Broadcom today added an analytics application to its value stream management (VSM) platform that enables Digital CxOs to measure returns on investment (ROI) in digital business transformation initiatives.
ValueOps Insights is an extension of the ValueOps by Broadcom platform that analyzes normalized data collected from a diverse range of applications and services that Digital CxOs are managing across a larger workflow.
VSM traces its lineage back to lean manufacturing methods, which call for each step of a manufacturing process to be continuously measured. As software development has evolved from being a craft to a process that is automated as much as possible using DevOps best practices, an appreciation for the value of monitoring issues such as the impact of missed software development deadlines on the business has grown steadily, especially as more organizations realize how dependent on software they have become.
The ValueOps by Broadcom platform provides a means for understanding which applications are driving a particular set of services. Digital CxOs can now optimize those workflows using ValueOps Insights to ensure better alignment between business goals and IT investments, says Jean-Louis Vignaud, head of ValueOps for the Agile Operations Division of Broadcom. “It provides end-to-end visibility,” he says.
That capability makes it possible to evaluate business outcomes rather than simply tracking completed tasks, notes Vignaud.
In addition, ValueOps Insights lays the foundation for applying artificial intelligence (AI) to workflows once organizations collect enough normalized data, he adds.
Arguably, the most important thing any Digital CxO needs to do to succeed is make sure the right data is being used to make better informed decisions in near real time as possible to ensure the ultimate success of a digital business transformation initiative.
According to a recent Broadcom survey, the top benefit of investing in VSM is to accelerate digital business transformation initiatives, followed by increased customer value, improved organizational alignment, increased transparency and faster software delivery. The most significant challenges are inefficient processes (49%), collecting data, measuring customer value and siloed teams, the survey finds.
It’s not clear to what degree organizations have embraced VSM platforms to manage digital business workflows, but in an era where the average organization has hundreds of applications and services spanning myriad processes, the need to manage workflows at a higher level is more than apparent. Digital CxOs, otherwise, are not going to be able to bring about enough meaningful change to affect a business outcome. The issue, of course, is finding the funding for a VSM platform that typically requires significant effort to successfully implement.
Regardless of approach, digital processes will continue to evolve in way that are unexpected. VSM provides a way to understand how those processes are not being extended but might ultimately be intertwined with other workflows. Conversely, VSM also makes it easier to understand what particular outcome isn’t being achieved, in addition to identifying what could be done to achieve that goal.
After all, just about anyone can diagnose why a digital transformation initiative might be failing. It requires actionable insights to actually save it.
