Introduction
Achieve optimal flow by gradually moving through each Flow Maturity level — start delivering value faster, gaining customer feedback, and increasing efficiency.
Flow Maturity Levels
There are five Flow Maturity levels:
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Integrated Flow: Integrate work across different applications, so at least some ideas can make an impact
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Visible Flow: Provide visibility of progress, so teams can make decisions based on data
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Predictable Flow: Make the work predictable, so dependent teams can work efficiently
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Aligned Flow: Align work with strategic objectives, so teams work towards the right outcomes
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Optimal Flow: Apply intelligent automations, so organizations can scale and respond to new challenges
Learn more details below.
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Level 1: Integrated Flow
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Objective
The objective at this level is for organizations to integrate work across different applications, so at least some ideas can make an impact.
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Flow Maturity
At this Flow Maturity level:
- Capacity planning is based on individual manager estimates
- Progress is unknown until completion
- Teams estimate finish dates
- Value delivery (work completion) is unpredictable
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Management Focus
- Count the number of features completed in a period
- Have teams optimize their own work
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Benefits
- Teams work in their preferred tools
- Integrations (Hub) provide data consistency
- Completion is measurable
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Key Actions and Deliverables
- Adopt key flow concepts: value, flow, value streams, business outcomes, OKRs
- Select product value stream(s) and define longer term adoption plan (flow journey)
- Define the value of visibility
- Validate the correctness and consistency of data in underlying system(s)
- Complete product value stream Flow Modeling
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Next Steps
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Level 2: Visible Flow
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Objective
The objective at this level is for organizations to have visibility into work progress so that teams can make decisions based on data.
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Flow Maturity
At this Flow Maturity level:
- Time to value, productivity become visible
- Capacity planning is based on metrics
- Incremental progress, including waste and bottlenecks, becomes visible
- Different types of work become visible
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Management Focus
- Manage above the team level with metrics, not estimates
- Manage all types of work (features, defects, risks, debt)
- Find and eliminate waste and bottlenecks
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Benefits
- Knowing improvement potential, where to focus efforts, and how to measure results
- First overall view of enterprise transformation progress
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Key Actions and Deliverables
- Define business outcomes
- Identify and understand time-to-value (Flow Time) and productivity (Flow Velocity®)
- Identify waiting time and bottlenecks (Flow Efficiency®)
- Identify time spent on features, defects, risks, and technical debt (Flow Distribution®)
- Identify WIP/planned work (Flow Load®)
- Formulate a set of improvement hypotheses, flow journey, and business case
- Limit work in progress, if needed, to attain predictability
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Next Steps
- Level 3: Predictable Flow
- Flow is predictable (i.e., work completes as planned)
- Flow Optimization
- Common problems are addressed and Flow is optimized
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Level 3: Predictable Flow
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Objective
The objective at this level is to make the work predictable so that dependent teams can plan work efficiently.
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Flow Maturity
At this Flow Maturity level:
- Work completes as predicted by Flow Time
- Upstream processes (adding to the work) and downstream dependencies are balanced
- Smaller planning contingency required for downstream activities
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Management Focus
- Keep the system stable by continuing to manage inputs and outputs
- Design and implement flow improvements to align with Flow Framework® Business Results
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Benefits
- Improvements are durable since the flow has been stabilized
- Improvement investments can be justified
- Dependency commitments are reliable
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Key Actions and Deliverables
- Implement flow improvements, including:
- Reduce or eliminate wait states through work process redefinition
- Introduce automations to eliminate manual steps
- Re-prioritize Flow Distribution® according to the product value stream lifecycle stage
- Re-allocate resources to relieve bottlenecks
- Reduce or eliminate dependencies
- Introduce culture of improvement — find and highlight process champions
- Calibrate product value streams with the project to product transformation model
- Connect strategy to delivery to ensure alignment on business results
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Next Steps
- Level 4: Aligned Flow
- Value delivery meets the stated goals for Flow Metrics and Flow Framework® Business Outcomes
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Level 4: Aligned Flow
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Objective
The objective at this level is for organizations to align their work with strategic objectives so that teams work towards the right outcomes.
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Flow Maturity
At this Flow Maturity level:
- Work meets identified Flow Framework Business Results (cost, value, quality, and happiness)
- Improvement continues to require manual oversight for each product value stream
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Management Focus
- Scale improvements through changes in organization, standardization of flow management policies, and automation of flow actions
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Benefits
- Value streams are meeting their individual objectives
- Enterprise transformation efforts can be refocused on underperforming value streams
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Key Actions and Deliverables
- Board-level dashboards with Flow Metrics and business outcomes
- Bi-directional strategy to delivery alignment.
- Expand business results to incorporate alignment with other systems such as financials
- Decide broader policies for flow management
- Gain organizational buy in for affected parties
- Deploy flow actions to implement policies
- Cross-value stream insights from data science
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Next Steps
- Level 5: Optimal Flow
- Management actions are automated
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Level 5: Optimal Flow
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Objective
The objective at this level is for organizations to apply intelligent automations so that they can scale and respond to new challenges.
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Flow Maturity
At this Flow Maturity level:
- Standards and automations ensure day-to-day compliance with Flow standards at scale
- Data driven continuous improvement culture drives down waste and inefficiency
- Value stream management is a core part of the management system at all organization levels
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Management Focus
- Management and teams focus on exceptions and innovations
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Benefits
- Teams have achieved highest output
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Key Actions and Deliverables
- Continuously analyze exceptions, redesign policies, and improve automations
- Advance business outcomes objectives based on new capabilities
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Next Steps
- Expand the transformation journey
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