Abstract:

Introduction of new methodologies and technologies always require changing existing, proven structures and processes. This often causes suspicion, skepticism and resistance; there is significant effort necessary to get everyone into the same boat.
Typical approaches to create adoption with colleagues, employees and partners range from sending out emails, whitepapers, sponsoring books, online training to prolonged presentations and workshops. In this presentation we show how a professional "Business Simulation" can help to significantly accelerate the adoption process, reduce suspicion and cynicism and create stakeholder appreciation at all levels. Adopting techniques from "serious games" and "Experiential Learning", we have created an "in room simulation", which lead participants in a virtual organisation (which is trying to create and release applications) over 3 rounds from "Chaos" to "Order". Students will discover challenges, discuss ways of overcoming them, implement those changes and prove them in the next round. Each round we will measure progress by a number of parameters:

  • number of apps brought into production
  • time to market (how long did it take to bring an app from its idea into production)
  • cost and RoI
  • application compatibility and performance

After those Simulations, participants are always extremely positive and enthused and are much more open to change as the understand the bigger picture better. Using a couple of use cases we will also show, how we have deployed this Simulation over the last 18 months internally, with business partners and customers worldwide and explain, how this program has helped organisations to drive change towards DevOps adoption. We will also give some insight into what it takes, to develop and deliver such a Business Simulation and talk about our experiences about the simulation program.

Speaker: Thomas Stolt

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