Mike and Adam discuss a Service-Oriented Future: how to move from a 'one-and-done' Digital Transformation mindset to a continuous improvement / technology lifecycle approach. This starts with an agility-infused Digital Operating Model, and touches on Enterprise Architecture, continuous learning, security vs. User Experience, Responsible AI and transforming the way we develop solutions — using a model-based, cross-functional approach.

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Welcome to The Digital Formula podcast. This week we are speaking with Craig Barbakow about DevOps as a better way of implementing and operating digital products for your customers.

We spoke about three main topics:

Introduction to DevOps

- DevOps combines development and operations, aiming to improve collaboration and efficiency in IT organizations

- The podcast guest, Craig, is an IT expert with extensive experience in IT strategy, architecture, and service management

Key Concepts of DevOps

- DevOps involves cultural shifts, organizational changes, new skills, and integrated tools to enable faster and more reliable software delivery

- The CALMS model (Culture, Automation, Lean flow, Measurement, and Recovery) provides a holistic approach to implementing DevOps

- Integrating tools like Jira, Jenkins, and ServiceNow is crucial for streamlining the development and operations processes

Challenges and Best Practices

- Organizations often struggle with bureaucratic obstacles like change advisory boards, which can significantly delay software releases

- Involving security and risk management teams early in the development process is essential for successful DevOps implementation

- Creating a culture that encourages collaboration, balances risk, and attracts the right talent is fundamental to DevOps success

This week's episode is the second part of our conversation about Process Intelligence.

Based on the foundation of what Process Intelligence is (Episode 8), we are now looking at one technique and how you can implement it in your organization: Process Mining.

There are a lot of myths around what Process Mining can and cannot do (depending on who you ask), there is still the need to follow a certain train of thought/process to do a successful Process Mining project, independent of which software you use.

The approach that we recommend has six steps as follows:

1. Define (Process Mining) strategy
2. Extract system logs
3. Create data model
4. Create reference process
5. Analyze process
6. Identify improvement opportunities

Soon you will find the content of the six steps, including graphics, on our blog, so that you have a written reference. However, here are a few books/resources that I recommend having a look at:

• the book “Successful Process Improvement: A Practice-Based Method To Embed Process Mining In Enterprises”: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096XJ8CK7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• the book “Process Mining: Data Science in Action”: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EUYVU6Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_351_o05?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• there is also a course on coursera available that uses this book as text book: https://www.coursera.org/learn/process-mining

What is Process Intelligence and how does it differ from other approaches?

• PI is part process analysis, but also touches execution and creates visibility … it is not a left-to-right picture, but more a cylinder. Within this you see human-focused analysis approaches and data-driven approaches and both can be shown as a Venn diagram … there is some overlap where you need both
• Different approaches of visibility creation and analysis can be placed on the Venn diagram … they are not mutually exclusive but can complement each other
• What does that mean for a business analyst, for example? Learn new skills, change traditional ways of “doing business”, may even become more business-focussed because data can now be used to calculate returns on improvement opportunity proposals

The graphic shown in the video can be found here.

The Digital Formula podcast is hosted by Roland Woldt and Mike Idengren, with guest Dani Linn as an expert in agile.

In this episode we are talking about:

• Agile is an approach to work that focuses on continuous execution, iterative cycles, and empirical learning.
• Agile adoption can start with small pilot teams and gradually scale up to the entire organization.
• Leadership plays a crucial role in driving agile transformation and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) provides a knowledge base of principles and practices for achieving business agility.
• Agile transformations require a mindset shift and a focus on customer-centricity and decentralized decision-making.
• Measuring success in agile initiatives involves focusing on business value, employee engagement, and flow efficiency.

In this week’s episode we are talking with Christo Lute about Agile Enterprise Architecture (two terms that have not been seen together for a looong time).

The main topics are:

• Enterprise architecture involves aligning business and technology to deliver goals.
• Enterprise architecture covers areas such as solution design, business process analysis, application rationalization, and user experience.
• Agile enterprise architecture combines agile methodologies with the broader perspective of enterprise architecture.
• Agile enterprise architecture enables organizations to make better decisions and investments.
• Governance and stakeholder buy-in are key for successful enterprise architecture implementation.

Christo can be reached on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christo-lute/ and you can find the CIO.com article that we mentioned here: https://www.cio.com/article/230703/enterprise-architecture-the-scarce-skillset-in-big-demand.html

Please reach out to us by sending an email to ⁠podcast@⁠leanscaledarchitects.com :-)

In this episode of the podcast we are talking about "Lean User Experience" and how you can include it in your solution designs and architectures.

Larry Marine's Background:

• 34 years of experience in user experience research
• Learned from Dr. Don Norman, father of user experience
• Worked in healthcare, e-commerce, enterprise, web apps
• Authored "Disruptive Research" book on user-centered design methods

User Experience Design vs. User Interface Design:

• UX is broader, encompasses UI
• UX focuses on solving user problems, understanding human psychology and behaviors
• UI focuses on visual aspects, like interior design in a house metaphor

Importance of UX:

• User research redefines problems users are trying to solve
• Users want desired outcomes, not just features
• Example: ProFlowers website organized by occasion, revolutionized online florist industry

Collaboration with Business Process Modelers:

• Collaborates with process modelers and business leaders
• Helps fine-tune solutions based on user insights
• Identifies new solution approaches based on observed problems

Setting up User Research:

• Initial observations to get a big picture
• Interviews for deeper insights, understanding workarounds
• Collaborative approach with users, business stakeholders, and process modelers

Applicability to Customer Experience:

• Lessons applicable to both employee and customer experience
• Streamline employee journeys to make tasks easier

Larry can be reached at Larry.Marine@lsadigital.com, or on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrymarine/. His book "Disruptive Research" is available on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Disruptive-Research-Discover-Revolutionary-Innovations-ebook/dp/B0CGHCSVBB.

Please reach out to us by sending an email to ⁠podcast@⁠leanscaledarchitects.com :-)

The Digital Formula podcast discusses digital transformations, the reasons for their failure, and how to ensure success by aligning services to strategy, architecting solutions well, and delivering them in an agile fashion.

• Jim Baranoski, an ITSM expert, is the guest in episode 4.
• ITSM ensures that IT services meet the needs of customers and supports organizational goals.
• ITSM processes include incident management, problem management, change management, asset management, and more.
• AI, such as ServiceNow's Gen AI, can improve productivity and transform user experiences in ITSM.
• ITSM helps organizations adapt to evolving technologies like AI and machine learning. - Organizational change management is critical for successful ITSM implementation and adoption.

Jim can be reached via email at jim.baranoski@lsadigital.com and via his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbaranoski.

Please reach out to us by sending an email to ⁠podcast@⁠leanscaledarchitects.com :-)