Value Stream Management (VSM) has become regarded as the best operational model among successfully transformed businesses. Follow these five steps to ensure success with VSM in your organization. Credit: Broadcom Only about 14% of transformation efforts succeed at all and only 3% of those successes are sustained, reports a major analyst firm. A major reason for this overwhelming lack of success is the failure to establish an operational model aligned with a world in which strategic pivots need to happen quickly. Value Stream Management (VSM) has become increasingly prevalent as the best operational model for those few organizations that have successfully transformed. Through effective implementation of VSM, cross-functional teams collaborate more effectively and execute more efficiently so they ultimately deliver more value to customers. The following sections outline the five key steps business leaders can take to ensure success with VSM: 1. Organize for value streams A value stream is a self-sustaining organization that contains all of the necessary people and roles to deliver value – from the “concept” to “cash” – marketing, legal, procurement, sales, IT, R&D, and of course, the business. You may not call it a “value stream” – maybe you prefer domains, journeys, platforms, towers, jobs-to-be-done, or some other moniker – but the primary principle remains: Can you independently deliver value? This streamlined delivery model reduces complexity and friction and accelerates time to market. It’s also often a board-level decision to reorganize this way, so be prepared for the political battles involved. 2. Fund value streams Once you have your value streams (or whatever you choose to call them), you next need to fund at that level in the annual planning process. In many organizations, traditional project- or initiative-based funding approaches stifle the payoff of building an agile, value-oriented organization because they lock down resources, allocations, and timelines. Instead, you want to fund value streams and establish broad operating plans, which enables the managers in those value streams to both more effectively prioritize and adapt the plan as needs and requests change. 3. Align with development One of the toughest, but often hidden, challenges in many organizations is striking the correct balance between delivering new strategic value and maintaining existing value. VSM allows your business groups and delivery groups to get onto the same page around the balance between these two competing priorities. In some quarters, you may go 60% strategic work and 40% keep-the-lights-on/technical debt; in other quarters, you may decide to allocate 30% to strategic work with 70% keep-the-lights-on/technical debt because you’re concerned about reports on stability or performance. Resolving the balance between what business leaders want versus what technology leaders feel is needed is a critical aspect of VSM success. 4. Sense and steer delivery You can’t just set the plan for a quarter and forget it. It’s essential for business leaders to monitor work, track progress, and steer execution on a continuous basis with full visibility into potential risks and impacts, so priorities and allocations remain aligned with changing demands. As both innovation and architectural efforts evolve, business and technology leaders make all steering decisions in concert, not as independent entities. 5. Recognize and amplify Value doesn’t exist if it’s not recognized. Through VSM, value can be delivered and outcomes can be measured. When that starts happening, business leaders need to ensure that successes, lessons, and customer accolades are communicated across the organization to establish a reputation for the value stream. These communications help teams build up the trust of leadership, make continuous improvements in delivery, and articulate the power of VSM. Conclusion Effective implementation of VSM tools and principles can ensure that your organization doesn’t become a statistic and successfully transform your business with streamlined funding, enhanced innovation, optimal balancing resources, and scaled adaptability. To learn more, be sure to read our eBook, 5 Steps to Value Stream Management. Explore ValueOps Value Stream Management, built to manage what you value most. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Broadcom How Value Stream Management is fueling success at Boeing, Tyson, and Verizon Unlocking business agility with Value Stream Management—now is the time to break down the silos that can impede successful digital transformation. By Marla Schimke, Head of Product and Growth Marketing, Broadcom's ValueOps Software Division Oct 30, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Broadcom If you're still focusing on capacity planning, maybe you're doing VSM wrong Value Stream Management should be far less about capacity planning and far more about investment management and dependency management. By Serge Lucio, Vice President and General Manager of the Agile Operations Division at Broadcom Aug 29, 2023 7 mins IT Leadership brandpost Sponsored by Broadcom How Tyson Foods gained visibility and alignment that fueled digital transformation Uncover key tactics and practical lessons leaders have drawn from their successful Value Stream Management strategies. By Marla Schimke, Head of Product and Growth Marketing, Broadcom Jun 12, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Broadcom Rocket fuel for your sustainability initiatives: Collaborative work management Across business types and industry sectors, sustainability initiatives have moved to the top of many leaders’ agendas. While sustainability imperatives are vital, many teams struggle with execution. By Laureen Knudsen, Chief Transformation Officer, Agile Operations Division, Broadcom May 24, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe