Virtual delivery structures

In product development, we do not only need virtual delivery structures and delivery responsibility, in order to get rid of the sub-optimization from the line hierarchy (still necessary), which is further exemplified in this series of blog posts. Except for sub-optimization, other reasons for having virtual delivery structures, is the need of decreasing the number of intermediates (in order to be fast), not to lose too much information during interactions and to reduce waste.

The domain will always decide the shape of the virtual delivery structures, i.e., the team structures. Changes in the domain, the competence profile of the organization, the purpose of the organization, among others, will also change the different virtual delivery structures within the organization, and this flexibility is very important.

As stated, the virtual delivery structure for an initiative can look in many different ways, depending on the prerequisites. But it always needs to be properly constructed top-down, to be able to fulfil the organizational principles. Top-down means to consider how the components iteratively can be integrated, verified and validated to a cohesive and well-functioning whole, especially a novel whole. This in turn gives that predetermined parts, like value streams, do not give the needed flexibility to make something novel, a new product/system and definitely not a new platform.

Please see here for more detailed information about the need of virtual delivery structures, and the problems with other concepts like value streams, in product development.