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In the last decade, flow has been glorified and for many, it is a sought-after work style. We recognise being in flow simply by not perceiving time - it passes so quickly that we start work and suddenly it’s evening without us realising how. This can bring an unexpected and surprising problem - when it comes to the economic evaluation of the project, we are astonished by how many hours we have spent on specific activities.
That we are doing things correctly is usually something we can assess. But evaluating whether we are also doing the right things can be more challenging. It sounds like a cliché, but in fact, this statement precisely captures the deep essence of real project management. Is the sequence of our activities and steps the right one? Shouldn’t a relevant feasibility study or simulation be conducted before the procurement process is initiated?
Most manufacturing companies are excellent at managing their production, but managing production and managing innovation are completely different disciplines, which we at ICE are skilled in. All our automation projects are based on innovations. And innovation requires flexibility, speed, the willingness to respond to frequent changes, and adapt to unforeseen situations - all of which we describe as agility. And it is on agile management that we have based our operations since 2018. Using the Scrum methodology, we successfully manage not only projects but also our internal operations.
Agile methodologies, since their introduction at the turn of the millennium, have proven effective for most of the most successful companies. We have enriched them with principles of lean manufacturing and experiences from industrial automation. We named our agile framework ICEgile.
We have also convinced our customers, who have commissioned us for interim project management services, of the strength of agile methodologies. Coordinating large investment orders from analysis and design through construction and assembly requires a different set of skills than managing serial production. In my daily work, I perceive that we have more experience with processes requiring frequent changes.
Agile methodology and its tools enable effective management of communication, documents, coordination of schedules and adherence to budgets. Thanks to shared and managed documents and a system of regular meetings, there is a very effective flow of information along the management - engineering - technologists axis.
In 2023, we used ICEgile in projects for the supply of forging lines, innovative projects in the areas of energy recovery from waste, or aluminium or copper foundry. In our project in the area of renewable resources, thanks to regular coordination meetings, visualisation of the right priority tasks, and the introduction of agile sprints, we were able to initiate the procurement process two months earlier.
Would you like to learn more or are you interested in a consultation? Contact us or directly reach out our colleague Jan Jadrný, Team Leader of Project Managers at ICE Industrial Services.
