Platform+Agile on-a-page

The way we think about and articulate our Platform+Agile strategy in DHHS continues to evolve, but here is a schematic which attempts to capture the gist of it.

We are seeking to avoid 'traditional' application-by-application procurement and waterfall, ‘big bang’ project methods (though these may, of course, both still be appropriate for some projects). Instead, our preferred approach is Platform+Agile. Using this approach we will: 

• Architect our future – use a pragmatic enterprise architecting approach to build our future-state one-project-at-a-time (so that we have just-enough 'big picture' thinking to ensure that agile projects are focused on building the right business capability, application, information and technology assets in the right way).
• Use scalable proven tools – leverage trusted shared and cloud service platforms, skills & capabilities (so that we reuse capabilities that are, or will become, strategic platforms to pool investment, avoid unnecessary procurement, minimise further fragmentation of our architecture, reduce project cost, duration and risk and boost executive confidence in ICT).
• Start small – identify the ‘sweet spot’ of business needs that can be efficiently delivered in phase 1 (so that we show users 'the art of the possible' early and engage them in a pragmatic discussion of the cost/time/benefit trade-offs of their desires, wants and needs - a.k.a 'requirements'). 
• Iterate quickly – use the platform’s capabilities and agile methods to increase the productivity and pace of ICT (so that business systems can be delivered more quickly and then updated in a more timely manner in response to user feedback and changing business needs).
• Learn fast – unleash the compounding organisational learning effect - find out what works and do more of it (so that digital innovations become the enablers of organisational change innovations ... which stimulate demand for more digital innovations ... one good idea leading to another to another).

The upward slope of the schematic reinforces the value of public cloud service platforms. Enterprise-grade cloud services enable rapid delivery and agile iteration of business systems through configuration as well as through the continuous improvement of the core platform itself. All users benefit from periodic and seamless functional upgrades inherited from the underlying platform.

This is a fundamental change from an on-premise application software approach where business systems were installed and then not upgraded very often due to cost and complexity constraints. In the past, we have trapped ourselves into being the only organisation in the world running that particular customised bundle of software and infrastructure ... and hence into carrying the full cost burden of its support and enhancement on our own shoulders.

If we use platforms intelligently we share this burden across all of the platform’s customers globally. Platforms are shared services. All customers share in the use of, and enhancement of, the one shared platform. The platform stays current and we inherit modernisation as a service attribute. This will make us ICT folks more productive – and increase the pace at which we deliver newer and better business systems.

Newer and better business systems will stimulate continuous improvement in services and processes in the department and fuel a cycle of compounding organisational learning. Delivery is strategy. Good ideas that are implemented quickly create a compounding organisational learning effect like interest compounding in a bank account. If we increase the productivity and pace of project delivery we increase the compounding effect. Simple!

Platform+Agile is a strategy for DHHS to become a more intelligent consumer of more modern ICT to drive organisational transformation and service delivery reform.