Risk, Resilience & Compliance

Business Agility

Government and Public Sector

Why a resilience-first approach is essential to address operational continuity risks.

Moving Beyond Compliance

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As digital threats become more frequent and complex, many organizations are feeling the pressure to comply with a growing web of laws, regulations and standards. Fear, Uncertainty &amp; Doubt (FUD) reporting in the media fuels this pressure. The board and senior management often have the idea that this compliance first approach at least gives effect to their duty of care responsibilities.
Yet, a "compliance first" mindset—where ticking boxes and meeting regulatory demands take precedence—can create a false sense of security. True resilience requires a holistic, resilience-first strategy. One that goes beyond compliance and embeds operational resilience into the DNA of the organization. 
At Highberg, we help organizations make this crucial shift, ensuring organizations are prepared not just to pass audits, but to withstand and recover from real-world disruptions.

Koen Harbers

Steven Debets

Netherlands

Organizational

IT Projects in the public sector: Lessons from practice

Don't forget the organization:

Don't forget the organization: IT projects in the public sector – Lessons from practice

Government IT projects often fail not because of technology, but due to structural flaws in planning, organization, and execution. Issues such as deliberate deception, excessive optimism, and rigid governance lead to delays and cost overruns. The solution lies in Adaptive Flow: a flexible, iterative approach that sets realistic goals, monitors progress, and addresses organizational bottlenecks. Without attention to the organization, digital innovation remains ineffective.

Bas Wolting

IT projects in the public sector: Lessons from practice

Mastering Solution-Level Application Integrity Across Multiple ARTs

Agile Orchestra sounds like a Garageband?

When Your Agile Orchestra Sounds More Like a Garage Band

The article compares coordinating multiple Agile Release Trains (ARTs) to a jam session - great when in sync, chaotic when not. It outlines seven common pitfalls in large-scale Agile development, like inconsistent coding, broken dependencies, and unclear testing. The solution: align teams with shared standards, strong automation, centralized configuration, and clear communication. The goal is to maintain creativity without compromising application integrity.

Davar Azarmi

When Your Agile Orchestra Sounds More Like a Garage Band!

Strategy & Portfolio Management

How complexity demands different Risk- and Project Management

IT Projects Break all the Rules

In my 30 years working in consulting, helping large organizations to navigate the challenges of large-scale software development, I’ve learned a hard truth: Managing IT projects with traditional project management and risk frameworks does not work. No matter how much rigor you apply, no matter how many “good practices” you adopt, IT projects stubbornly defy predictability.

Ralph Hofman

Niels Groen

IT Projects Break all the Rules: How complexity demands different Risk- and Project Management

Agility and Stability Go Hand in Hand

Agile Portfolio Management:

Agile Portfolio Management in the Public Domain: Agility and Stability Go Hand in Hand

In 2025, the Dutch government faces an ever-increasing challenge: maintaining stability and course between technological innovations, social expectations and the implementation of laws and regulations. Citizens and society demand reliable services and consistent policy, while speed and agility have become indispensable to respond effectively to technological innovations and social expectations. However, many government organizations are still bound to traditional structures that hinder agility and innovation. This contradiction makes it difficult to act decisively and with a focus on the future.

Agile Portfolio Management in the (Dutch) Public Domain

What Scaled Agile Frameworks Don’t Want You to Know

The Secret to True Agility

What Scaled Agile Frameworks Don’t Want You to Know: The Secret to True Agility

Imagine taking a ship out to sea. At first, adding more sails seems like the key to speed. The more sails you add, the faster you move, right? But eventually, the extra sails become a burden: more ropes to manage, more coordination needed, and suddenly, instead of speeding up, you’re slowed down by complexity. The ship becomes harder to maneuver in changing winds, and the crew spends more time managing the rigging than charting a course. 
This is what happens to many organizations when they scale Agile. Initially, scaling Agile seems to promise greater efficiency, better coordination, and increased control. But over time, those additional layers of governance, processes, and roles can create drag, slowing down decision-making, hindering innovation, and reducing the very agility that the organization set out to achieve.

