The Business Agility Blog

What we can learn about business agility from world class hockey players.

I was sitting with a few friends watching USA and Canada fight for the gold in men’s hockey when I we started talking about the changes in hockey over the years. The sport has been played without much change for decades, aside from the laser timing and broadcasting technologies that have been introduced to all Olympic sports.

A buddy of mine, who had been a college hockey player, mentioned some changes he noticed in the way players well, play. He explained that hockey players rarely ever relied on the amount of agility they do to win these days. “None of this lightening fast tap dance to the net” I believe were his words.

Where physics meets strategy

Hockey had once been a game of force; a product of mass and acceleration that resulted in bloodied jerseys and missing teeth. Not to say this basic principle is entirely gone, but agility has become a pillar of Olympic skills that seem to have taken priority over size, speed and vigor. The truth is, every team brings their best hockey players to the table, or rink in this case. Coming away with the big W requires a plethora of variables to pan out just right, one of which is the overall skill and strategy of the team.

To the keen hockey spectator, agility scores more goals. To the Business Agility blogger, agility scores more goals. When size and speed are maxed out, players need to rely on their maneuverability at the net. Starting to see the connection? Your company is centered on three pillars, a simplistic model, but an accurate one. You have your team, your opportunity, and your resources – and guess what, agility is as important to your team as it is to modern Olympians.

Think about it… A company can grow and grow until its mammoth proportions result in its inability take advantage of new opportunities. (I’m picturing a sumo wrestler skating down the rink… no goal) On the other hand, you can be small and quick, allowing you to exploit new opportunities but at a smaller scale; your smaller scale. (An ice dancer… maybe a goal, more likely a broken spine) Then there’s a balance; the right amount of business agility – one part decision making and implementation speed and one part capital force not to be reckoned with. Now you can take advantage of opportunities, and have the strength to rebound if the opportunity flops. Now you’re scoring goals.

Balance is everything

Business agility is all about achieving the right balance. A company that wants to grow as fast as possible will need to be able to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Just as coaches of Olympic hockey teams modify their strategy to make goal-scoring hockey teams – company leadership should be thinking about the technology they use and how fast they can use it. If you weren’t watching last night, see below to watch Crosby’s agility bring Canada the gold.

Nobel and Mendix have reached a partnership agreement, providing Nobel the opportunity to build new SaaS- (Software-as-a-service) applications on the Mendix platform. The company will use the Mendix model driven application development platform because of its flexibility and broad functionality.

Nobel Director, Piet van Vugt: “We see that our clients need the ability to quickly modify their strategy and business models in order to adapt to the rapidly changing market conditions. This means that businesses must continually adapt and optimize their processes in line with ever changing business strategies. The traditional ERP software provides insufficient flexibility to quickly and easily implement these changes.”

With Mendix’s development technology and methodology, it is possible to build business applications in a fraction of the time and cost. Nobel sees an opportunity in companies and organizations that invest in EPR software that does not include web-based functionality and service. “Model driven application development based on SaaS is in our opinion the future of application development and together with Mendix we can make great strides,” said Piet van Vugt.

Mendix CEO Derek Roos: “We see more and more customers opt for a hybrid solution. A standard (ERP) package can be extended with flexibility, customized for the web, and preferably offered as a hosted solution. As long as the solution is made of the right tools, it can be adapted quickly and cost effectively as new needs for the business are anticipated. I am looking forward to this collaboration.”

Nobel sluit partnership met Mendix voor strategische SaaS-ontwikkeling

IT bedrijven Nobel en Mendix hebben een samenwerkingsovereenkomst gesloten om nieuwe SaaS- (software-as-a-service) applicaties te ontwikkelen. Nobel kiest voor het modelgedreven applicatieontwikkelplatform van Mendix, vanwege de flexibiliteit en brede gebruiksmogelijkheden.

Nobel-directeur Piet van Vugt: “Wij zien dat onze klanten steeds sneller hun strategie en businessmodel moeten aanpassen aan de snel veranderende marktomstandigheden, om te blijven groeien en excelleren. Dit betekent ook dat je je bedrijfsprocessen continu moeten kunnen aanpassen en optimaliseren, in lijn met de businessstrategie. De traditionele ERP-software biedt onvoldoende flexibiliteit om snel en eenvoudig deze veranderingen te implementeren.”

