Cadence Free – Breaking Agile Speed Limits

Introduction

A leading technology company sought to accelerate its software development process beyond the constraints of traditional agile frameworks. While agile methodologies had helped establish a steady development pace, the company needed to release new features multiple times per day to stay ahead in a competitive market. However, existing workflows, dependencies, and rigid planning cycles were slowing progress.

To overcome these limitations, the company adopted the Cadence Free model, a structured yet flexible approach designed to support high-frequency planning and continuous delivery. As a result, the organization successfully shortened product release cycles to just a few days, proving that greater speed and agility are achievable with the right architectural and workflow improvements.

The Challenge

The company faced several roadblocks that prevented faster releases and greater responsiveness:

• Traditional planning cycles were too slow, making it difficult to align with fast-moving business needs.
• The business required daily interactions rather than fixed iteration schedules.
• Existing agile frameworks felt too rigid for the level of speed required.
• To enable independent, high-speed execution, the company needed a modular workflow that reduced dependencies and streamlined decision-making.

The Cadence Free Approach

The company transitioned to Cadence Free, a model built on scaled Kanban principles with multi-level prioritization at its core. By refining architecture, removing bottlenecks, and restructuring work for ultra-fast iteration cycles, the organization unlocked unprecedented development speed.

Key Steps Taken:

1. Assessing the Current State – The company analyzed existing workflows, identifying process inefficiencies and bottlenecks.
2. Optimizing Architecture – Teams reduced interdependencies, allowing for full ownership of releases.
3. Implementing Cascading Kanban Systems – A multi-layered flow model was introduced, synchronizing daily, weekly, and monthly cycles to enable real-time business interactions with development teams. (Details on architecture optimization and Kanban system implementation will be explored in an upcoming whitepaper.)

Key Outcomes

After implementing Cadence Free, the company achieved:

✅ Multiple daily releases without compromising quality or stability.

✅ Increased speed while maintaining alignment across teams.

✅ Seamless collaboration between leadership and development teams.

Conclusion

This case study demonstrates that Cadence Free provides a practical path for large organizations to break past agile speed limits. By adopting a DevOps-ready, backlog-driven approach, companies can take their agile transformation to the next level.

For organizations looking to push the boundaries of speed and flexibility, Cadence Free offers a proven framework for achieving continuous, high-velocity releases while maintaining strategic alignment.