The agile approach to problem solving

Is your organization agile? Is it ready to adapt to the demands of tomorrow’s customer? Many business leaders are asking themselves these questions. And if you’re part of the 94% of respondents to Deloitte’s recent survey who say their organization is less than “highly agile," it might be time to refocus.

This Forbes article explores 10 principles of the agile approach to business and how the philosophy is setting companies apart.

One of the principles states that there are no B2B organizations. It explains, “The customers are the end-users who ultimately experience the products and services. Merely satisfying the needs of the intermediary is not enough for sustainability.”

In our business, it often feels like we have two customers – global mobility managers and relocating employees – and their needs are not always in perfect alignment. Global mobility managers are often under pressure to reduce costs and streamline processes, which can negatively affect relocating employees if their needs aren’t being met.

When we work with our clients to evolve their mobility programs, we to have to maintain constant focus on how each change will impact the end user. Any proposed change needs to start with “what problem are we are trying to solve?” and “how does this benefit the end user?" We have to be sure that we’re solving the right problem and using data to prove the problem exists. Once the problem has been clearly identified, and backed up with both quantitative and qualitative data, we can dive into finding a solution.

Using the agile approach to developing solutions, we can validate that we’re headed in the right direction by continually asking our customers what they want, and never assuming that because something worked a year ago or five years ago that it will work in the future.

And finally, trust that if you’re building something people really want – the money will come.