being agile - judge business school
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Judge Business School, University of Cambridge
Simon [email protected]@sg_williams@quantumblack
Being agile
Flux is now the constant state.
As in sport, any business that can respond to changing circumstance with greater insight, more precision and faster, holds an advantage.
Agile strategy by adaptive organizations is emerging as the competitive advantage in an uncertain, volatile world.
Strategy 2.0Same questions, new tooling, different mindset.
1960s-1990s Planning
Strategy then execute
Elite experts
Multi-year
Scarce, historical, hard-facts
Analogue and neat
Aligning resources
2008+ Learning
Strategy and execute
Federated network
Days and months
Abundant, diverse, real-time
Digital and messy
Responding with agility
Timeline
Approach
Undertaken by
Speed
Data
Way of working
Strategic intent
Strategy 2.0Response enable by data
No such thing as a perfect plan
It’s how you respond that wins
Critical advantage is to reduce your decision cycle
Strategic advantage comes froman organization’s ability to derive better intelligence from signals.
Strategic advantage comes from crafting a better strategic response to that intelligence.
Strategic advantage comes from gracefully shaping their capabilities to deliver that response.
IntelligenceEmbrace uncertaintyWhat are the signals of changeHard and soft, fit for purposeValue of information over time
ResponseEmbrace imperfectionDrive cost of new scenario to zeroThink options, a right not obligationGive yourself the luxury of time
CapabilityStuff changes, so recalibrateLoops not linesHypothesis driven rolling processTrain ‘agile’ muscle memory
Case examples
AerospaceProduct strategy
Which product investment path?
Make decision at the right time.
5% Premium
3 Years
Rather than betting on horse at start of the race bet on the horse half way round.
FMCGGlobal brand management
Multiple brands contribute to global portfolio.
Reallocate marketing spend across portfolio
Competitor Action
Campaign Metrics
Contribution evolves, the market shifts and plans change.
