ICONnect Newsletter 2

Enterprise Tooling Spotlight: Value and Hidden Costs of Jira Align

While Jira Align can offer visibility across teams and support scaled Agile frameworks like SAFe, these benefits often come with hefty hidden costs—ranging from expensive licensing, integration headaches, administrative burdens, loss of agile flexibility, to subpar user experience. 

If you’re wondering if Jira Align is the right fit for your organization, contact us. ICON Agility coaches have guided dozens of enterprises through successful transitions from Jira Align to Rally, unlocking better performance and real savings. With over 20 years of experience supporting automation tools and deep expertise in the Agile practices it enables, we know how to streamline your tooling, reduce overhead, and accelerate delivery. 

Best of all, we can help you decide if keeping Jira for team-level work while using Rally to drive portfolio-level agility is a cost-benefit. If you are having challenges and considering a change, let us show you what a smooth and expert-led switch to Rally can deliver.

Reach out today (636) 530-7776 to schedule a quick consultation, or click here for more information.

AI Cohort Success at Google.org inspires ICON 

You may have heard about the Google.org Generative AI Accelerator being a prime example of how an AI cohort can:

• Reduce costs dramatically
• Speed up project delivery
• Empower diverse organizations to solve real-world problems
• Provide structure, mentorship, and technical infrastructure

ICON has 3 AI Readiness Cohorts where you and your leaders leave with a clear enterprise strategy built around the 10 dimensions of AI Readiness Framework. 

You’ll walk away with a customizable AI readiness diagnostic, over 20 reusable templates, proven frameworks, and a prioritized action plan tailored to your organization.  Our cohort meets as a group once a week, then you have the opportunity to work on your projects and meet 1-on-1 with John Tanner throughout your cohort. 

Enroll today in one of the 3 at our low $495 fee: August 18-September 27, September 29-November 8, and November 9-December 19. This introductory price is only available for a limited time.

This isn’t theory, it’s a hands-on experience designed to move you from AI exploration to execution. 

Agile Course for Hardware, Product and Engineering Teams

Hardware organizations face unique challenges when adopting Agile techniques, primarily because Agile was originally designed for software development, which is inherently more flexible than hardware. Tesla, Bosch, Rivian, Philips Healthcare, and others are trailblazing in these areas. They recognize Agile applied to hardware requires:

• Modular design to enable incremental builds
• Early simulations to catch physical flaws
• Parallel software + hardware sprints
• Quick prototyping (3D printing, mock PCBs)
• Hybrid Agile/Stage-Gate processes for compliance

Your hardware teams can learn and apply these techniques to be successful.  SAFe for Hardware Teams is a new 2-day course that delivers hardware-specific examples and practices tailored for mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering teams operating within Agile Release Trains (ARTs). Its goal is to provide hands-on guidance for applying Lean-Agile practices in complex hardware environments where traditional Agile approaches fall short. 
Review the course here or schedule a meeting with one of our SAFe experts about Agile transformation for your hardware teams: info@iconagility.com

GenAI Workflow Modeling in Seconds: ICON and nVeris Partnership

nVeris is a Gen-AI-powered platform that models complex workflows in seconds—what once took days or weeks now takes under 15 seconds. It instantly reveals bottlenecks, duplicate efforts, and missing steps, giving teams a clear path to optimize operations. From siloed teams to stalled initiatives, nVeris helps uncover the root causes of inefficiencies so you can act faster and smarter.

Paired with nVeris, ICON Agility Services brings the human side of transformation—helping large, complex organizations align strategy with execution through agile coaching, portfolio enablement, and adaptive leadership. ICON works alongside your teams to address chronic delays, planning distrust, and change fatigue with proven frameworks and hands-on guidance.

Here’s how you can take the next step:

• Watch the GenAI Workflow Modeling webinar recording
  
• Run a simulation for your org - Daylon@iconagility.com will show you how to use nVeris to build your first AI-enhanced value stream.
  

Ready to accelerate your transformation? Contact us to schedule a workflow simulation with nVeris and explore how ICON can help you turn insight into real organizational impact. Learn more here.

Informative Webinars on the latest AI Practices

Did you miss our AI webinars? Check out our YouTube channel and then contact us to arrange a private presentation at your company.

• The Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and SAFe® with Dr. Steve Mayner, Karen Siers, and Doug Less
• From Uncertainty to Action: Building the Business Case for AI in the Enterprise with John Tanner
• How Complex Organizations Become Innovation Powerhouses with AI Feedback Loops

New Neuroscience-Based Insight to Improve Employee Engagement and Retention

In recent high-profile articles, the Harvard Business Review and Gallup shared new insight that the human brain processes social threats (like exclusion, unfair treatment, or micromanagement) in the same areas as physical pain (e.g., the anterior cingulate cortex). This means that negative social experiences at work literally hurt.

Could you be losing top talent because your teams don’t feel valued?  ICON Agility offers our clients the trial use of Clover ERA, a neuroscience-backed tool designed to boost employee engagement by building trust and connection. It’s simple, effective, and proven to help retain your best people.

Want to see how it works and explore if you qualify for the free trial? Contact us at info@iconagility.com for a quick demo and discover how Clover ERA can make a lasting impact on your teams.

AI Upskilling: Assessments, Strategic Workshops & Role-Specific Micro-Credentials

• Strategic AI Adoption and Readiness Assessment
• AI Roadmapping Workshop
• Mastering Generative AI for Real-World Impact
• Micro-Courses: AI, Value Streams, Conflict Resolution, and Gov Roles
• Advanced SAFe (SPC) Certification October 27-29
• Prompt Engineering by Role: Equip teams with role-specific training - Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Testers, Developers, and QA
• AI Ethics & Responsible Use: Ensure teams understand the governance, risks, and ethical considerations that come with AI

Learn, Network, Explore at the SAFe Summit 2025 on September 8–11 
Start planning by visiting https://safesummit.com/2025denver/ and see the many innovative topics on tap at the SAFe Summit on September 8-11 in Denver. You’ll learn about scaling best practices for large and very large enterprises, cyber-physical systems, and government programs. 

ICON will have our exhibitor booth, featured expert speakers, great give-aways, and offer the expertise of our SPCT and SPC coaches who are attending. Contact us to schedule a meeting at the conference: info@iconagility.com.