Bimodal IT: ASPGems’ commitment to digital transformation

“By 2017, about 75% of IT organizations will have bimodal capacity”

Mary Mesaglio, VP Research Gartner

In order for organizations to face the new challenges, they must divide their attention, as never before, between traditional core activities and innovation in the digital world. As we have seen in previous reflections, to do so they must develop a new set of capabilities that allows them to progress along both dimensions (bimodality).

In the specific case of information systems and technology organizations, we think it is very correct and we share the proposal “Bimodal IT” by Gartner, which recommends that CIOs complement the traditional way of governing technologies with another new way of doing things focused on operational agility. The meaning of this proposal lies in the fact that in the era of digital business, as it could not be otherwise, technology and corporate systems departments must respond to the new needs of the business by incorporating new agile technologies, but above all new ways of doing things, in order to innovate and explore the enormous possibilities of a digital world.

Defining Bimodal IT

In essence, bimodal IT consists of managing and coordinating two parallel methods of delivering technology systems and services: one focused on stability; the other on agility. The first is traditional and emphasizes safety and accuracy; the second is non-linear, exploratory, and focuses on speed of operation. Gartner, in his presentations to give a better idea of the duality of capabilities in a bimodal organization, uses a sports metaphor. The bimodal enterprise requires two complementary modes of operation that resemble the athletic capabilities of the marathon runner and those of the sprinter.

“Mode 1” is typical of those who think like the marathon runner: IT must prioritize reliability and efficiency in long-term projects, planned and approved according to classical planning and conventional processes. This is the traditional way of operating for organizations with an emphasis on security and accuracy.

“Mode 2”, however, is that of the sprinter, with a focus on agility and flexibility of operations, customer experience and business results. In terms of governance, it gives room for more empirical options and different strategies, new projects, uncertain, pioneering and customer-centric business models.

Mode 1 is about controlling the unknown, and Mode 2 is about interacting with the context and responding to changes. It’s not so much about predicting the future as it is about creating it. By limiting predictions and working with shorter iterations, this second mode of operation gives us greater agility and greater adaptability in the face of current uncertainty. Both models are essential, although they require different attitudes, culture, resources, technology partners, leadership, and risk management. When it comes to making the new operating paradigm a reality in technology departments, Gartner warns of the difficulty of trying to make a great marathon runner an elite sprinter. His recommendation is the following: create separate teams and structures, different for each model of operation, with the aim of protecting the resources that work in Mode 2 from the traditional ways that continue to operate in Mode 1. Continuing with his sports metaphor, he emphasizes the need for training, so each organization must begin its transformation towards bimodality as soon as possible, without waiting until they feel fully prepared. In a previous reflection, which we titled “The Road to Bimodality “, we saw that the journey towards this new way of proceeding is not easy, and cannot be carried out without a strong commitment on the part of management and the acquisition of a cultural predisposition to explore new territories, take reasonable risks and accept initial mistakes as part of the learning process. Garner recommends taking the first steps with projects in Bimodal mode, and then extending the new capabilities to the rest of the organization. His recipe for success focuses on five aspects:

1. the search for people (and a technology partner) with a Mode 2 mindset (collaborative, open to change, flexible and able to withstand ambiguity).
2. Maintain organizational distance between the two modes (particularly at the beginning).
3. Adaptive leadership, engaged teams, iterative processes, and continuous improvement.
4. The adoption of agile methodologies and an agile development approach, not a waterfall
5. The search for project managers to act as innovation managers.

ASPGems Mode 2 Agile Solutions

ASPGems‘ mission is to develop the bimodal potential of organizations by accelerating the digital transformation of their businesses. Your company may have invested heavily in technology in recent years. However, despite the efforts, it fails to innovate or stay agile in the face of change; the complexity of a digital world prevents it from moving forward. Although you see the potential of social technologies and new digital business models, it is difficult for you to see how to make it a reality in your own organization. As Gartner says in its study, the innovation-driven agenda of a bimodal organization is not easy to execute and requires new technology partner partners, as it is quite possible that its traditional suppliers are oriented to work in Mode 1 and lack the openness, agility, and speed that is required in Mode 2. The projects you initiate in Mode 2 require open and flexible solutions, which can evolve and scale if the initiative is successful, with a high level of cooperation and interaction between internal processes and development teams and external service providers. Small, motivated, self-organized teams, with a “product owner” and a team of people who are experts in developing agile solutions, directly focused on meeting the needs of business units and the digital customer experience. This is in essence our way of working and the value we bring to our customers. The introduction of agile methodologies in a mature technology organization is a significant cultural change. Our mission is to accompany companies in their digital transformation, evolving technology-business relationships with a significant positive impact on value delivery. In other words, we help our customers bridge the digital gap between what the organization can provide and the agility that business units need to innovate and continue to grow. Our added value is precisely in introducing the new ways of working in Mode 2, revitalizing current systems and creating new experiences that maximize the value of new social technologies, mobility and big data for the business. For a decade at ASPGems we have been using these management principles and methodologies in order to build agile solutions for our clients. You can say that it is in our DNA. And the results show us that organizations with an agile mindset can operate in Mode 2 and respond quickly and effectively to the complexity and uncertainty that characterizes today’s business needs. If you find what you have read interesting for your organization contact us, we are a different software company, a community of people passionate about the enormous opportunities that agile technologies and new ways of doing things bring to companies. We would love to share with you our experience and contribute to making digital transformation a reality in your organization.