New structures for more agility and dynamics

Agility, interdisciplinarity, Scrum: Are these only business buzzwords? No way! If you take a closer look at the new project management methods, you will quickly see the advantages:

• Interdisciplinary Teams

The silo thinking often discussed in the economy prevents all departments and teams from pulling together. Therefore an improved internal communication is essential for every company. Frauscher is convinced that customer and market needs can only be fully satisfied with interdisciplinary project teams. These teams form the core element of the new structures. Thus, the R&D, RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety) and Product Management departments implement their goals in interdisciplinary project teams.

• Self-organisation

The unique selling points at Frauscher include not only the departments and project teams themselves, but also their competences: For the most part, the teams act independently and can implement decisions more quickly in the customer's interest. This would not be possible without the confidence of the managers in the abilities of their employees. Nevertheless, it needs people who can keep an eye on the big picture. For the above-mentioned departments, this task is taken over by the Product Development Board, which was established in January 2020. Among other things, it supports the departments in defining project goals and OKRs. The Board is also responsible for product strategy and leadership, including recruiting and personnel development.

• Short routes, fast sprints, clear focus

Scrum is about organizing projects in iteration cycles - the so-called sprints. These typically last a maximum of two to four weeks. Frauscher has created the appropriate spatial conditions to ensure fast routes and decisions. This means that departments that work particularly closely together are located in the same building. Although they are located in separate offices, where internal coordination takes place, there are enough opportunities to meet quickly and discuss issues. By working together on a project, the members of a project team are fully involved in the respective processes.

Scrum works best when the team members comunicate regularly and follow simple rules. At Frauscher, for example, there are the following meetings: Daily Stand-up, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective. The main goals are to keep each other informed and to support each other. In addition, concrete measures are defined and work flows are optimized for each meeting. 

More information on Scrum Meetings
 

What are the three Scrum roles?

• Product Owner

The Product Owner puts together the requirements of the project and prioritises them. He or she is like a spokesperson for customer and needs to represent them.

• Scrum Master:

The Scrum Master - also called Project Master - moderates meetings and supports the team. He focuses on compliance with the framework and eliminating any blocks the team come up against in their day-to-day work. He is responsible for the good mood in the team and ensures that all project members follow the rules.

• Project team

There are no hierarchies in a Scrum team. Every single project member has specific competences which are crucial for the success of the project. Therefore, it is important to define all persons or competencies that are necessary for the success of the project in advance. 

Agile working in times of digitalisation

Of course, the advantages of Scrum & Co. only come to fruition if each team really implements the new approaches consistently. Because agility is not created on a PowerPoint slide, but in daily communication. But how can success be achieved if a personal exchange cannot be guaranteed? Digital tools and a quick reaction to special circumstances help teams not to lose focus on the essential tasks.  

Useful links about Scrum

• https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-scrum
• https://www.atlassian.com/agile/scrum
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vt7Ik8Ublw