By Sheila Schultz, Director – PEDCO Americas

Recently, Peter Pedross and I discussed future industry trends and the evolvement of agile processes in the market.  The following is a summary of our discussion and how we see Applied SAFe technology aligned with the progression of customers in the industry.

What is the Technology Adoption Lifecycle? What are the lifecycle phases? 

The Technology Adoption Lifecycle describes how customers accept innovations (Everett Rogers, Knowledge box ->). The cycle is often depicted with a bell curve illustrating the trend of the technology consumer base as they move from Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority and then to Laggards. These adopters have unique characteristics:

  • Innovators develop new products. They sell/convince of their innovative technology.
  • Early Adapters energetically embrace/adopt new technology.
  • Early Majority have an interest in technology with a tendency to avoid risk.
  • Late majority want to feel comfortable with the technology, and they want convenience.
  • Laggards are skeptical of technological change.

Awareness of the Technology Adoption Lifecycle enables businesses to adjust their strategies and positively adapt to their evolving market.

The concept of the „late majority“ in the technology adoption cycle is part of the broader theory of the Diffusion of Innovations, which was developed by sociologist Everett Rogers. Rogers introduced this theory in his seminal 1962 book, „Diffusion of Innovations.“

Everett Rogers, Knowledge in a box

Technology Adoption Lifecycle – What phase is Agile Technology in?

Today, agile approaches in the market are evolving to the Late Majority phase of the Technology Adoption Lifecycle. Lean- & Agile technologies are considered at the top of the Technology Lifecycle curve and is now entering this new, exciting and different market.  PEDCO has collaborated with Early Adopters and Early Majority patrons who have embraced the Applied SAFe technology.  We see, that customer expectations are shifting and have characteristics associated with the Late Majority phase. As such, PEDCO is readying products, alongside buyers, to meet the demands of the new market.

The current agile market environment was recently discussed at the Berlin SAFe® Summit. The progression of SAFe® clients and technology was highlighted. As depicted at the event, Scaled Agile Inc. is shifting emphasis toward consolidation and simplification to align with the Late Majority market.

So, what does this mean to Agile Businesses? What are the Late Majority customer expectations?

It is energizing to have a new market of consumers.  These Late Majority clients have expectations that agile businesses need to consider with their technology. This base will want to feel really comfortable with the new product. Product convenience and conscious pricing are of interest.  Additionally, recognize that this group may be driven to modernizing and transitioning by economic necessity.

For an Agile Business Company, this implies steering and aligning their product to these patron interests.  Removing product uncertainty is important. Straightforward implementations and easy, pre-ready solutions are advantageous.  Agile companies may need to institute product simplification, easy execution methods, and their own structure of agile frameworks. Additionally, the ability to „reuse“ vs. „re-invent“ may be of interest, including the reuse of agile learnings from early adopters and/or the reuse of frameworks. The Late Majority consumers want to enter the market and introduce agile approaches efficiently, effectively, and successfully.

The industry customer environment continues to advance at an accelerated pace. As a result, these businesses need to continually adjust and shorten time-to-market. This drives the need for agile methods, enabling pivots to the demanding climate. Similarly, Agile Technology Companies need to ready their products and align to the Late Majority industry market expectations, facilitating the industry’s changing needs.

How is PEDCO’s Applied SAFe technology aligned to support the market trend? 

Applied SAFe technology aligns with industry evolution. The Late Majority market seeks simplicity and reliability, and Applied SAFe is a proven tool with numerous corporate implementations. The tool offers structure and predefined processes which support this Late Majority customer interest. Applied SAFe incorporates clearly defined scaled agile processes, roles, time sequences, and guidance to successfully embrace and steer the agile transformation journey. Furthermore, Applied SAFe has the capability to map agile processes to regulatory standards and existing company methods. This enables companies to adhere to safety and regulatory compliance while also achieving an agile, fast-paced approach.

Moreover, the newly released AI Companion tool presents additional training capacity. This cutting-edge AI tool enhances learning and understanding of Applied SAFe, acting as a knowledgeable companion throughout the agile transformation journey. AI Companion supports on demand, practical application support around the clock.  Additionally, it offers a cost-effective approach for organizational training and coaching.

Conclusion

The agile buyer is evolving into the Late Majority phase of the Technology Adoption Lifecycle. Applied SAFe technology is consistent and aligned with this industry transformation. The Late Majority market expects simplicity, ease of adoption, and confidence. Likewise, the Applied SAFe tool drives a clear and collective understanding for all, while achieving business agility in a regularity compliant way.

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Below are some selected videos from our Companion. For more information visit Applied SAFe Companion.

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Lean Process Transformation in the Automotive Industry

See how Applied SAFe was able to ensure compliance to ASPICE using agile processes and the SAFe.

 
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Skyguide - Applied SAFe in Aerospace

Sykyguide, a service organization for civil and military air navigation services has been using SAFe successfully and it was the wish of the company to leverage SAFe as the primary established product development process. Read in this case study how Applied SAFe was used as a solution to implement compliant SAFe processes, the benefits of the solution, and achieved results.
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Automotive Supplier - Lean Process Implementation

See how Applied SAFe was used to implement compliant SAFe processes and how to integrate with existing system engineering practices.

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