The Illusion of Velocity
Velocity is real. The efficiency gains from prompt-driven development are genuine and, used correctly, valuable. But in regulated environments, velocity that bypasses engineering rigour is not a gain; it is a high-interest loan whose repayment terms most organisations have not examined. I have sat on both sides of the table. Years in software development and […]
How to Design a New Target Operating Model After a Merger & Acquisition
The deal closes, the announcement is made, leadership teams are photographed shaking hands, and then the real work begins. For most organisations, that is where it goes wrong. Fortune’s analysis of more than 40,000 acquisitions worldwide over four decades shows that 70-75% of acquisitions fail to deliver the value their original rationale promised. The reason […]
When Automation Forgets to Stop
Automation without expiry converts efficiency into waste. Every month, a magazine arrives at my house, addressed to the former occupant who moved out years ago. Every month, I return it, remarking ‘addressee moved, no forwarding address.’ Every time, the next month, it comes back anyway, because the system doing the sending was built well, runs […]