Becoming Agile: How the SEAM Approach to Management Builds Adaptability

DISCOVER THE SEAM APPROACH TO AGILITY

"From the beginning, we wanted to become a national player, but above all, to produce as close as possible to the consumers and reinforce the closeness between managers and employees within the company. Partnering with ISEOR has helped us implement and formalize organizational structures, to spread the SEAM process throughout the company. Thinking about it and being convinced of its accuracy was not sufficient. In depth implementation was also key."
From the Foreword

Drawing on the experiences of the Brioche Pasquier Group, Becoming Agile outlines the winning SEAM strategy for developing and sustaining organizational balance and flexibility. Taking a measured, step–by–step approach, the Brioche Pasquier Group was able to identify their objectives, plan a strategic approach, and put in place the targeted activities that contribute to their becoming an agile company that achieves results and has staying power.

Written by a team of noted experts Christopher G. Worley, Véronique Zardet, Marc Bonnet, and Amandine Savall Becoming Agile offers a guide for any business leader who wants to incorporate a solid management approach that will help their organization become agile and resilient.

Foreword vii

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xv

1 One Vision, Two Perspectives: Agility and the Socio–Economic Organization 1

Purpose of the Book 4

Agility and Performance 8

A Socio ]Economic Theory of Organizations 23

Overview of the Book 32

2 The Beginnings of Agility at Brioche Pasquier 37

BPG and the SEAM Methodology 40

The Initial Improvement Process at BPG 44

BPG s Agility 66

3 The Brioche Pasquier Group Goes Global 75

Chapter Overview 77

Act 1: Internationalizing the Sales Function 80

Act 2: From International Sales to International Production 82

Act 3: From International to Global 89

Assessing BPG s Agility 96

Summary 112

4 Implementing Agility and SEAM: Recommendations and Implications 113

A Comparison and Integration of Agility and SEAM 113

An Agility Implementation Framework 117

Reflections on Becoming Agile 134

Conclusion 141

About the Authors 145

The Research Sponsor Organizations 149

The Center for Effective Organizations (CEO) 149

The Institute for Socio–Economic Organization Research (ISEOR) 150

The Center for Leadership and Effective Organizations (CLEO) 151

Index 153

CHRISTOPHER G. WORLEY is Professor of Strategy at the NEOMA Business School in France and the Strategy Director for the Center for Leadership and Organization Effectiveness. He is also a Senior Research Scientist at USC′s Center for Effective Organizations.

VÉRONIQUE ZARDET is Professor of Management at IAE Lyon, University Jean Moulin, France and Director of the ISEOR Research Center at University of Lyon.

MARC BONNET is Professor of Management at IAE Lyon, University Jean Moulin, France and Deputy Director of the ISEOR Research Center.

AMANDINE SAVALL is a PhD researcher at ISEOR, Lyon, France and examines management of international practices in family–owned businesses.