Table 1 The six pillars of the agile... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1

The six pillars of the agile center of competence (ACC)

Pillar	Description
Customer value	The aim is to solve customers' specific problems by developing intuitive, easy-to-use products and/or services Customers are involved in product creation process to understand their needs and in testing initial ideas Customers are asked directly for feedback, which is then incorporated into further iterations of development
Lean startup approach	Minimum viable products (MVPs) are developed in a lean organizational structure Prototypes are created within approximately 100 days in order to demonstrate early functionality and provide testable software If customers approve, then the MVP is further developed
Iterative funding	Iterative rounds of funding begin after 100 days Agile teams are formed in the ACC, with a product owner who takes the overall responsibility for the project Based on the initial results, the implementations are further financed, modified or scrapped at regular intervals (i.e. after customer and technical tests) Financing is oriented toward funding rounds for startups
New work methods	The work is done across departments, on cross-functional teams with a broad field of expertise (e.g. operating organization, IT, and marketing, or in specialist units or divisions (e.g. sales) Co-location ensures lean coordination processes, short feedback loops, and high quality The teams work together on their topic in one room without interference (e.g. teams focus 80% of their time on their project) and use collaborative tools (e.g. chats) to communicate with each other
Agile practices	The ACC enables experienced agile coaches to teach knowledge about agile practices The work is performed using agile methods The development is based on methods such as pair programming and scrum
Digital infrastructure	The infrastructure enables software to be scaled and adjusted Requirements for information security and data protection are met throughout Various forms of technology enable test-driven development

Pillar	Description
Customer value	The aim is to solve customers' specific problems by developing intuitive, easy-to-use products and/or services Customers are involved in product creation process to understand their needs and in testing initial ideas Customers are asked directly for feedback, which is then incorporated into further iterations of development
Lean startup approach	Minimum viable products (MVPs) are developed in a lean organizational structure Prototypes are created within approximately 100 days in order to demonstrate early functionality and provide testable software If customers approve, then the MVP is further developed
Iterative funding	Iterative rounds of funding begin after 100 days Agile teams are formed in the ACC, with a product owner who takes the overall responsibility for the project Based on the initial results, the implementations are further financed, modified or scrapped at regular intervals (i.e. after customer and technical tests) Financing is oriented toward funding rounds for startups
New work methods	The work is done across departments, on cross-functional teams with a broad field of expertise (e.g. operating organization, IT, and marketing, or in specialist units or divisions (e.g. sales) Co-location ensures lean coordination processes, short feedback loops, and high quality The teams work together on their topic in one room without interference (e.g. teams focus 80% of their time on their project) and use collaborative tools (e.g. chats) to communicate with each other
Agile practices	The ACC enables experienced agile coaches to teach knowledge about agile practices The work is performed using agile methods The development is based on methods such as pair programming and scrum
Digital infrastructure	The infrastructure enables software to be scaled and adjusted Requirements for information security and data protection are met throughout Various forms of technology enable test-driven development