Leading Agile Hardware 

The success of the Musk companies, Tesla and SpaceX, has made all industrial product development companies realise that Agile Hardware Development is not only possible, but it is vital to stay competitive in the future. While switching to a Tesla-type process model immediately is not possible, traditional manufacturing companies are looking for ways to start on this journey and learn how to apply agile methods not just to software but also to hardware development.

This course is created for organisations developing complex systems and solutions. It offers a comprehensive perspective on implementing agile methods across the entire enterprise. This two-day certification course is based on the long-term work of Tesla expert Joe Justice and agile pioneer Maarit Laanti, PhD.

While we already have success stories of companies that have been using agile methods in hardware development for years, we are still learning that organisations implementing agile practices throughout their entire enterprise outpace their peers, delivering value faster and with higher quality.

In this course, you will explore practical examples, learning how to seamlessly apply agile methods within your unique environment. You will also gain valuable insights from real-world case studies from engineering companies that successfully transitioned to agile methodologies.

Topics covered

• Agile product development
• Tesla way-of-working, MobAI
• Modular Architectures
• Scrum and Kanban in hardware teams
• User stories
• Estimation techniques
• Big room planning exercise
• Subcontracting in hardware setting
• Managing expectations with prioritization

Learning Goals

Throughout the course, participants will master essential skills, including:

• Organising around value, minimising development bottlenecks through collaborative planning, with a focus on big room planning in a product development context.
• Maintaining variability and options in product development, avoiding premature commitment to a single solution.
• Building incrementally and integrating frequently, applying the philosophy of a minimum viable product to hardware development.‍
• Designing hardware systems for change, adopting a modular development approach for flexible functionality.‍
• Breaking down hardware development into small, manageable pieces, and conducting work in small batches for fast experimentation and user data collection.

Target Group

The course is beneficial for anyone who would like to understand how to apply agile methods in product development. These people might include leaders, architects, systems engineers, product and portfolio managers, middle management, and change agents.​

Prerequisites​

All are welcome to attend the course, regardless of experience. 

Certification

Participants get a certification of attendance to the course.

Duration​

• Classroom 2 days, from 8.30 – 16.30 with 0.5 h lunch break
• Also available as an online course

Group size 

• Min 8, max 24
• Recommended group size: 16