The AOS through the Kanban lens

 The Kanban Lens

In his blog Andy Charmichael defines the Kanban lens as follows: 

  • See work as flow
  • See workflow as a sequence of knowledge discovery steps
  • See knowledge work as a service
  • See the Organisation as a network of services

The Agile Operating System (AOS)  can be then analized through this lens as follows:

Work as Flow

The AOS value delivery chain (Portfolio, Product, and Delivery management) is a continuous flow, where the outcomes of one process is the input for the next, and where continuous value delivery and improvement are facilitated through feedback loops.

Discovery steps

From idea to cash, the AOS distills a business idea through its various phases, caring for the right thing done right at the right time. The discovery steps through the different knowledge areas – business, design, and technical governance – allow for early decision making and pivoting according to market and client needs. A right to left approach of the value stream allows for this.

Network of services

The different processes that compose the AOS are all interactive and render services among themselves by attending to the specific needs. This service approach is extrapolated by the the system to attend to the market and client needs.

Knowledge work as a service

The AOS is a continuum of knowledge work to deliver a service that the end client benefits from, the materialization of an idea through fit for purpose value delivery in a timely manner.

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Author: Mario Aiello

Hi, I’m Mario – a retired agility warrior from a major Swiss bank, beyond agile explorer, lean thinker, former rugby player, and wishful golfer. What frustrates me most? Poor agile adoption, illusionary scaling, and the lack of true business agility. I believe agility should fit purpose, context, and practice – and continuously evolve. Active in the agile space since 2008, my consulting journey began in 2012, helping a digital identity unit adopt Scrum at team level. That work led to the design of an Agile Operating System for the entire organization. Today, as an independent consultant, I help organizations unlock sustainable agility – guided by adaptive intelligence: sensing challenges, learning fast, and adapting with purpose.