Our Approach:
Adapt, Align, Accelerate
A proven methodology grounded in experience, not theory - because real transformation happens in the messy middle.
This isn't a framework you implement. It's a philosophy of how we work - grounded in decades of hands-on delivery experience across industries, contexts, and challenges.
Every engagement follows this pattern, adapted to your reality. From discovery to sustainable delivery, we help you adapt to your context, align your organisation, and accelerate your outcomes.
From Discovery to Sustainable Delivery
Week 0
Engagement starts
Weeks 1-4: ADAPT
Discovery and diagnosis
Baseline established
Roadmap created
Buy-in secured
Weeks 5-16: ALIGN
Pilot with 1-3 teams
Quick wins delivered
Approach proven
Governance established
Weeks 17-40: ACCELERATE
Scaled rollout
Flow optimisation
Capability building
Handoff to internal teams
Week 40+
Sustainable delivery
without us
Phase 1: Adapt
Adapt: Discover, Baseline, Prioritise
The Principle
Understand the system before you try to change it.
Most transformations fail because they start with the solution, not the problem. They impose frameworks without understanding context. They optimise for ideals, not reality.
We start by understanding YOUR reality - what's working, what's broken, what's hidden.
What We Do
Discovery Workshops
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Value stream mapping with teams and leadership
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Current state documentation
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Constraint identification
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Strength recognition (what NOT to change)
Stakeholder Interviews
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30-50 people across levels and functions
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Understand perspectives, frustrations, aspirations
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Surface hidden issues and political realities
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Identify champions and blockers
Metrics Baseline
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Establish current performance (cycle time, lead time, quality, predictability)
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Benchmark against industry standards
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Identify biggest improvement opportunities
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Create measurement framework for progress
Root Cause Analysis
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Diagnose why problems exist (not just that they exist)
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Separate symptoms from causes
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Identify systemic issues vs. isolated problems
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Prioritise based on impact vs. effort
What You Get
Clear Diagnosis:
Written assessment of current state
Root cause analysis (not just symptom list)
Identification of what's working (to preserve and build on)
Honest assessment of challenges
Prioritised Roadmap:
What to fix first (based on impact and feasibility)
What to fix later (important but not urgent)
What to leave alone (working well enough)
Clear rationale for sequencing
Business Case:
Expected outcomes and timeframes
Investment required
Risk assessment
Success metrics
Buy-In Foundation:
Stakeholders understand the diagnosis
Leadership aligned on priorities
Teams engaged (not just told)
Shared understanding of "why change"
Timeline
2-4 Weeks depending on organisational size and complexity
Key Insight
"We've never seen two organisations with identical problems - even in the same industry. That's why we diagnose first and prescribe second. Your context drives our approach, not our methodology."
- Darren Emery, Agilicist
Phase 2: Align
Align: Connect Strategy to Delivery
The Principle
Stop delivering everything. Start delivering what matters.
Most organisations don't lack delivery capability. They lack alignment. Teams are working hard on the wrong things. Priorities compete. Strategy doesn't flow into execution.
We bring stability by connecting your strategy to how teams work day-to-day.
What We Do
Pilot Implementation
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Start with 1-3 teams (prove value before scaling)
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Implement improvements identified in Adapt phase
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Measure results weekly
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Iterate based on what's working
Strategy-to-Delivery Connection
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Create line-of-sight from strategic objectives → initiatives → epics → stories
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Establish governance that enables (not blocks)
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Implement portfolio management for prioritization
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Make strategy visible to delivery teams
Governance Redesign
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Lightweight governance that drives decisions
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Clear accountability at each level
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Federated decision-making (push decisions down)
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Metrics that matter (outcomes, not outputs)
Tooling & Visibility
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Implement or optimize tools (Jira, Azure DevOps, BigAgile, etc.)
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Create dashboards for transparency
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Automate reporting where possible
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Make dependencies and risks visible
Quick Wins
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Deliver measurable improvements in 6-8 weeks
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Build momentum and prove value
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Secure broader buy-in with results
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Demonstrate ROI before scaling
What You Get
Clear Line of Sight:
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Every team can explain how their work connects to strategy
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Leadership can see strategic progress, not just delivery activity
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Priorities are clear and stable (not constantly changing)
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Everyone pulling in the same direction
Effective Governance:
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Decisions get made quickly at the right level
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No more committee paralysis
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Clear escalation paths for blockers
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Accountability without bureaucracy
Proven Approach:
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Pilot results demonstrate the approach works
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Evidence to secure investment for scaling
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Refined approach based on real learnings
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Confidence to roll out broadly
Momentum:
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Quick wins build belief
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Teams engaged and energized
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Leadership committed
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Organisation ready to scale
Timeline
8-12 Weeks for pilot, prove, and refine
Key Insight
"Alignment isn't about more planning meetings. It's about creating a system where strategy naturally flows into delivery - where teams know what matters and can make smart decisions independently."
