agileren

Agileren is a term used in some Scandinavian management discourse to describe the process of making an organization more agile. The word combines agile with the Norwegian/Swedish suffix -eren, forming a noun that can refer to both the act of transformation and the people or structures responsible for it. In practice, agileren denotes programs and activities aimed at increasing flexibility, speed, and customer-centered delivery across teams and processes, rather than a single method.

Origins and usage: The concept grew from the spread of agile software development in the 2000s and 2010s, as organizations across functions sought to adopt iterative development, cross-functional collaboration, and rapid feedback. Proponents view agileren as a structured, strategic change effort, often led by senior management and supported by coaches, training, and governance adjustments.

Methods and scope: Initiatives associated with agileren typically include forming cross-functional squads, implementing Scrum or Kanban, embracing DevOps practices, refining product backlogs around customer value, and establishing lightweight planning and review cadences. It may also involve cultural change, new performance metrics aligned with value delivery, and adjustments to budgeting and governance to enable small, frequent releases.

Criticism and considerations: Critics warn that agileren can become a buzzword if not backed by real capability building and measurable outcomes. Successful agileren requires sustained leadership commitment, clear objectives, and alignment with organizational strategy.

See also: Agile software development, Agile transformation, Scrum, Kanban, DevOps, SAFe.