How Ambiguity is Killing MBE, and Why Words Matter The term “Digital Twin” is applied so frequently these days that there’s a lot of ambiguity around what it truly means. Commonly, the definition of a digital twin is a virtual representation of anything physical, and it can be literally anything – for instance, software is […]
Agile Mindset for Manufacturers: Balancing Workloads
Developing the Model-Based Definition (MBD) processes is a cross-functional and multi-disciplinary project that requires participation from a lot of folks, but not always at the same level of involvement each sprint. What if dev team members don’t have any work in a sprint? How do we keep them in the loop? Not all team members […]
Agile Mindset for Manufacturers: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing
Bruce Tuckman proposed the “forming-storming-norming-performing” model of group development back in the 1960s. Tuckman stated that all of these phases are necessary and ultimately inevitable if a team wishes to grow, be able to face headwinds, creatively develop solutions, and deliver results. Each time a team member leaves a team or a new member joins […]
Agile Mindset for Manufacturers: Research Spikes
Have you ever been humming along in a sprint, and then someone throws out a bombshell question such as “how does one boil the ocean?” While this is a very valid question, it’s going to take more than a two-week sprint to answer this. There are so many uncertainties and unknowns that need to be […]
Agile Mindset for Manufacturers: When Agile Isn’t the Answer (to Baking Pumpkin Bread)
For a newsletter dedicated to educating about various Agile topics, it feels counterintuitive to write about how Agile isn’t always the answer. But as with most things in life, there is not always a one-size-fits-all approach to running a project. Imagine you want to bake the most delicious loaf of pumpkin bread for the community […]
Agile Mindset for Manufacturers: Managing the Product Backlog
Have you ever heard a team member grumbling about the sprint planning meeting not being productive because there is nothing in the backlog? Or maybe you’ve thought this yourself! If this is the case, the Product Owner might need a refresher on the workflow and delivery cadence. If you need think that your product backlog […]
Agile Mindset for Manufacturers: Fighting Zoom Fatigue
Virtual working is here to stay for many jobs, so as we lean into this way of working, there are some tips and tricks to avoid ‘Zoom Fatigue.’ How often do you find yourself distracted by seeing your own face during a video call? Or just double-checking that your pile of laundry is off-camera? If […]
Agile Mindset for Manufacturers: The Scrum Board
In theory, the scrum board is a simple thing. It is a board with three columns: to-do, doing, and done. But if you’ve ever tried to run a project using a physical board with just those three columns, you’ll understand that the real world is more complex. The first issue is the use of a […]