Lean Engineering Practices to Scaling Craftsmanship in the Digital World — Sandrine Olivencia — Hands-on Agile 2025

Description Have you felt the spark of agile fading, lost in endless processes and frameworks? In a world where agility has become more about ticking boxes than driving real innovation, it’s easy to lose sight of why we started down this path. I know this feeling well: 15 years ago, I took the journey backward to the source of lean to understand where we missed the boat. This talk is about reigniting that spark, the craftsmanship, and creativity that once fueled agile teams. We’ll take a deep dive into lean’s origins, showing how returning to these principles can break through the bureaucratic clutter and restore the agility of earlier days. You’ll discover how lean craftsmanship can revitalize your team’s passion for building great products, bringing back the energy, speed, and customer focus that Agile was meant to foster. Meet Sandrine Olivencia Sandrine Olivencia co-founded Taktique, a firm dedicated to providing training and coaching in lean product design and development tailored specifically for busy individuals. She is committed to imparting practical skills and knowledge in a manner that suits the demanding schedules of professionals. Trained in management and computer science, Sandrine Olivencia is an accomplished product engineer who now teaches in leading engineering and management schools. Sandrine has also been an executive coach for 15 years. She specializes in applying lean thinking to help fast-paced startups and scale-ups grow rapidly yet respectfully and sustainably. Supported by her team of lean coaches, she also works with larger organizations in various industries. Her work involves training leadership teams, managers, and operational team leaders to use lean strategy and lean engineering tools and concepts tailored to their specific contexts. The aim in these complex environments is to effectively spread lean thinking across the organization to boost engagement, enhance collaboration, and increase operational efficiency. Sandrine’s strong expertise lies in designing and developing impactful products in both the tech and service sectors, as well as in shaping learning organizations that support sustainable growth. With a 30-year career in the high-tech and digital industries, Sandrine has guided and mentored many CEOs and their teams, drawing on principles from her book “Build to Sell: The Lean Secret to Crafting Irresistible Products.” She also co-authored “The Lean Sensei,” a book on working with and developing into a lean sensei that earned a Shingo Prize. She discovered Agile in Silicon Valley in 2002 while working on a challenging project with a bioengineering firm. She was an active member of Agile France and organized several Agile conferences. Today, she is a member of the French Lean Institute and a faculty member at the US Lean Enterprise Institute. When she is not teaching, writing, or learning, Sandrine enjoys painting, singing opera, and taking long walks in the forest.