What’s Next After Agile? (Survey Results)
Last month, we conducted a survey titled “Agile Is Not Dying; It's Dissolving—What Now?”
In this survey, we asked three questions:
What is now the main concern or interest of higher management?
What happens with budgets that were previously spent on Agile?
What is the next big thing worth talking about, after Agile?
We specifically opted for open questions so as not to steer the results (as often happens with multiple-choice surveys.) We sent our survey to the subscribers of our unFIX newsletter and received 264 replies, which we then fed into ChatGPT to seek patterns in the flood of nearly 800 answers. We specifically asked the AI to rank the patterns that it was able to find.
Well, the results speak for themselves. Cost cutting, artificial intelligence, and continued agile transformations are at the top of the three lists. In other words, more of the same is needed, but in a new context of increased efficiency and intelligent automation. Now, the question for all of us is: How do we adapt?
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Question 1: What is now the main concern or interest of higher management?
ChatGPT: “To analyze the responses from the survey and identify the top 20 most-mentioned management concerns, I'll extract and rank the themes based on their frequency of mention. Here's the overview based on the provided responses:
Efficiency and Cost Reduction: Frequently mentioned concerns include doing more with less, cutting costs, and improving efficiency.
Agility and Agile Transformation: Many responses highlight the focus on agility, agile practices, and the transformation process within organizations.
AI and Technological Advancement: Artificial intelligence and the integration of new technologies are a significant focus for management.
Digital Transformation: The shift towards digital processes and the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business.
Cybersecurity and Data Protection: Concerns around securing digital assets and protecting against cyber threats.
Talent Management and Workforce Development: Finding, retaining, and developing the right talent and managing the workforce effectively.
Innovation and Product Development: The need to innovate, develop new products, and stay competitive in the market.
Customer Centricity and Experience: Focusing on customer needs, improving customer experience, and delivering value.
Sustainability and Social Responsibility: Emphasis on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.
Market Adaptation and Competitiveness: Staying relevant and competitive in a rapidly changing market.
Business Growth and Scaling: Expanding business operations and scaling effectively.
Time to Market and Speed of Delivery: Reducing the time it takes to bring products to market and improving the speed of delivery.
Profitability and Financial Performance: Concerns about making a profit, improving the bottom line, and financial metrics.
Strategic Planning and Execution: Aligning company strategy with execution and managing the gap between them.
Organizational Change and Transformation: Managing change within the organization and transforming business processes.
Operational Excellence and Process Improvement: Enhancing business operations and improving processes for better outcomes.
Cloud Technology and Infrastructure: Transitioning to cloud solutions and managing IT infrastructure.
Risk Management and Decision Making: Managing risks and making effective decisions in a complex environment.
Employee Engagement and Well-being: Ensuring employee satisfaction, engagement, and well-being in the workplace.
Learning and Development: Emphasizing continuous learning and development within the organization.
These themes represent the primary concerns and interests of higher management in organizations, as indicated by the survey responses.”
Question 2: What happens with budgets that were previously spent on Agile?
ChatGPT: “Analyzing the responses from the survey about the reallocation of budgets previously spent on Agile, I identified several recurring themes. Here is a ranked list based on the frequency and prominence of opinions mentioned:
Investment in AI and Automation: Many responses indicate a shift towards investing in artificial intelligence, automation, and machine learning technologies.
Continued Agile Practices: Some organizations are still investing in Agile methodologies but with a shift towards internal training and employing Agile practices without external consultants.
Digital Transformation and Technological Advancements: Budgets are being redirected towards digital transformation initiatives, including cloud technology, cybersecurity, and new tech platforms.
Cost Savings and Budget Cuts: A significant number of respondents mentioned budgets being cut or saved as part of cost optimization efforts.
Training and Skill Development: Investments are being made in employee training and skill development, particularly in areas like problem-solving, decision-making, and technical skills.
Product Development and Innovation: Funds are being allocated to product development, research and development (R&D), and innovation to stay competitive.
Operational Efficiency and Process Improvement: Some budgets are redirected towards initiatives aimed at improving operational efficiency and streamlining processes.
Customer Experience and Market Understanding: Investment in understanding customer needs, market trends, and enhancing customer experience is a focus for some organizations.