- Simon Maurer, Agilicist
Phase 3: Accelerate
Accelerate: Tuning Delivery for Flow at Scale
The Principle
Speed is built on clarity and alignment.
Like any high-performance engine, your delivery system needs tuning - calibrated and refined over time to stay sharp, fast, and adaptive.
We help you optimise, respond, and deliver at pace.
What We Do
Scaled Rollout
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Extend proven approach to additional teams
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Maintain consistency while allowing team-level adaptation
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Scale governance and metrics
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Expand coaching and support
flow Optimisation
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Remove waste from value streams
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Reduce wait times and handoffs
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Break dependency chains where possible
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Optimise batch sizes for faster flow
Continuous Improvement
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Establish regular improvement rituals (retrospectives, health checks)
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Create feedback loops (team → leadership → strategy)
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Empower teams to experiment and adapt
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Measure and celebrate improvement
Capability Building
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Train internal coaches and Scrum Masters
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Develop product management capability
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Build technical practices (TDD, CI/CD, automation)
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Transition ownership to your teams
Measurement & Adaptation
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Track flow metrics (cycle time, lead time, throughput)
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Monitor outcome metrics (business value delivered)
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Adjust approach based on data
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Celebrate wins, fix what's not working
What You Get
Delivery at Speed:
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50-150% improvement in time-to-market (typical)
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Predictable delivery (60-80%+ of commitments met)
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High quality (40-80% reduction in defects)
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Sustainable pace (no burnout)
Adaptive System:
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Teams respond quickly to changing priorities
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Delivery system flexes without breaking
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Continuous improvement is embedded
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Organization evolves as context changes
Internal Capability:
Your people can sustain and improve without us
Internal coaches trained and effective
Practices embedded in culture
Self-improving organisation
Measurable Outcomes:
Clear ROI on transformation investment
Strategic objectives being delivered
Competitive advantage from delivery speed
Business results, not just activity
Timeline
3-9 months depending on scale and maturity
Key Insight
"Acceleration isn't about working harder or adding process. It's about removing friction, creating flow, and building a system that gets better over time - not one that requires constant consultant intervention."
- Abbas Dhanani, Agilicist
Why We Don't Sell a Framework
The Problem With Frameworks
Most consultancies arrive with a solution:
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SAFe consultancy sells SAFe
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Scrum consultancy sells Scrum
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Kanban consultancy sells Kanban
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Result: Your problem gets squeezed into their solution
Our Belief:
Your context is unique. Your culture is unique. Your constraints are unique. Your solution should be too.
Our Approach:
We start with diagnosis (Adapt), then create alignment (Align), then optimise for speed (Accelerate). What that looks like in practice varies by client - because it should.
Adapted to Your Reality
Examples of Adaption
Financial Services Client:
Context: Heavy regulatory constraints, risk-averse culture
Adaptation: Phased approach with extensive compliance integration, governance-heavy but not bureaucratic
Result: Agility within control, full regulatory compliance maintained
Gaming Scale-Up:
Context: Hypergrowth (8 to 25 teams in 18 months), startup culture
Adaptation: Lightweight governance, focus on autonomy within alignment, rapid scaling
Result: Scaled without losing startup agility
Government Programme:
Context: Multiple stakeholders, political sensitivities, cross-department coordination
Adaptation: Stakeholder management intensive, federated model, extensive communication
Result: Alignment across departments that previously couldn't coordinate
The Approach in Action
Case Study Highlight:
LadbrokesCoral
Starting Point (Adapt Phase)
2-week discovery across the delivery organisation
Diagnosed: misaligned incentives, unclear ownership, supplier chaos
Baseline: 50% delivery success rate, low morale
Pilot (Align Phase)
Piloted new model with 3 teams over 10 weeks
Created strategy-to-delivery connection
Proved measurable improvement
Secured buy-in for scaling
Rollout (Accelerate Phase)
Scaled across organisation over 6 months
Built internal coaching capability
Embedded continuous improvement
Transitioned ownership
See Our Approach in Action
Our approach isn't theoretical - it's battle-tested across industries, contexts, and challenges.
Book a consultation and we'll walk you through how Adapt → Align → Accelerate would work in YOUR specific context.