Reinier Kersbergen

Applying Agile and Lean practices to Semiconductor Development

Applying Agile and Lean practices

The semiconductor industry is the cornerstone of modern technology, powering everything from smartphones and home appliances to automobiles and medical devices. Historically, semiconductor development has adhered to the waterfall model, characterized by sequential phases, rigid processes, extensive documentation and prolonged lead times. While effective in certain contexts, this approach often struggles to keep pace with rapid technological advancements and dynamic market demands inherent to the modern semiconductor landscape. 
Applying Agile and Lean principles and working methods to semiconductor development promises to address many challenges faced by traditional models, offering a pathway to more efficient, responsive and innovative design processes.

Business Agility: Eight Key Market Developments

Eight Key Market Developments

Business agility has evolved far beyond its roots in software development. Today, it’s reshaping not only IT organizations but entire businesses and industries. As technology continues to influence business processes and more tech-savvy leaders rise through the ranks, agile principles are being applied in areas such as product development, marketing, sales and strategy execution. The agility mindset, designed to manage uncertainty and complexity, is becoming essential across all business functions. Eight key trends are shaping the future of business agility.

Florian van Santen

The Practice of Applying a Customer-Centric Mindset

Applying a Customer-Centric Mindset

In today's competitive business landscape, adopting a customer-centric mindset is paramount for the success of any organization, especially those that are, or aim to be, <a href="https://highberg.com/nl/insights/product-led-impact">product-led</a>. This article explores the practice of applying a customer-centric mindset within such organizations, emphasizing the unique advantages of a network organizational structure over traditional hierarchical models.

Diederik Adema

From HR Business Partner to Transformation Consultant

Highberger Philippine den Brave

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Before Transformation Consultant Philippine den Brave joined Highberg, she gained extensive experience in the HR field at Danone and ING. Why did she decide to make this switch and how did Highberg support her? Read about it in the interview down below.

Highberger Philippine den Brave: From HR to Transformation Consultant

Logic, Design and Implementation

Organizing around Value Streams

organizing-around-value-streams-in-product-and-service-development

One of the key challenges for optimal competitive performance of organizations in the digital age is ensuring high speed of value delivery in product and service development. Faster delivery in development processes not only enables earlier return on investments, but also allows faster validation of the real value of product and service innovation so that investments in unsuccessful initiatives can be minimized. Organizing around value streams is a key step to optimal value delivery in the shortest sustainable lead time. 
The logic of organizing around value streams, guidelines for designing value streams, and a five-step implementation approach are outlined below.

Organizing around Value Streams in Product and Service Development

Kelly Hauwert on her journey from trainee to senior consultant

From trainee to senior consultant

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In 2022 Kelly Hauwert enjoyed her second promotion at Highberg. As she prepares to take on the new role of Senior Consultant with the organizational transformation firm, Kelly spoke to Consultancy.eu about how the firm’s entrepreneurial and warm culture has helped her grow while feeling at home.
When Kelly Hauwert initially trained in social sciences with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, she never imagined that she would become a consultant. However, after a brief stint in the world of public relations, she heard about a consultancy traineeship with Highberg that piqued her interest.
After speaking with some of the firm’s colleagues and partners, and passing a capability assessment, Kelly soon found herself walking through Highberg’s doors as an employee.

Kelly Hauwert

Stop looking in the rearview mirror. A plea for actionable metrics

A plea for actionable metrics

Portfolio Performance Measurement #2: Stop looking in the rearview mirror. A plea for actionable metrics

There is nothing wrong with looking in the rearview mirror. It is necessary. The obvious nuance is it should not be the only thing you do as you drive your car down a busy road. Two insights broaden the view of <a href="https://highberg.com/insights/are-project-metrics-dead-a-quick-guide-to-lean-portfolio-measurement" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">metrics</a>. Continuing the car analogy: it is not just the roads, or the other cars around, but also the speedometer plus a mindful eye on any blinking red lights trying to warn you of a future car failure. These first two insights can lead to a more holistic understanding of portfolio performance. 
With such a wide set of metrics to choose from comes the next challenge: what should we focus on? How to use them to effect?