Met de ontwikkeltechnologie and methodiek van Mendix is het mogelijk om bedrijfsapplicaties in een fractie van de tijd en kosten te realiseren. Nobel ziet dat bedrijven en organisaties niet meer willen investeren in ERP-software, maar zoeken naar (webbased) functionaliteit die ze kunnen afnemen als een service . “Modelgedreven applicatieontwikkeling op basis van SaaS heeft volgens ons de toekomst en samen met Mendix kunnen we grote stappen maken”, aldus Piet van Vugt.

Mendix CEO Derek Roos: “We zien steeds meer klanten die kiezen voor een hybride oplossing, waarbij een standaard (ERP) pakket wordt uitgebreid met flexibel, webbased maatwerk– en bij voorkeur als hosted oplossing aangeboden. Mits er gebruik gemaakt wordt van de juiste tools, kan er op die manier sneller en tegen lagere kosten ingespeeld worden op nieuwe behoeften vanuit de business. De samenwerking tussen Nobel en Mendix biedt een sterke combinatie van jarenlange ERP ervaring en een innovatief softwareplatform om daarop door te bouwen. Ik zie dan ook erg uit op de samenwerking

Last week, Mendix was invited to demonstrate the Mendix platform at Sogeti Engineering World, an event organized by IT service organization, Sogeti. The theme of the day was “The next step in adulthood and productivity” – referring to the fast developments within the software engineering industry. Our head of R&D, Johan den Haan, was invited to give a presentation about our vision in regards to productivity and software engineering.

As it turned out, Johan’s presentation was one of the most popular sessions of the event. During his presentation, Johan elaborated on the use of DSL’s (Domain Specific Languages), model interpretation and ways to embed custom Java code into Mendix applications. The icing on the cake was a demo using our latest release; the long- anticipated version 2.5 of the Mendix platform.

Visitors were surprised with the ease of use and the speed with which Johan was able to build up an order entry system from scratch. His demo proved to attendees that by empowering business analysts with the right tools, the business world is in for a whole new game of Business Agility Management.

For everybody who could not attend the Sogeti Engineering World, please take a look at our photostream for some impressions. If you are interested in meeting us or attending one of our live presentations (offline or online), register for one of our monthly events here.

The Mendix stand

The Mendix Crew

Johan den Haan during his presentation

FlowFabric officially opened its doors earlier this month, announcing its exclusive use of the Mendix platform. The consulting company aims to create business applications that are easily integrated into pre-existing systems for pharmaceutical, insurance, retail and wholesale industries.

Kjeld Cornelissen, Commercial Manager at FlowFabric comments, “It’s the combination of our industry expertise background and the Mendix platform that make FlowFabric a dramatically different consulting company. We can charge our customers a fixed price for our services and Dynamic Business Apps because project timelines are more predictable on this platform.”

With over thirty years of combined information technology experience, the firm is dedicated to helping companies achieve more business agility by rapidly delivering dynamic applications that can easily be adapted to changing requirements and emerging business opportunities. Both Mendix and FlowFabric were founded on the belief that custom application development can be efficient and business oriented.

FlowFabric manages projects from initial business analysis to final delivery of the solution. The company targets industries that are experiencing a growing demand for fast and flexible application development. The insurance and pharmaceutical industries are consistently under pressure for making their back office processes as transparent, compliant and flexible as possible. FlowFabric consultants are seasoned experts in these industries, as well as retail and wholesale.

Many retailers and wholesalers are trying to create a multi channel approach with a consistent offering both in-store and online. FlowFabric sees this as an opportunity to create avenues through which companies can connect more easily with end users, suppliers and manufacturers of their products.

Mendix CEO, Derek Roos, is optimistic about the partnership. “We are excited that FlowFabric has agreed to implement their business solutions exclusively using the Mendix Business Agility Suite. I have come to know FlowFabric as a highly motivated and skilled team with strong industry knowledge: a perfect match with Mendix.”

