Design Thinking for Effective Collaboration in AgileTeams: A Path towards Business Excellence

As development of large and complex projects involving multiple agile teams have becomeincreasingly popular, effective collaboration is critical to ensure priorities and dependenciesacross the teams are understood and addressed. This paper is based on Ethnographic Research and Qualitative Observation methods used by the author while working with teams in various consulting and development engagements in insurance and banking organisations over the last decade. This paper addresses the key challenges and gaps observed by the author and aims toexplore the concept of collaboration in software development methodologies like Agile,Lean and Systems thinking. It proposes a framework, based on design thinking that willintegrate the key principles of the above methodologies into three stages. The three stagesof Initiation, Implementation and Innovation will form an iterative process to be includedwithin a project life cycle. It emphasises representation of stakeholders from Business,cross-functional agile teams and good facilitators to foster collaboration in each of thestages. Author further explores three key dimensions of Priority determination, Effective communication and continuous improvement within the framework