Portfolio Performance Measurement Continued: A Plea for Actionable Metrics

Are project metrics dead? A quick guide to Lean Portfolio Measurement

Are project metrics dead? 

Are-project-metrics-dead?

Do on-time, on-scope and on-budget metrics really have no place in modern, product-led and agile-embracing organizations. Having spoken with many organizations who have largely adopted the lean-agile delivery model, the possibly surprising answer is NO. 
Agile delivery model supporters argue that the methodology opposes anything that remotely resembles traditional project management practices. But even those that call themselves agile by nature confess to some nuance.

Balancing between innovation and stability

Is Agile working the end of ITIL?

Is-Agile-working-the-end-of-ITIL?

No more long queues at the town hall, you can simply arrange your parking permit from your couch. Or send a payment request via WhatsApp after a night out. Nowadays, we consider these things normal. Services are available everywhere and anytime. Additionally, customers and citizens are becoming increasingly central. This requires continuous innovation on the one hand and services that are always available everywhere on the other. Many organizations find themselves in a dilemma between quickly responding to changing needs and offering 24/7 services. Organizations are looking for ways to meet these demands, and sometimes it seems like these demands conflict with each other. Below, we look at two examples of common frameworks for continuous innovation and 24/7 services. We also explore how these frameworks can contribute to delivering business value.

Pim Schouten

Digital

Navigating product-project dynamic: Roles, strategies, and success in Agile environments

Agile harmony of product & project management

product-management-and-project-management-in-the-age-of-agile

Product management and project management are disciplines which are often confused by many people, including all levels of business executives. The arrival of Agile methods has brought further unclarity between these two terms.

Martin Andreev

Product management and project management in the age of Agile

Engaging suppliers in your agile journey for a more robust, responsive business

Business agility is not a one-man game

Business-Agility-Is-Not-a-One-Man-Game

In the current era, organizations are hardly self-sufficient, but part of a supply chain or at least relying on multiple suppliers. In transformations towards <a href="https://highberg.com/capabilities/business-agility">Business Agility</a>, this means that the lack of inclusion of suppliers in such a transformation can become a deterring factor. In this article, we'll take you through five ways to mature and change the collaboration between client and supplier, but also provide you with possible collaborations with new suppliers.

Noah van Kessel

Trends in how to improve strategy execution for responsive organizations

Agile Strategy-Execution:

Trends in Strategy-Execution for Responsive Organizations

Towards an iterative strategy definition and execution process. The last decade, organizations are more and more confronted with different competitive pressures. Emerging technologies, rising consumer expectations, complex value chains and changes to the way people live and work are just a few factors that trigger organizations to rethink their strategy. Combined with a relatively poor track record on large scale change execution, this has created a need for organizations to reinvent their strategy definition and execution processes.

Jerom Fiedler

Prioritization methods & techniques (part 4)

Value vs. Effort matrix: Lean approach

Value-vs-Effort-Matrix-Lean-approach

In the previous article,  <a href="https://highberg.com/insights/eisenhower-matrix-for-time-management">Eisenhower matrix for time management</a>, I talked about the Eisenhower matrix as a prioritization method. In this fourth article in the series on prioritization methods and techniques, I will discuss the <a href="https://highberg.com/capabilities/business-agility">Value vs. Effort matrix</a>.

Prioritization methods & techniques (part 5)

WSJF for backlog prioritization

WSJF-for-backlog-prioritization

<a href="https://highberg.com/insights/value-vs-effort-matrix-lean-approach"></a>In my previous article,<a href="https://highberg.com/insights/value-vs-effort-matrix-lean-approach"></a> <a href="https://highberg.com/insights/value-vs-effort-matrix-lean-approach">Value vs. Effort matrix: Lean approach</a>, I talked about the Value vs Effort matrix as a prioritization method. In this fifth article in the series on<a href="https://highberg.com/capabilities/business-agility"> prioritization methods and techniques</a>, I will discuss the Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) model.