FlowFabric kiest exclusief voor Mendix

FlowFabric, een consultancy organisatie gericht op het leveren van functionaliteit in de vorm van Dynamic Business Apps, is een strategisch partnership aangegaan met Mendix. Mendix levert een innovatief software platform waarmee op een nieuwe manier heel snel en flexibel maatwerksystemen kunnen worden ontwikkeld. Het partnership behelst het gebruik van het Mendix platform door FlowFabric voor de ontwikkeling van oplossingen en applicaties die gemakkelijk te integreren zijn in bestaande omgevingen. FlowFabric is  o.a. actief binnen de farmacie, verzekerings- en retail / wholesale branche.

Kjeld Cornelissen, Commercieel Manager van FlowFabric licht de exclusieve keuze voor Mendix toe, “Het is de combinatie van onze domeinkennis en technische expertise van het Mendix Platform dat ons een ander type diensverlener maakt. Wij profileren ons als een business consultancy organisatie met een ICT fundament. Het Mendix platform geeft ons bovendien de mogelijkheid om onze relaties betere oplossingen aan te bieden tegen een vaste prijs, omdat de ontwikkel- en doorlooptijden met het Mendix Platform zo betrouwbaar zijn.”

Met meer dan 30 jaar aan business en technische expertise is FlowFabric er op gericht om binnen organisaties meer flexibiliteit aan te brengen in bedrijfsprocessen. Door heel snel functionaliteit in de vorm van Dynamic Business Apps te leveren worden klanten in staat gesteld om sneller in te spelen op veranderende marktomstandigheden, aangepaste regelgeving en toenemende concurrentie. Zowel Mendix als FlowFabric staan voor de visie dat het ontwikkelen van maatwerk applicaties efficiënt, betrouwbaar en business georiënteerd moet zijn.

Mendix CEO, Derek Roos, is enthousiast over het partnership. “Wij zijn verheugd dat FlowFabric ervoor heeft gekozen haar oplossingen exclusief op basis van het Mendix Business Agility Platform te ontwikkelen. Ik heb FlowFabric leren kennen als een zeer gemotiveerd en gekwalificeerd team met de juiste business kennis: de perfecte match met Mendix.”

A few weeks ago, we had a blog post that showed just how versatile the Mendix platform really is: almost any browser, any hardware, and even the Wii will run these applications flawlessly. The coming debut of the iPad in March will provide us with yet another fun piece of hardware to try. As usual, the world raises an eyebrow every time Apple comes out with a new product. Naturally, we’ll make sure Mendix applications run as easily on Apple’s new iPad as they do on the iPhone. We agree with much of the tech world in saying that the iPad will gain in popularity once developers take advantage of its new features.

Can’t wait to see what our business engineers come up with.

Companies using Mendix on their iPad may find that it lends itself to business processes more easily than its phone-enabled cousin. The screen is big enough for multiple people to use it – easily!

Just think of the possibilities: sales people presenting to clients on the road, inventory management in retail stores, order pickers in warehouses. Load a Mendix application and you’ve reached a whole new level of finger swiping efficiency. Whether you’re tracking inventory, customers, products, or pitches – this device will make your job easier.

There are a lot of uses for the iPad out there that do not exist for the iPhone or iPod Touch. As developers unleash the iPad’s true genius, we can look forward to applications that change the way people do business.

Since Mendix is all about increasing business agility, we see some serious potential in using the Mendix platform on the iPad. In effect, the iPad can increase business agility as well. With more information at your fingertips people can make decisions faster. The tablet vs. netbook argument still exists, and I’m not necessarily here to answer it.

Mendix customers that use the iPad, iTouch, iPhone, Mac, or host of other devices, have grown to expect top notch applications – especially when their business people think strategically.

Mendix announced today that it has successfully closed 2009 with consistent expansion during difficult economic times. The company continues to achieve triple digit revenue growth in Q4 2009, for the 4^th consecutive year, maintaining its return rate and boasting the following achievements:

• Named a ‘Cool Vendor’ by top analyst firm, Gartner Inc.
• Contracted new enterprise clients in insurance, utilities, retail and telecom sectors
• Expanded partner portfolio in US, UK, Middle Eastern and Asian markets throughout 2009
• Launched Mendix User Community Portal to support rapidly growing user base
• Doubled its workforce to 63 employees to manage increasing demand for Mendix products

Derek Roos, CEO at Mendix comments on the past year, “Although 2009 was a tough year for many organizations, Mendix did very well. I think that the current market conditions may have helped us by driving companies to look for smarter and more innovative ways to rapidly deliver applications that streamline processes and increase business agility.”

