How does IT support business in becoming agile?

Transforming 100 years old manufacturing or healthcare companies into agile is a bit different story than agile-born startups providing value merely digitally. Traditional businesses have traditional IT. Agile business requires agile IT.

Attempts to transform traditional IT into agile IT most commonly fail because: 

1. Transformation is seen as a jump from traditional operating models to one, modern operating model like DevOps. 
2. The impact of cultural maturity is underestimated. 
3. The lead time from the start of the transformation to total adoption is miscalculated too short.
4. The modern operational model is tried to implement even over the IT environments decades old.  

To succeed, transformation should not be seen as a question of only technology, but a question of which operational models support business best and how to get people committed to the change. 

Choose more than one operational model 

Technological and cultural harmonization is always part of the transformation into an agile enterprise. The best results are often gained by choosing 2-3 operational models instead of just one, like DevOps, and finding a way to use the different models simultaneously.

To do that, you need to understand existing processes, and current operational models with their pros and cons and analyze technological maturity in various parts of your business. Only then can you decide where and when an operational model works best. For example, Tietoevry Tech Services uses three basic operational models, Run, Agile, and DevOps. 

As a rule of thumb in choosing operational models, we recommed: 

1. In situations where current operations are handled with ITIL and software development needs are limited, focus on optimizing with Run. 
2. When it is important to focus merely on fast development as projects and there are hardly any development needs afterward, Agile typically works best.  
3. When doing long-term development-intensive work where the results are regularly flowing into production, choose DevOps. 

Instead of shameful, it is wise to change from DevOps into Run for example in cases where development needs diminish. Business agility and efficiency come when people can use their gifts right. Sometimes, what is trendy can be a waste of resources.

Do not underestimate the impact of the cultural maturity 

People make the change. Therefore, moving between the different operational models should be done with care. Teams should not be forced to change without understanding how mature the team members are to apply the chosen operational model. If the team's maturity is ignored, full-steam resistance is guaranteed.

Cultural change requires collective understanding, commitment, and alignment throughout the organization from the management to the teams. Management should be fully committed to the change and driving culture in the desired direction, even if setbacks are met. 

To avoid resistance: 

1. Analyze the maturity of the team and its members from several viewpoints. A list of certificates rarely shows the real maturity level.
2. Apply the master-apprentice model to continuously develop the maturity of the team members. 

As a conclusion - in getting IT to support business agility, it is wisdom to choose the right operational models and actively get people committed to the change.