Deming is known for stating that "95% of the performance of an organisation is attributable to the system (processes, technology, work design, regulations, etc) and 5% are attributable to the individual". But Deming was just talking about the manufacturing industry right? In the creative industries that we work in does the system play such a key role? Surely we need creative individuals, rock star developers and the like to be successful. This talk will introduce the audience to systems and systems thinking while dipping into the murky world of complex adaptive systems. We'll explore the difference between the closed predictable systems where Deming spent much of his time and the open probabilistic systems that we in the creative industries work in. We'll also look at some of the techniques advocated by the lean and agile communities and see how they help us develop more effective systems.

The Department of Work and Pensions has embarked on a major transformation programme that embraces collaboration, agile working methods, user centred design and in-sourced service development. Central to the strategy is the creation of advanced, major Digital/Agile Transformation hubs in Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and London. Tom Birch talks about the role they play and the journey DWP are going through.