Prioritization methods & techniques (part 1)

Why prioritize?

Why-prioritize

Prioritization methods and techniques raise awareness among product people (a combined term for product managers and product owners) in the product management community, as well as project, program and portfolio managers, about some of the best prioritization methods, their main features, pros and cons, and the most suitable use cases for each method. Comparing prioritization methods based on specific criteria helps decision-makers determine in which situation a given prioritization technique can be most effective. 
Before diving into the first prioritization method - the Kano model - it is important to explain the need to prioritize and what the main challenge with prioritization is.

Prioritization methods & techniques (part 3)

Eisenhower matrix for time management

Eisenhower-Matrix-for-Time-Management

Many people struggle with prioritization decisions and find it difficult to decide what is important and which backlog item to work on next, whether it is an epic, feature, user story or task. A significant amount of time is often spent managing crisis situations and putting out fires all day. People react to others’ priorities and miss out on the truly important tasks that should have been accomplished instead. However, the most productive people stand out from the rest by the choices they make and the way they manage their time.

Prioritization methods & techniques (part 2)

The MoSCoW method for prioritization

The-MoSCoW-Method-for-prioritization

The MoSCoW method is a highly widespread prioritization method which was popularized by Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM). The term MoSCoW has nothing to do with the capital of Russia. It is an acronym derived from the first letter of each of four prioritization categories – must have, should have, could have and won’t have.[1] The two “O” are added to make the word pronounceable. <a href="https://highberg.com/capabilities/business-agility" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a>

Prioritization methods & techniques (part 6)

A comparison of prioritization methods

A-comparison-of-prioritization-methods

There are many prioritization methods available, but in recent weeks, five have been covered in detail – Kano model, MoSCoW method, Eisenhower matrix, Value vs. Effort matrix and WSJF model. Product managers and product owners (and also project managers) can use these prioritization methods and techniques to prioritize their backlogs, whether prioritizing big epics (or projects) and initiatives or smaller items such as user stories and even tasks. But how do we decide which prioritization method is best?

Transforming the Dutch semi-public sector: Agile portfolio success

Agile impact: Dutch public sector

agile-impact-dutch-public-sector

Highberg (formerly known as BlinkLane) partnered with a major Dutch semi-public sector client for an <a href="https://highberg.com/capabilities/business-agility">agile transformation</a> in portfolio management. The project included designing a new process and implementing a strategy over nine months. Despite external challenges, the impact was undeniable, leading to improved workflow, better prioritization, and sustained organizational agility. The client is now empowered to continue the transformation independently.

Romée Kuijpers

How urgency of crisis fosters a culture of agility, innovation, and rapid decision-making

Crisis-driven business transformation

Crisis-driven-business-transformation

The impact of the COVID pandemic will likely be overestimated in the short term but underestimated in the long term. Creating a responsive, adaptable organization is key to navigating the uncertainties associated with the current crisis’ economic aftermath and any future crises. Yet at the same time, many companies have shown exceptional agility during this period.

Transforming financial processes for dynamic agility and efficient value stream funding

Why still fight for budget priority?

why-still-fight-for-priority

Did you ever feel the frustration of having all the necessary budget approvals but still having to defend yourself before your agile-embracing department will finally spend time on it? Program and project managers, strategy managers and business executives who are dependent on others for execution will recognize this frustration. It’s one thing having to defend yourself to the investment committee or even to the CEO to get your strategic business case approved. It’s something else entirely if that victory to a seemingly uphill battle only gets you into another, even murkier one. You’d be glad to hear you are not alone. We have many anecdotes like these. For all the reported benefits of the agile way of working, this side effect is rarely considered enough.

