Being Agile - Judge Business School

Judge Business School, University of Cambridge

Simon Williamssgw@quantumblack.com@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.

Q&A

Simon Williamssgw@quantumblack.com@sg_williams@quantumblack