Support for Business Growth and Strategy: Budgets are being used to support strategic business growth initiatives and transformation projects.
Employee Engagement and Well-being: Some responses highlighted investments in creating a better workplace, enhancing employee well-being, and fostering collaboration.
Traditional Project Management: A shift back to traditional project and portfolio management methods was mentioned by some respondents.
Strategic New Business Initiatives: Organizations are directing funds towards new business areas and strategic initiatives to drive growth.
Hiring and Staffing Adjustments: Changes in hiring practices, including hiring more developers or shifting towards in-house competencies, were noted.
Organizational Change Management: Budgets are being used for change management activities, helping organizations adapt to new ways of working.
Data Analytics and Business Insights: Investments are being made in data analytics to drive business insights and decision-making.
Cloud Technology and Infrastructure: Some of the budget is being redirected towards cloud technology adoption and infrastructure improvements.
Marketing and Sales: Investments in sales operations, marketing, and business development to drive revenue growth.
Risk Management and Cybersecurity: A focus on enhancing cybersecurity measures and managing risks was mentioned.
Sustainability and Social Responsibility: Funds are being allocated towards environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives.
Business Agility and SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework): Some organizations are investing in business agility initiatives and implementing SAFe to improve agility at scale.
These themes reflect a broad spectrum of strategic reallocations, indicating a shift from traditional Agile training and consulting towards more integrated, holistic business improvements and technological investments.”
Question 3: What is the next big thing worth talking about, after Agile?
ChatGPT: “To analyze the survey responses and identify the top 20 most-mentioned themes, we'll look for recurring topics and keywords. Here's an overview of the key themes that emerged from the responses:
Artificial Intelligence (AI): This was the most frequently mentioned theme, with many respondents discussing the impact of AI on various aspects of work, including decision-making, automation, and software development.
Agile Evolution/Refinement: Respondents noted that Agile methodologies are evolving rather than being replaced, emphasizing a continuous improvement and adaptation of Agile practices.
Organizational Design and Strategy: Many mentioned the importance of aligning company strategy with team structures and the need for organizational change to support new ways of working.
Technology and Digital Transformation: Aside from AI, there is a broader discussion on how technology, including cloud and data-driven approaches, is transforming businesses.
Product Management and Delivery: The shift from project to product management, focusing on delivering value and outcomes, was frequently discussed.
Sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance): There is a growing concern for sustainable business practices and integrating ESG considerations into organizational strategies.
Leadership and Culture: Many responses highlighted the need for adaptive leadership, cultural change, and more effective management practices to navigate the evolving business landscape.
Employee Experience and Psychological Safety: The well-being of employees, creating safe and inclusive work environments, and focusing on employee satisfaction were key concerns.
Innovation and Experimentation: The need for businesses to be more innovative and to experiment more effectively was often mentioned.
Systems Thinking and Complexity Management: There was a focus on understanding and managing complex systems within organizations.
Collaboration and Communication: Enhancing collaboration across teams and breaking down silos to improve efficiency and effectiveness was a recurring theme.
Learning and Development: The importance of continuous learning, reskilling, and personal development to keep up with changes was emphasized.
Client and Customer Focus: Many respondents discussed the importance of understanding and meeting customer needs and improving customer experiences.
Agility and Flexible Working Methods: The continued relevance of Agile and the need for flexible, adaptable working practices were mentioned.
Digital and AI Ethics: Concerns about the ethical use of AI and technology in general were noted.
Process Improvement and Lean Practices: The application of Lean methodologies and the focus on streamlining processes to improve efficiency were discussed.
Value and Outcome Orientation: Focusing on delivering real value and outcomes rather than just completing tasks or projects was highlighted.
Resilience and Adaptability: The need for organizations and individuals to be resilient and adaptable in the face of change was a key theme.
Automation and Intelligent Systems: The role of automation and intelligent systems in enhancing work processes and productivity was frequently mentioned.
Decentralization and Empowerment: Moving towards more decentralized organizational structures and empowering teams and individuals to make decisions was emphasized.
These themes reflect a broad spectrum of interests and concerns among the survey respondents, with a strong focus on how AI and technology are transforming business practices, alongside a continued emphasis on Agile methodologies, organizational change, and sustainability.”