Since its founding in 1982, OBS has been a thought leader and an innovator in the digital publishing space. The pace continues, 32 years later: OBS president and founder Laura Fillmore will be presenting on Agile Methodology and Change Management this November at the 12th International Conference on Books, Publishing, and Libraries.
Agile methodology started in software programming and today extends to publishing. Agile centers on responsiveness, collaboration, and rapid adoption of functioning systems over documentation. Interdisciplinary and teams-based, Agile methodology can also be disruptive: establishing new teams and redefining workflows can be exhilarating but also challenging, as people learn to communicate and collaborate in new ways, and as existing structures or “silos” are reconfigured. At the same time, direct communication throughout this process and frequent, focused, face-to-face meetings (“scrums”) mitigate risk in new projects and initiatives. Combining this heightened level of communication with rapid iterations in software development allows for transparency, and invites participation from team members who may not usually be involved in the development process.
In her presentation, Ms. Fillmore will describe how OBS successfully leveraged Agile methodology in our work with two very different clients: one a publisher of early childhood education content, and the other a sizable braille and large print publisher. Ms. Fillmore will outline the strategic business opportunities both companies faced, why the Agile approach was selected, and how the Agile methodologies were tailored to each circumstance. She will examine the challenges met during implementation and will offer preliminary results and next steps. In both cases, OBS’s Agile projects served as a fulcrum for ongoing, more sweeping organizational change, and have had lasting, positive effects for both clients.
Please join Ms. Fillmore at what promises to be a dynamic and inspiring gathering of leaders in the publishing industry! Click the link below to learn about the conference, view the presentation program, register, and more.
- What: Laura Fillmore presents: Agile Change Management in Publishing: Productivity through Disruption
- When: November 8, 2014 at 4:00pm
- Where: The 12th International Conference on Books, Publishing, and Libraries at Simmons College, Boston, MA, USA; Room 2