Optimizing Value Delivery Across Multiple Products
When a team is split across multiple products, it is crucial to determine the best strategy to maximize value delivery to customers. This article explores different strategies for time allocation and identifies the most effective approach.
Exam Question
A team works on 3 different products, splitting their time between them because none of the products has enough work to warrant a dedicated team. What strategy on how they use their time would potentially deliver the most value to customers over time?
(choose the best answer)
A. Focus on one product at a time, release it, then move to the next product.
B. Work a little on each product all the time, releasing when needed.
C. Either strategy will deliver the same value.
Correct Answer
A. Focus on one product at a time, release it, then move to the next product.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A. Focus on one product at a time, release it, then move to the next product:
Focusing on one product at a time allows the team to concentrate their efforts, reduce context switching, and deliver a completed product increment more quickly. This approach ensures that customers receive the full value of a completed product sooner, rather than partial value from multiple unfinished products. It also allows for faster feedback loops and more rapid iterations based on customer feedback.
Why the Other Options Are Less Effective
B. Work a little on each product all the time, releasing when needed:
While this approach might seem like it keeps all products progressing simultaneously, it often leads to increased context switching and reduced overall efficiency. The team spends more time adjusting to different product contexts, which can slow down progress on each product. This fragmentation can delay the delivery of valuable increments to customers.
C. Either strategy will deliver the same value:
This option overlooks the inefficiencies associated with context switching and the delayed delivery of full product increments. Focusing on one product at a time typically results in higher overall value delivery due to more concentrated effort and reduced switching costs.
Benefits of Focusing on One Product at a Time
- Reduced Context Switching: Minimizes the time lost in switching between different product contexts, allowing the team to work more efficiently.
- Faster Feedback Loops: Enables quicker collection of customer feedback on completed increments, facilitating rapid iterations and improvements.
- Higher Quality: Concentrated effort on a single product can lead to higher quality outcomes due to focused attention and reduced distractions.
- Increased Customer Satisfaction: Delivering a complete product increment sooner can enhance customer satisfaction as they receive full value more quickly.
EBM Framework Insights
Current Value (CV): Focusing on one product at a time ensures that current value is delivered to customers more quickly and completely.
Unrealized Value (UV): Faster feedback loops help identify and capture unrealized value opportunities based on customer feedback.
Ability to Innovate (A2I): Concentrated effort on a single product fosters innovation by allowing the team to fully explore and address product-specific challenges.
Time to Market (T2M): Reducing context switching and focusing on one product at a time accelerates the time to market for each product increment.
Relevance to the PAL-EBM Exam
Understanding the impact of different time allocation strategies on value delivery is crucial for the PAL-EBM exam. This knowledge demonstrates the ability to apply Agile principles and the EBM framework to optimize product delivery and enhance customer satisfaction.
Key Takeaways
- Focusing on one product at a time reduces context switching and improves overall efficiency.
- Faster feedback loops and higher quality outcomes result from concentrated effort on a single product.
- Delivering a complete product increment sooner enhances customer satisfaction and provides more immediate value.
- Context switching between multiple products can reduce overall efficiency and delay value delivery.
Conclusion
To maximize value delivery when working on multiple products, the most effective strategy is to focus on one product at a time, release it, and then move to the next product. This approach reduces context switching, improves efficiency, and ensures that customers receive complete product increments more quickly. For more information on preparing for the PAL-EBM exam, visit our Professional Agile Leadership PAL-EBM™ Exam Prep.