The Cambridge-based software company looks to grow its presence in international markets. Roos continues, “2010 is going to be an even more important year for Mendix as we focus on expanding our international customer base and acquiring new partners. We have some exciting product announcements planned and we’re looking to make substantial investments in our product roadmap and international roll-out.”

Mendix has been profitable since its start in 2005. After completing its best year yet, Roos expects a healthy, growth-oriented 2010 in both US and European markets.

Mendix has appointed Dale Zwizinski as Vice President of Sales for North America. The fast-growing tech company will utilize Zwizinski’s knowledge and experience of the US enterprise software industry as the firm brings the Mendix platform to market. Mendix aims to improve business agility by being the fastest and easiest way to build agile business applications without the need to program code.

The newly appointed Vice President of Sales plans to further expand Mendix international customer base with an undeniable value proposition. Mendix has been showing annual triple digit growth and with a growing number of success stories across Europe, Zwizinski is confident that businesses in North America will see the cost effective nature of the Mendix platform.

“Mendix is all about increasing business agility and improving collaboration between business and IT people. It’s faster, cheaper and more flexible – it’s the future of what we like to call the modern business engineer. We’re changing the way business people think about process automation, not just which service they use.”

Prior to joining Mendix, Zwizinski was responsible for driving sales and marketing for various global software organizations in the media and financial services markets. As a Babson MBA graduate, his knowledge and experience in jumpstarting young organizations will be an asset to the growing US office.

“I am delighted to welcome Dale to Mendix,” Mendix Chief Executive Officer, Derek Roos said. “This is an exciting time and once again we have attracted top talent and an outstanding team builder. Dale’s a great fit for our team; he has the drive, experience and the entrepreneurial mindset that characterizes our company I’m looking forward to our collaboration and I’m confident that he will help us to accelerate our growth in the US market.”

A “What If” question for business analysts and IT professionals…

What if it suddenly became very easy for someone to do both your job and their own, at the same time? If history provides any forecast for the future of IT, we are likely to see some interesting changes in the way human capital is managed – especially for those of us involved in the emergence of cloud computing. Clouds push complexity to the background and allow users to focus on what really matters: functionality and costs.

Have you ever noticed how the education we receive often sets boundaries in our career aspirations? We are trained to do something, and do it well – but in doing so, we take for granted the fact that others are doing the same thing in a different field. Then, when we are faced with an inevitable change, we instinctively take a “That’s not what I’ve been trained to do, there are other people for that” mentality. Sure, there are the motivated few who push down boundaries and become renaissance men and women in their own right. But when everyone else is set in their ways, these people are often considered a risk… think: too many eggs in one basket.

Now, to regress from my pseudo-philosophical banter, this trend is becoming all the more apparent as business analysts become more involved in technical training. Most IT veterans would say that business analysts will never have the true know-how to implement their plans, requirements and recommendations. The modern business analyst usually considers themselves more of a problem solver than a programmer – hence the separation of labor in this function of any business. Having surveyed the blogosphere for opinions of business analysts and IT professionals, there seems to be a live (and even a bit emotional) discussion between those who say it is a natural, and therefore inevitable, progression and those who say it is a “pie in the sky” and that it will never happen.

Contrastingly, a growing population of believers has something to say about the segregation of business and IT. In a world of zeros and ones, the innumerable coding languages can only become more and more efficient. As coding languages are continuously created, survival of the fittest can account for the extinct languages of modern programming. An abstraction of these languages is an ongoing phenomenon with a light at the end of the tunnel. Some say that using abstract, visual and human-readable models instead of low-level code is a very important step towards commoditized coding.

I’ve come to think about this abstraction phenomenon as measure to increase efficiency. When our ancestors realized that making bricks was faster than packing sand, they were on to something similar. If someone else uses molds to make perfectly shaped bricks that can be built into any structure, the workers need different skills but can ultimately build more economically, the architect can plan more accurately, and the buyer can move in earlier. So, why deal with sand when we can get the bricks from vendors elsewhere. Why deal with code, when we can get software modules elsewhere? This, my friends, may be the future of today’s business analyst.  In the future, what if business analysts had the skill set and the molds to create bricks that satisfy their requirements without the need to deal with code – or sand?