As someone who’s witnessed firsthand the transformative power of agility in businesses and organizations, I’m convinced that it’s the key to thriving in today’s fast-paced digital landscape. The truth is, agility isn’t just a methodology – it’s a mindset that enables organizations to adapt, innovate, and grow in the face of rapid technological change. Moreover, I’ve witnessed many examples of the agile method in action across various industries, from the military’s tactical flexibility to the lean manufacturing principles that revolutionized production lines. 

In this article, I’ll share with you four compelling examples of agile methods that have been successfully applied in different contexts. These include military tactics, lean manufacturing, agile software development, and IT DevOps. These stories will demonstrate how agility can be the catalyst for rapid, informed decision-making that drives business success. So, if you’re ready to unlock your organization’s full potential and stay ahead of the tech curve, let’s get started.

“A great process isn’t designed; it is evolved. So, the important thing isn’t your process; the important thing is your process for improving your process.”

Henrik Kniberg

1. Lean Manufacturing: An Agile Method that Reduces Cycle Time, Uses Feedback Loops, Continuously Improves.

Toyota’s innovative Toyota Production System, developed in the 1950s and 60s, focused on minimizing waste and maximizing productivity. Without a doubt, this embodies agile characteristics like reduced cycle times, feedback loops, and continuous improvement. What’s more, businesses today can leverage these lean principles to optimize production processes, identify bottlenecks, and enhance operational efficiency. In particular with the advent of digital technologies like IoT sensors and on-demand data analytics, companies can now fully utilize agile method example of Lean Manufacturing to drive decision-making speed and efficiency.

For more on lean manufacturing agility, see QAD’s Taiichi Ohno: Hero of the Toyota Production System. Also, see Tim Darling’s article, Strategy and Agility: Lessons from Toyota, Honda, Yamaha, and Tesla. 

“A relentless barrage of ‘why’s’ is the best way to prepare your mind to pierce the clouded veil of thinking caused by the status quo. Use it often.”

Shigeo Shingo – Japanese industrial engineer

2. OODA Loop: Agile Military Decision-Making – Observe, Orient, Decide, Action.

In the 1990s, the U.S. military developed the OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Action) Loop doctrine, inspired by jet fighter pilot tactics. Despite rapid aeronautical advances that increased aircraft speed, military leaders found that success in battle really hinged on agile decision-making. Specifically, the OODA Loop decision framework emphasized quick decisions and actions. Moreover, this new agile method enabled both pilots and military organizations to outmaneuver their adversaries in combat situations. For more information on this operational concept and how it applies to business, see this article, The Forgotten OODA Loop: It’s An Amazing Military Decision Framework And Awesome Gift To Business.

Also to illustrate how the OODA Loop decision framework can be used in a modern setting using advanced data analytics.

Phases of the OODA Loop Cycle

• Observe: Find out what is happening using BI-based descriptive analytics.
• Orient: Prioritize rapidly to diagnose pressing problems and size up opportunities.
• Decide: Analyze what can happen (Predictive) and what action should be taken (Prescriptive), then determine the best option.
• Act: Tell the organization your decision and intended outcomes, monitor progress, and use business agility to adjust as changes occur.
• Repeat the OODA Loop: This business agility cycle Is an iterative process using continuous feedback for optimal decision-making.

For more on applying OODA Loop in a modern business setting, see my article, OODA – Enabling Business Agility: The Best Way To Disrupt Competitors, Seize Opportunities, And Overcome Obstacles.

“He who can handle the quickest rate of change survives”

John Boyd – military strategist

3. Agile Software Development: Speed, Collaboration, Continuous Delivery to End Customer.

Agile Software Development is another example of agility becoming the winning strategy in a dynamic environment. In this case, an agile method was needed to take advantage of rapid advances in software technology. Specifically, this agile approach was formalized in 2001 with the Agile Manifesto. Here, software developers identified an agile strategy for delivering software applications and updates. Indeed, instead of using traditional, long-drawn out “waterfall” methods to develop software, developers started using an Agile approach. Specifically, agile software development focuses on speed, collaboration, and continuous delivery. Today, most software companies have embraced these practices to rapidly innovate, deliver value to customers, and outmaneuver slower-moving competitors. 

To illustrate, an organization can use methodologies like Scrum and Kanban to facilitate regular feedback and iterative improvements. Also, by involving end customers in the development process through frequent demos and user testing, the firm can ensure that the final product meets user needs and is delivered quickly. Indeed, this method not only accelerates the development cycle but also enhances the quality and relevance of the final product. For more on Agile software development, see opentext’s article, What is Agile Development?

“Agility is the ability to adapt and respond to change … agile organizations view change as an opportunity, not a threat.”

Jim Highsmith – software engineer

4. IT DevOps: An Agile Method where IT Development and Operations Teams Collaborate for Accelerated Software Delivery.

DevOps is a process methodology where Agile software development teams work in concert with IT operations teams. By doing this, they can leverage more automation and enable fast, continuous software delivery. The DevOps movement began around 2007 as a way to do away with functional silos within IT organizations by adopting an agile, continuous process for software delivery. To detail, this agile process consists of the following steps: Plan, Build, Test, Deploy, Operate, Observe, Continuous Feedback, and Discover. As you may notice, this agile, operational process is similar to previous approaches for leveraging technology in dynamic environments such as the OODA Loop for military operations. 

To Illustrate, a financial services company can implement DevOps practices to improve the speed and reliability of its software releases. By automating testing and deployment processes, the company can reduce the time it takes to release new features and updates. Additionally, continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines ensure that any issues are identified and resolved quickly. As a result, the company can respond rapidly to market changes and customer demands. Moreover, this collaboration and automation are crucial for leveraging new digital technologies to enhance business agility and decision-making. For more details on DevOps, see Atlassian’s article, What Is DevOps?

“Programmers don’t burn out on hard work, they burn out on change-with-the-wind directives and not ‘shipping’.”

Mark Berry, CTO

Summary.

As these agile method examples show, agility is critical for survival. Better yet, agility enables organizations to thrive in a constantly evolving competitive landscape amid technological changes. Further, these agility success stories provide continuity and valuable lessons that are highly relevant to modern businesses navigating digitalization. Without a doubt, these examples provide strong evidence that agility is a key success factor in today’s rapidly converging digital environment. For a more detailed discussion on business agility, see my article, Business Agility: The Best Way For Leveraging Digital Tech To Disrupt Competitors, Seize Opportunities, And Overcome Obstacles.

Business Agility: The Best Way For Leveraging Digital Tech To Disrupt Competitors, Seize Opportunities, And Overcome Obstacles

“Innovation is key. Only those who have the agility to change with the market and innovate quickly will survive.”

Robert Kiyosaki

More References.

• Gareth Holebrook’s article, A Brief History of the Progress Towards the Agile Manifesto 
• Willy-Peter Schaub’s article, Why OODA is one of the DevOps genomes
• SoftServe’s article, DevOps: Strategies from a Fighter Pilot
• Alan Zucker’s article, Don’t Blame Agile for Bad Agile

Lastly, if you are in the supply chain industry and have a need to supercharge your decision-making cycles, please contact me to discuss next steps. I’m Randy McClure, and I’ve spent many years solving data analytics and decision support problems. As a supply chain tech advisor, I’ve implemented hundreds of successful projects across all transportation modes, working with the data of thousands of shippers, carriers, and 3rd party logistics (3PL) providers.  I specialize in launching new analytics-based strategies, proof-of-concepts and operational pilot projects using emerging technologies and methodologies. To reach me, click here to access my contact form or you can find me on LinkedIn.

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