Adaptiveness and Responsiveness Within Knowledge Worker Services

Abstract

Responding to rapid changes in technology sees the need for increased responsiveness and adaptiveness across all areas of a business. Responsiveness and adaptiveness are aligned with the Agile approach to software development, but responsiveness and adaptiveness are far more than being Agile. From the adoption of assembly lines in manufacturing, through just-in-time ordering, and to extended supply changes, businesses have had to pragmatically and practically adjust to changes in technology and operations over an extended period. Revisions and variations to services and operations have encompassed pragmatic and tactical planning, prototyping, staged implementations, trials, lessons learned, workable solutions that evolve, and scaling up as capacities and capabilities allow. The alignment to strategy, allocation of resources, securing funds, knowing what is to be achieved, managing delivery, integration into services, supporting operations, stakeholder engagement, customer engagement, regulatory needs, and working with suppliers all occur within business. These proven practices are still needed as knowledge worker services are transformed. The adaptiveness and responsiveness of knowledge worker operations and the use of Agile software development principles within operations are discussed in this chapter as part of the capacity and capability building of businesses.