropriate contracting mechanisms,shared risk-reward, etc.Demands a high level of customerinvolvement – may not always bepossible, but can be achieved withcustomer proxies. Need toappropriately prioritize customers –some may not justify this level ofcollaborative effort.ContinuousimprovementThe internal drive toimprove the way anorganization performs.An understanding thatthe current “way ofworking” is notnecessarily theideal/optimum/perfect/etc. way, and that thereare always ways to dothings better.Reflecting onperformance moreregularly than at end ofphase or release, tomake a difference withinan iteration or release.Important to be able to determine(both subjectively and objectively)how well things are working. Withoutthat, there won't be a way of tellingwhether things are getting better asa result of making a change.Measurements can also helpdetermine whether a change is“cost”-effective (may not be afinancial cost). Changing things forthe sake of change may bedestructive.In a developmentorganization, to excelwe need to “out-learn”the competition.Need to ensure people keep “ontrack”. Off-track work is permitted butis strictly time-boxed or otherwisecontrolled. However, as long as theteam keeps performing andimproving each iteration, the need tocontrol this learning activity shouldbe minimal.Respect for People People are put first,above process andtools. They are treatedwith respect; flexibility,knowledge transfer, andpersonal developmentare high priority.www.opengroup.orgA White Paper Published by The Open Group13

World-Class EA: The Agile EnterpriseAppendix B: Agile Architecture CapabilitiesWhat are the key architecture capabilities where agile behaviors should be applied?EnablerMaturity LevelGuidanceStrategy DevelopmentMediumToo often seen as singular(Strategy) rather than plural(Strategies); different businessopportunities and challengesrequire different strategies; someneed to be adaptive. Strategiesneed to match or even anticipatetheir targeted opportunities andchallenges.Traditionally seen as a top-downprescriptive activity; however,increasing focus of more recentmanagement thinkers on bottomup and adaptive approaches.Development of adaptive strategiesrequires active participation from abroad base of an organization’spersonnel.Strategy teams need to find moreeffective ways to make their point ofdifferentiation over the “noise” ofbusiness-as-usual.www.opengroup.orgA White Paper Published by The Open Group14

World-Class EA: The Agile EnterpriseEnablerMaturity LevelGuidanceProgram GovernanceMediumModern best-practices clearlyrecognize the benefits of iterationand frequent staged delivery.However, these are not universallyapplied, and thus the need for upfront planning and budget approvalcan come into conflict with agiledevelopment practices.Formal/mandated stage-gateprocesses insist on a level of upfront documentation that is at oddswith the agile approach.Governance boards typically meetinfrequently and slow down thedecision-making process.Work closely with the governanceteams, understand the essence ofwhat they are looking to observe fromproject delivery, help them see that theearly demonstration of workingsolutions provides a far increased levelof confidence in the project's ability todeliver than any heavy-weight set ofdocumentation.Project Level/Software EngineeringHighMany agile practices haveoriginated in the field of softwareengineering. Some of the morerecognizable and successfulframeworks include XP, Scrum,and RUP. The successful agileimplementations have the commontrait of being pragmatic and pickingappropriate practices from thekitbag of agile methods andframeworks with feedbackmechanisms to allow the teams toadapt and evolve their ways ofworking.Start with a small stable core set ofpractices and incrementally adoptpractices to address your scalingissues.Focus on the core values of beingagile – collaboration, empowerment,the value being delivered. Measureprogress, and act on themeasurements.www.opengroup.orgA White Paper Published by The Open Group15

World-Class EA: The Agile EnterpriseEnablerMaturity LevelGuidanceThird-party Contractors/ProcurementLowDespite the development of manyinnovative procurementtechniques, in many organizationsit remains a highly traditional andlegalistic activity. In the publicsector this is typically reinforced bymandatory tendering processes.Contracts with third-party softwarecompanies generally look like acontract to procure goods withpredefined attributes (requirementsare fixed).Software development is a creativeactivity, and so the procurement is forthe creative abilities of the supplier tosolve the customer's problem. Agilecontracts look like a provision ofservices.Service provision requires aframework contract, so that instancesof service deliv

World-Class EA: The Agile Enterprise www.opengroup.org A White Paper Published by The Open Group 4 1 The series to date includes: World-Class Enterprise Architecture (W102), World-Class Enterprise Architecture: Framework Guidance & TOGAF 9 Example (W103), and World-Class Enterprise Architecture: Using Architecture to Contract Cloud Services (W122), all available from