Reflection – Learning Launch

Challenge

I am a member of my organization’s commercial financial department and my/our challenge is  to improve

the workflow (activities and projects) within the department in order to increase the retention  of stores, and renewals of a positive leasing contract (greater than the one currently practiced  in the contracts).

The project scope includes the financial department composed of six employees, as well as the  commercial department, with whom we work closely. The project is limited to internal resources  (i.e., budget and employee time).

The project should not exceed 12 business month and the solution should include and even  distribution of working hours amongst the team members. We will focus on trying to uncover  what our team members, as well as key stakeholders within the larger financial department and  commercial department, consider to be ineffective or problematic with regard to the workflow.

Selection

Our team has already gone through several design thinking activities/tools, so we are ready to  try the learning launch tool. Broadly speaking, the learning launch is an experiment meant to  quickly test an idea and prototype.

Application

For our first learning launch, we focused on the structure/execution of the retention of stores  and negotiations there are today. In particular, we wanted to see if we could structure our tasks,  projects, and processes to adapt the methods of Scrum project management for our work (e.g.,  time boxed, daily, specific meetings, reviews, etc.) in an effort to become more agile. This tested  our assumption that the structure and execution were the main causes of our workflow  challenge. Our team went through a five-day training with a

Scrum project management coach. Next, we went through seven workshops to structure our  tasks and processes in a more agile way. These two sessions occurred within in a four-month  timeframe. We expected to produce a document with a clear description of our new, more agile  processes/workflow.

For our second learning launch, we focused on gaining clarity about our tasks and priorities. This  tested our assumption that our prioritization of tasks was the main cause of our workflow  challenge. Our team completed an anonymous survey. Additionally, three key stakeholders from  the larger financial

department and commercial department also completed an anonymous survey. The surveys  included questions about our new, proposed process, understanding the process and the  prioritization of tasks, and feelings about the change, and were conducted within a one-week  timeframe.

Insight

By applying the learning launch tool, our team identified our assumptions and designed launches  to test these assumptions. Additionally, we thought through anticipated results, expecting to  find that a more agile approach would improve our workflow, and that both our team and the  key stakeholders would be fairly open to the new prioritization of tasks and process. Our actual  results were slightly different from what we anticipated: while our team was open to the  prioritization of tasks and process, the key stakeholders in the larger commercial department  and financial department expressed some concerns. Moving forward, our team will review this  insight and incorporate it into future launch designs. The ongoing incorporation of insight is  particularly important at this stage, as launches come before a full rollout in the design thinking  timeline.

Approach

Given that our team has already gone through several design thinking activities/tools and are at  this stage in the timeline, the learning launch is the appropriate tool. As previously mentioned,  our team needs to review the insight gained from our first two launches and incorporate this  insight into future

launch designs. Future launch designs should reflect insight gained, progress made, and come  closer to a compelling solution ready for full rollout.


Reflection – Learning Launch Challenge I am a member of my organization ’s commercial financial department and my / our challenge is to improve the workflow ( activities and projects ) within the department in order to increase the retention of stores , and renewals of a positive leasing contract ( greater than the one currently practiced in the contracts ) . The project scope includes the financial department composed of six employees , as well as the commercial department , with whom we work closely . The project is limited to internal resources ( i.e. , budget and employee time ) . The project should not exceed 12 business month and the solution should include and even distribution of working hours amongst the team members . We will focus on trying to uncover what our team members , as well as key stakeholders within the larger financial department and commercial department , consider to be ineffective or problematic with regard to the workflow . Selection Our team has already gone through several design thinking activities / tools , so we are ready to try the learning launch tool . Broadly speaking , the learning launch is an experiment meant to quickly test an idea and prototype . Application For our first learning launch , we focused on the structure / execution of the retention of stores and negotiations there are today . In particular , we wanted to see if we could structure our tasks , projects , and processes to adapt the methods of Scrum project management for our work ( e.g. , time boxed , daily , specific meetings , reviews , etc . ) in an effort to become more agile . This tested our assumption that the structure and execution were the main causes of our workflow challenge . Our team went through a five - day training with a Scrum project management coach . Next , we went through seven workshops to structure our tasks and processes in a more agile way . These two sessions occurred within in a four - month timeframe . We expected to produce a document with a clear description of our new , more agile processes / workflow . For our second learning launch , we focused on gaining clarity about our tasks and priorities . This tested our assumption that our prioritization of tasks was the main cause of our workflow challenge . Our team completed an anonymous survey . Additionally , three key stakeholders from the larger financial department and commercial department also completed an anonymous survey . The surveys included questions about our new , proposed process , understanding the process and the prioritization of tasks , and feelings about the change , and were conducted within a one - week timeframe . Insight By applying the learning launch tool , our team identified our assumptions and designed launches to test these assumptions . Additionally , we thought through anticipated results , expecting to find that a more agile approach would improve our workflow , and that both our team and the key stakeholders would be fairly open to the new prioritization of tasks and process . Our actual results were slightly different from what we anticipated : while our team was open to the prioritization of tasks and process , the key stakeholders in the larger commercial department and financial department expressed some concerns . Moving forward , our team will review this insight and incorporate it into future launch designs . The ongoing incorporation of insight is particularly important at this stage , as launches come before a full rollout in the design thinking timeline . Approach Given that our team has already gone through several design thinking activities / tools and are at this stage in the timeline , the learning launch is the appropriate tool . As previously mentioned , our team needs to review the insight gained from our first two launches and incorporate this insight into future launch designs . Future launch designs should reflect insight gained , progress made , and come closer to a compelling solution ready for full rollout .