Context: Core agility metric in regulated environments. Commonly underestimated because only engineering effort is counted—excluding validation & release.
Why it matters: Direct impact on innovation velocity, cost structure and competitiveness.
Drivers of long cycles:
- Full validation instead of a risk-based testing scope.
- External dependencies.
- Media discontinuities (Word → modeling → system → PDF → approval).
Optimization levers:
- Word-native modeling.
- Defined change control procedure.
- Parameterization vs hardcoding.
- Early risk assessment.
Suggested metric: Median number of days from change request to released digital workflow.
Further reading: