IDEXX IT’s Agile Journey

1 © 2016 IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Bio

Belinda Nilsson-Rodrigues is the Sr Director of IT Strategy and Portfolio Management for IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., a leader in pet healthcare innovation.

IDEXX is a $1.6B company that serves veterinarians around the world with a broad range of diagnostic and information technology-based solutions.


Bio

Belinda is responsible for planning and executing the IT portfolio for IDEXX.

She oversees a team of approximately 30 employees whom – with her guidance – have begun to transform a previously rigid process into an Agile approach to planning and execution.


Bio

Belinda has 15+ years of IT experience - having implemented and supported a variety of large, global business solutions and enterprise applications.

Prior to joining IDEXX, Belinda lived and worked in Basel Switzerland and the San Francisco Bay Area. She now resides in Cape Elizabeth, Maine with her family.

IDEXX IT’s Agile JourneyBelinda Nilsson-Rodrigues, October 12, 2016


Introduction

Overview of IDEXX's "agile" journey – the challenges and the successes and how we

are transforming the three P's (Portfolio, Programs and Projects) to become

increasingly agile.


At IDEXX, IT focus on Planning, Delivery, Ops and Support

Planning & Execution

Delivery

OperationsSupport

Type Description

Discretionary

ProjectTime spent on an approved project.

Projects are major initiatives that have been approved for IT work, and generally have a budget and a defined start and end date.

Enhancement

Time spent on small enhancement requests that are not Projects, Ideas, or Support.

e.g. Small Project Requests that do not go through the formal funding approval process, are not cross functional and do not require hardware or software purchase, i.e. report modification, change to a batch program, etc.

Non-Discretion

ary

SupportTime spent on supporting normal daily operations, i.e. "Keep the lights on" activities.

e.g. Application Support, Database Support, any activities you perform for your role or team for Keeping the Lights On

AdministrativeTime spent on activities required of all the IT Associates not specifically related to Projects, Enhancements, or Support.

e.g. Mandatory Training, Non-Project Travel, Performance Evaluations (employee only).

OtherTime Spent out of office, i.e. non-working time.

e.g. PTO/Vacation & Non-PTO/Non-Vacation (holiday, jury duty, bereavement, etc.)


Why do we have Portfolio, Program and Project Management?

Portfolio Management

Program Management

Project Management

Benefit Optimize scarce resources

Deliver business outcomes

Reduce Risk

Focus Investment optimization

Coordination, governance,

communications

Deliver Results

Scope Proposals/projects/assets

Multi-project coordination

Project execution

Contacts Senior management Business leaders, external partners

Project managers and sponsors

Skills Strategy and business realization

Change management

Leadership

Source: Gartner


Can we leverage agile in our family life?

https://www.ted.com/talks/bruce_feiler_agile_programming_for_your_family?language=en


Can you relate?

o What are some of your thoughts when seeing this snippet of the TED talk?

o How many of you leverage agile software development philosophies in your family life?


3 P’s Management at IDEXX

Portfolio

Program

Project

1. Prioritized backlog (User Stories)2. Defects3. Tasks4. Burn down5. Burn up

1. Backlog grooming2. Sprint Planning3. Task Planning4. Daily Standups5. Review6. Retrospective

1. Program backlog (Features)2. Features Roadmap3. Release Plan

1. Roadmap Planning (Program)2. Release Planning3. Product Management

1. Strategic Theme2. Budgets3. Roadmaps

1. Roadmap Planning (Portfolio)2. Budgeting

MeetingsDeliverables


IT Project Portfolio ProcessAligning demand with capacity for an achievable plan

Intake Planning Execution Delivery

DEMAND CAPACITY RESOURCEMANAGMENT

BUSINESS OUTCOMES

Process is evolving Agile, iterative, adaptive process Strong focus on:

Deliver capabilities early through frequent releases Shorter project cycles (targeting around 6 months) Prioritization Business case development. Understanding the cost, complexity, value of each of the projects

Close alignment with LOB and strategy to build the portfolio Visualize the portfolio and creating transparency


Program Management

o Program management or programme management is the process of managing several related projects, often with the intention of improving an organization's performance. In practice and in its aims it is often closely related to systems engineering, industrial engineering, change management, and business transformation.

o How many of you use SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)?

o Program Manager is a new role at IDEXXo One size does not fit allo Working across the enterprise – not only an IT role


IT Project Management at IDEXX


Challenges

o Change management o One size does NOT fit allo Balance between the team and the executives


Successes

o More frequent portfolio reviews and prioritizationo Shorter cycle timeso Higher satisfactiono Improved alignment


Going agile doesn't mean not knowing where you're

going. It means being flexible about the path

you take.


Agile Outside of the 3 P’s

o Enhancement Managemento Service Managemento Business Change Managemento DevOps


To Quote Sheryl Sandberg and Others:What are your top 3 challenges?

What are your ideas on how to help solve them?

How can you be a change agent?


What’s Next?

o Change is never ending

o How do organizations need to evolve in the digital world?


Questions? Thoughts? Insight?


Thank you!


November 9th Meeting

• Two Locations• Portland (TBD)• Augusta (TBD)

• Remotely facilitated by Dan Mezick• Local facilitators on site



How's your Agile adoption doing? We all know change in organizations is notoriously difficult. A collection of powerful forces routinely conspire, to thwart and impede even the very best of intentions.



Given these Agile-adoption dynamics, how can we do better? Perhaps the concept of invitation can help. Invitation creates a powerful dynamic of engagement. When a person says yes to an invitation, powerful and positive energies are instantly created. These energies manifests as agreement, engagement, membership and potentially, deep alignment.



Is invitation the most important leadership concept of the 21st century? Attend this session to find out. The presentation applies the concept to invitation to the planning and leading of rapid, genuine and lasting Agile adoptions.


December 7th Meeting

• Location and Topic – TBD• Note date has been moved up a week

so as to not be too close to the holidays



Upcoming Trainings & WorkshopsCertificate Program in Agile Leadership and Process Improvement

Course #1: Intro to Agile - 11/5 and 11/12 (Saturdays)

Course #2: Advanced Agile Practices - 11/19, 12/3 and 12/10 (Saturdays)

Certified ScrumMaster: 2-3 February, 2017

More info at agilemaine.com/node/28


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IDEXX IT’s Agile Journey