The Flex/50 team is passionate about exploiting the digital opportunity presented by web services, the 'API economy' and the ability to rapidly create cloud-based solutions that are great to use and provide business value.

We are able to specify and guide development of web-enabled applictions such that the proliferation of choices can be managed to a cost-effective outcome. It is vital that digital solutions are able to scale to business demand, remain flexible in adding new features and can be operated in an optimal hosting environment. We are strong advocates of the Agile development method. However, we also consider the big picture’ development lifecycle while ensuring that original business ideas and innovations are delivered rapidly through 'proof of concept' into formal deployment and operation.

Examples of client outcomes are - a strategic roadmap for a transformed digital business service, 'value mining' of existing service provider contracts leading to quantifiable savings and unlocking of capability, or an IT service wrap for a new digital middleware platform. This all depends on the 'exam question' - the inputs, which could be a new business idea, a business problem or an existing business service that requires transformation.

The following schematic illustrates the Flex/50 approach:

The main components of the Flex/50 Approach and Output Framework are:

• Innovation & Incubation - we take the ideas and aspirations of the business input and 'stress test' it. We look for the innovation elements that require nurturing and developing and identify the factors that lead to success. These could be additional research funding, an experimental deployment, or by initiating an Agile development process, engaging a mature service provider or by identifying additional partner services, etc.

• Solution Research - we use the term 'Flex/50 LAB' in order to focus our solution research and development on leading digital capabilities - we draw on ‘business canvas’ mapping techniques and fact-based analysis to support this. We also tap into past experience, examine leading practices and identify research resources that test the business proposition or identify areas of improvement and additional differentiators.

• Delivery Development - our programme delivery consultants examine the proposition and identify the factors that make the proposed solution deliverable. The critical success factors of scalable delivery are crucial to project success and without these the business risk may be unacceptable with impact on costs, resources, timescale or delivered function.

• Delivery Roadmap - a key output is the solution framework that outlines the starting point, the steps along the way and the destination. This includes visual story-mapping and decomposition of the features by theme and prioritising based on value release. It then considers the best operating environment that takes care of the service - in particular examining the various ‘as a Service’ options.

The framework is customisable according to each situation. In some cases, we draw heavily on the research component; in other cases we focus more on the deliverability of the target business service.