Abstract

Agile is a response to the problem that digital opportunities cannot be easily realized with traditional industrial project management and delivery approaches. Delivering digital value requires a different approach. As digital becomes a fundamental part of most business opportunities, agile approaches must better align with the whole organization, not just the software teams. That requires a change. Over the last ten years, organizations have wrestled with what that change embodies. Should it focus on structure, process, strategy, people, or rewards? And the answer is yes. But even when considered holistically, something is missing: “The what”.

In this talk, Dave West, CEO of Scrum.org, introduces the Agile Product Operating Model, its elements, and how they fit together to achieve a holistic alignment with customers and outcomes. Product is the glue that connects all the parts, providing a common language and set of constraints for building organizations in the digital age.

Bio

Dave West is the Product Owner and CEO at Scrum.org. He is a frequent keynote at major industry conferences and is a widely published author of articles and research reports. He co-authored two books, The Nexus Framework For Scaling Scrum and Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design. He led the development of the Rational Unified Process (RUP) for IBM/Rational. After IBM/Rational, West returned to consulting and managed Ivar Jacobson Consulting for North America. Then as VP research director Forrester Research, where he ran the software development and delivery practice. Before joining Scrum.org, he was Chief Product Officer at Tasktop, responsible for product management, engineering, and architecture. As a member of the company’s executive management team was also instrumental in growing Tasktop from a services business into a VC-backed product business with a team of almost 100.