| Definition |
Agile Strategies maintain that since the future is impossible to predict, the best approach is often to preserve flexibility, wait for profitable courses to emerge, and then outrun the competition. Agile Strategies are especially productive in rapidly changing and unpredictable market environments. They prepare managers to capitalise on discontinuities in market factors such as customer preferences, production technologies, or competitive activities and respond more effectively than competitors can. They teach managers that it is frequently better to take an imperfect action quickly than to prepare a more perfect plan slowly. |
| Implementation |
Agile Strategies adapt all elements of the companys operations (including investment policies, production techniques, organisational structures, information systems, decision making processes, and cultural norms) to perceive, precipitate, and profit from change. They encourage managers to:
- Determine key activities performed
- Anticipate a broad range of potential market developments
- Set bold timing objectives in their business plans
- Design adaptable organisation structures and modify them regularly; shift resources quickly from one "hot" project to the next
- Shorten decision making processes and raise "cultural speed limits"
- Invest in information systems to monitor marketplace and technology developments
- Build versatile technology platforms that can succeed in a variety of market conditions
- Constantly experiment. Try new approaches. Reinforce successes. Acknowledge failures and learn from them
|
| Purpose |
Agile Strategies are used to cope with, or prepare for, markets undergoing rapid and unpredictable change. They help managers to:
- Increase responsiveness to changing customer demands
- Outmanoeuvre bureaucratic competitors
- Improve operational and financial performance
- Motivate organisational change
|
