For many, hardware and system development is a domain from the “waterfall world” (stage gate). Yet a lot can be done with agile approaches in this area. Many of our customers implement projects in hardware and system development with the help of our agile hybrid framework STAGILE®, with excellent results.

Software teams already work mostly with Agile (SCRUM), but many companies have problems applying the same methods to hardware development. Here too, our hybrid approach works very well, pure SCRUM teams can be integrated very easily and successfully into agile system development with STAGILE®.

In hardware development, longer time spans are usually needed to show customers concrete increments and to be able to interact, which is why classic sprints/iterations (two weeks) are often too short to be able to deliver concrete results or artefacts at the end. At the same time, however, there is a high degree of complexity and uncertainty in system development, which makes it necessary to be in permanent dialogue with stakeholders and customers and to continuously think projects through and develop them further in the direction of the overall system.

What used to be at least hinted at in early phases using concepts, foam models and sketches is now strongly supported by new methods, processes and technologies such as design thinking, rapid prototyping, 3D printers, AI, complex simulation options, etc. Requirements are broken down into functions, hardware requirements and system requirements and brought into a direct discourse with potential customers.

In this way, the wait of several weeks for e.g. a multilayer PCB, asic designs, complex mechanical-optical systems, etc. is “shortened” – continuously developed and driven forward by simulation results, FEM, technical reviews, design and process analyses and accompanying investigations (e.g. functional safety, …) in system development. In this way, concrete artefacts and intermediate results are continuously delivered and achieved, always with an eye on cooperation with potential customers, for example via RFQs, RFIs, user stories, EPICS, etc., and in direct interaction to actively involve them in technological progress.

This approach ensures that the agile overall system development is ultimately aligned to the highest degree with the customer’s needs and that the customer gets what is of greatest benefit to him. Thus, no time is wasted pursuing issues that do not provide any benefit.

Continuous retrospectives, team and customer empowerment and a clear focus on the most important objectives create a high level of commitment. “Brutal Transparency” is another key ingredient for successful agile systems development.

Agile system development is much less a matter of belief than it is a mindset and an open, honest engagement in a highly dynamic environment, an attitude and approach to confront complex problems in system development in the best possible way. It is not a matter of pitting Stage Gate against agile methods, but rather of combining these ambivalent approaches in a meaningful way and thus enabling a win-win situation for customers and companies in the joint product development process.

Heinz Studer
Senior STAGILE® Coach