Expanding Continuous Improvement beyond Agile Practices

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After being on an agile journey where practices have primarily been centered on IT, a company is now exploring ways to extend them beyond IT and scale their approach. At Agile Tampere, Ramya Sriram presented how they focus on continuous improvement through agile practices, feedback, and customized maturity assessments. Emphasizing flow metrics with a strong learning culture, they aim for efficiency and sustainable growth.

Sriram mentioned that their company has reached a strong position in its agile journey, and is reflecting on how they want to evolve and transform further:

This marks the beginning of what we’re calling Agile 2.0, where we are focusing on scaling and broadening our impact. Teams outside IT are also learning more about agile practices and we are also studying agile hardware to understand its full usage.

We’re proud of our current maturity level, but as part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we are always learning and adapting, Sriram said. Their next steps are guided by insights drawn from maturity assessments, interviews, and feedback, focusing on areas such as teamwork, agile practices, value delivery, learning and improvement, quality practices, customer satisfaction, organizational alignment, and delivery execution. Each of these areas presents both strengths and opportunities, which require ongoing evaluation and action, Sriram mentioned.

To support this evolution, Sriram mentioned that her company has initiated efforts to expand agile training and coaching, providing teams with the tools and knowledge they need to grow. They have also conducted bootcamps to collaboratively identify challenges, share best practices, and tackle impediments together. This collaborative approach is laying the foundation for a more integrated and impactful agile journey, Sriram said.

Sriram mentioned that they have been using flow metrics and maturity assessment tools to level up their agile practices. These tools have been game-changers for planning outcomes, boosting efficiency, and delivering products with more predictability and agility, she explained:

We started with the SAFe toolset, specifically the Facilitating SAFe Assessments framework, for our maturity assessments. But instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, we customize the templates to fit our unique needs. This helped us focus on what really mattered to our teams and stakeholders.

Their teams keep a close eye on their flow metrics. Sriram mentioned that they have been inspired by measure and grow from the Scaled Agile Framework. These metrics aren’t just numbers—they reveal bottlenecks, highlight challenges, and guide us toward better planning and smoother workflows, Sriram explained:

It’s all about finding balance. If teams only focus on technically completing requirements without considering real stakeholder needs, people aren’t happy. On the flip side, if teams take on too little work, stakeholders might feel like their priorities are constantly being pushed to the next quarter.

The sweet spot lies in balancing work intake with capacity while staying flexible enough to adapt to changing requirements—that’s what agility is all about, Sriram said.

In today’s era of digital transformation, with advancements like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Generative AI, the question often arises—are these a boom or a bane? Regardless of the innovations, the cornerstone remains the same: continuous improvement and learning, Sriram said. These drive innovation and pave the way for sustainable progress, she concluded.

InfoQ interviewed Ramya Sriram about continuous improvement.

InfoQ: How do you use feedback from customers for improvement?

Ramya Sriram: Customer feedback plays a big role. Through surveys, retrospectives, and demos, we gather insights that help us continuously improve. Sometimes, it’s a big change, like tweaking release cycles. Other times, it’s small but impactful—like improving communication during a tribe demo, scheduling testers more effectively for UAT, or enhancing end-user documentation.

This continuous feedback loop keeps us aligned with what truly matters, helping us deliver better results while staying adaptable and grounded.

InfoQ: What’s your advice for sustainable improvement in software organizations?

Sriram: For me, the focus is on prioritizing quality over quantity while fostering strong feedback loops to continuously evolve, learn, and refine how we work. It’s crucial to nurture and even deepen our commitment to a culture of continuous learning and innovation. Breaking down silos and promoting cross-team collaboration is essential to this effort.

We must also keep a close eye on measuring and optimizing workflow by addressing bottlenecks and enhancing efficiency, all while emphasizing the importance of people and ensuring a culture of psychological safety.

Related Topics:

• Culture & Methods
• Adopting Agile
• Agile
• Feedback
• Psychological Safety
• Agile Conferences
• Continuous Improvement
• Maturity Models
• Assessment

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