Xebia Articles

The age of assistance is here! Voice based conversational technology has become readily available and the tools offered by Google’s Dialogflow allow for easy modelling and creation of such interfaces. This lowers the bar for entry and allows you to provide a personalized experience on a digital assistant platform.

This blog answers the most common questions about (voice) assistants based on our investigations with Google’s DialogFlow technology.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: Accelerate Your Transformation With Visualization

What is the most popular data technology? As part of their international research into the use of data and AI, the team behind Data Survey 2018 - 2019 collected the insights of no less than 1,345 professionals from all over the world. They were surveyed about the solutions they use when it comes to data technology, cloud platforms, and data visualization tools. This research is the result of a collaboration between Big Data Expo, GoDataDriven, and Computable.

There are several models on the market that describe how to apply Scrum and Agile in organizations with dozens, even hundreds, of teams. These including the well-known SAFe and LeSS frameworks. This article introduces CoCreate, a model based on Spotify’s “organizational blueprint” that has been applied to two Dutch companies, ING and KPN, that now serve as inspiring examples.

How Product Owners Should Be Aligned and Work Together.

Shared leadership is what you want in organizations that sometimes have dozens of product owners. But how do you get those product owners to work together in line with what the others are doing? Find a big, empty wall for part 2 of a blog series by Xebia Product Management.

Agile is a buzzword these days. Many organizations work to become “Agile” so they can implement “Scrum,” another buzzword. But what is real agility? Here’s the story of a company that exemplifies it, and it doesn’t mention either buzzword once.

Who or What is Hans Boodt?
Hans Boodt Mannequins (founded by its namesake) manufactures high-quality, custom-made, bespoke mannequins for the show floors and windows of the top clothing and sports brands worldwide. The mannequins’ materials, shapes, and postures are unique to each customer - a tall order in the increasingly fast-paced fashion world. A company like Hans Boodt can only operate in this world by being extremely flexible and listening very carefully to what the customer wants.

As organizational structures flatten, the product owner role becomes increasingly important. But what exactly does this role entail? Is just anyone capable (and willing) to become a mini-CEO?

In a digital world where technology rules almost every aspect of our daily routine, learning is critical to success, personally and professionally. What I’ve learned as an Agile coach is that leadership, mentorship, and coaching are strongly linked to employee happiness, performance, and growth. In even the most complex environments, incredible achievements are possible when people practice the art of personal mastery. 

Robotization has gained the attention of companies and markets across all sectors. According to research on digital customer support, Dutch consumers have high confidence in robo-advice and consider digital advisers as reliable as their human counterparts. As collaborations between artificial intelligence (AI) and Agile teams become the new normal, organizations must embrace a new way of working. Rather than a far-off, sci-fi fantasy, the future is now. Is your organization ready?

Going Beyond the Agile Butterflies