Budget approved: Why still fight for priority

The power of cadence and synchronization for thriving in fast-paced business environment

Syncing to the rhythm of change

syncing-to-the-rhythm-of-change

In these uncertain times, the demand for services and products can change drastically: either becoming obsolete or requiring a sudden change of direction. Significantly less or more demand for a product or service is a nightmare to those who fail to adapt fast enough, but can be seen as a golden egg to those who jump on first. The impact of the global coronavirus pandemic forced many organizations to have their employees working remotely, which is an added challenge for companies that try to continue their business as usual while exploring new opportunities simultaneously. This emphasizes the importance of building a way of working that enables the sustainable, valuable and efficient execution of organizational strategy.

Priya Panday

Navigating the Agile journey: from tentative steps to full-scale transformation

Surpassing 'Agile-Ish' ways of working

Surpassing-Agile-Ish-Ways-of-Working

Highberg has recently been ranked as the number one consultancy in the Netherlands in the field of Agile by <a href="https://www.consultancy.nl/rankings/beste-adviesbureaus-per-vakgebied/agile" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Consultancy.nl</a>. This recognition of Highberg’s track record of over 100 successful scaled Agile implementations in some of the world’s largest and most influential organizations is indicative of a much broader global trend. Since the early 2000s the Agile movement has been gradually building up steam. This is reflected in both its application—for example, the extension of Agile practices into non-software organizations—as well as in its prevalence and adoption across the globe. There has been a continued upward trajectory in the number of organizations that are either dipping their toes into Agile or, in some instances, diving in head-first.

Amy van Zuydam

Addressing core challenges to foster a truly Agile, customer-focused business environment

Achieving Agile mastery

Achieving-agile-mastery

Organizations applying the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) encounter three common challenges: (1) translating traditional hierarchy in SAFe roles, (2) keeping a top-down approach in the definition of value-driving initiatives, and (3) managing program execution without seeking adaptation. As a result, applying SAFe causes increased complexity and overhead to their current setup without achieving consistent business outcomes. 
By creating a network organization, enhancing inclusiveness of bottom-up initiatives and focusing on creating teams autonomous in the production of value, companies will be able to apply SAFe to achieve a customer-centric and adaptive organization. As a consequence, that will lead to better business outcomes. 
Highberg's goal is to help leaders and change agents avoid them and significantly improve the effectiveness of the transformation towards Business Agility.

Ali Hajou

Francesco Corda

Energy and Utilities

Agile strategies in recycling & waste processing industry

Transforming IT for sustainability

Transforming-IT-for-sustainability

Our client is a major player in the recycling and waste processing industry in the Netherlands and Belgium. They are on a mission to become an industry leader in the circular economy, processing waste into valuable raw materials.

Simon Atteveld

Empowering transformations in workplace through dynamic and continuous learning strategies

The newest member of change agents

the-newest-member-of-change-agents

Change is the word of the day when we talk about transformations. Organizations are in a constant state of change in both tangible and intangible ways. In a tangible way we are changing processes, KPIs, and governance structures etc. However, in an intangible way we are also changing behaviors, culture, and knowledge. We also know that in order to ensure that change is accepted and even more so embraced – open and constant communication is key.

Fiona Munshi

Technology and Telecommunications

Navigating agile adoption challenges and lessons: Enhance predictability and satisfaction

Moving a giant in telecom

Moving-a-Giant-in-Telecom

Over a span of almost two years, a team of consultants supported the Agile transformation in a service area of Germany’s largest telecommunications company. This service area works on a project basis and was challenged by the long lead time of projects leading to unreliability issues and a high workload for employees. To resolve these challenges, a reorganization and Agile transformation was initiated with the goal of increasing predictability and employee satisfaction of the technical teams.

