Why agile development and customer centricity are not opposites

Digitalization does not fail due to technology; it often fails because we set it up incorrectly: being too technology-driven, internally focused, or without a proper customer perspective. The chapter titled “Agile Design and Implementation of Digital Offerings: Holistically Realizing Customer Goals, Business Requirements, and Technical Implementation” emphasizes that writing good concepts is not enough. We must also implement them in a manner that resonates with the customer from strategic, technical, and human perspectives.

What I took away from the chapter:

• Most digital projects fail because business, IT and the customer perspective operate separately rather than collaboratively.

• Customer experience should be integrated into every phase of the project, from prioritization to implementation.

• Roles such as “customer advocates” and the creation of integrated, interdisciplinary teams ensure that customer needs are not overlooked.

• The customer portal case study demonstrates how to effectively combine technical feasibility, business goals, and customer needs through sprints, real tests, and short decision-making processes.

• “Agile” is not merely a tool; it is an attitude that works only if everyone involved understands the big picture: Why are we actually doing this?

My conclusion: This chapter is essential reading for anyone involved in setting up or managing digital projects. It illustrates how agile methods and customer centricity can be seamlessly combined - not as opposites, but as a recipe for success. The highlights include clear role definitions, practical examples, and a mindset that transcends siloed thinking.

🔗 To the book on Springer

This blog post is based on the chapter „Agile Design and Implementation of Digital Offerings: Holistically Realizing Customer Goals, Business Requirements, and Technical Implementation“ by Glenn Oberholzer and Sandro Ruberti from the book "CRM Goes Digital – Design and Use of Digital Customer Interface in Marketing, Sales and Service," published in 2024 by Springer Gabler Publishing House.