Valerie Gögel

Supplier strategies, focus on tendering, contracting, and execution for optimal results

Mastering agile supplier collaboration

Mastering-Agile-Supplier-Collaboration

You are amid your agile transformation. Teams are working agile; teams of teams are effectively managing their dependencies, and your portfolio management is transparent and gives direction to the teams. You are continuously improving, and yet, while you have made progress regarding your speed of delivery, you are still experiencing delays in your end-to-end delivery. In the current era, end-to-end delivery often means that somewhere along the process of value delivery, you need suppliers. This can be in the form of essential physical or software components, expertise or resources. It is therefore not strange, when performing a root cause analysis or any other method you have used to tackle impediments, you come to realize that you suffer from misalignment with your suppliers. Examples are that delivery of components is not on time, communication is difficult, or the supplier isn’t on the same page as you are - trying to maximize your internal delivery. Logically, your first thought would be to improve the way you work together.

Healthcare and Life Sciences

Pharma adopt three pivotal strategies enhancing tech progress and strategic development

Revamping pharma: Agile strategy shifts

Revamping-Pharma-Agile-Strategy-Shifts

The last decade, organizations are more and more confronted with different competitive pressures. Emerging technologies, rising consumer expectations, complex value chains and changes to the way people live and work are just a few factors that trigger organizations to rethink their strategy. Combined with a relatively poor track record on large scale change execution, this has created a need for organizations to reinvent their strategy definition and execution processes.

Eelco Rustenburg

Retail and Consumer Goods

Belgian supermarket chain pioneers hybrid portfolio model, merging agile and traditional

Portfolio magic: Agile meets traditional

Portfolio-magic-Agile-meets-traditional

Over a period of six months, a group of consultants supported one of the major supermarket chains in Belgium to define a hybrid portfolio management model that would combine traditional and agile practices and processes. The intended goal of the hybrid portfolio set-up was to enable and streamline the execution of app and website products through agile development teams in a waterfall environment. The hybrid portfolio management model would be trialed as part of the launch of a new business unit and continuously improved along the way as the implementation takes place. 
With the launch of a new business unit, the company wants to centralize the competencies required to develop and launch website and app products. From experience with other product execution in traditional business units, the management team found the lead time and predictability thereof to be low and wanted to prevent similar challenges for the new business unit. Management also experienced misalignment in product priorities and therefore the cascading of strategy to execution. Highberg was asked to identify key challenges in the traditional set-up of business units and to propose a hybrid model that would prevent the same challenges and enable ultimate success.

A guide to moving from start-up to scale-up for quality, professionalism and speed

Revolutionizing product development

revolutionizing-product-development-for-growth

Industries are constantly facing the challenge of emerging technologies, and companies that respond with agility and flexibility tend to gain a competitive edge in bringing their products to market.

Talita Lemes

Revolutionizing product development for growth

ProRail embraced Agile for efficient, strategic HR and operational management

ProRail – Agile transformation

ProRail-Agile-transformation

ProRail is responsible for the railway network in the Netherlands. Together with transporters, it works 24/7 to get passengers and goods to their destinations safely. ProRail’s HR department wanted to carry out an Agile transformation.

Exploring the dynamics reshaping healthcare in the digital age

Five transformation trends in healthcare

Five-transformation-Trends-in-Healthcare

The last few years we have seen a growing interest among companies in healthcare to invest in organizational transformation. This led us – transformation consultants with varying degrees of background in healthcare – to explore the trends driving this need for change. We met with managers and experts in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. Combining our knowledge with theirs, we explored the five most pressing drivers of transformation in the healthcare industry. These are tied to organizational capabilities organizations need to master in today’s digital world.

Mika Ambrose

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Amadeus DTS Transforms with Highberg

This year, Highberg successfully transferred full responsibility for the Agile transformation to the local transformation team at Amadeus Digital Transformation Services (DTS). Using our framework, 'Managing Successful Transformations' (MST), the team initiated, validated, scaled, and sustained the transformation. The various phases, steps, and learnings from this journey are explored. For questions about this framework or inquiries about starting a transformation, please reach out.

Whitepaper: Amadeus DTS transforms with the Highberg transformation framework

Whitepaper: Amadeus DTS transforms with the Highberg transformation framework

Whitepaper: Amadeus DTS Transforms with Highberg

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