LitheSpeed partnered with the American Chemical Society (ACS) Publications division to expand Scaled Agile practices and accelerate portfolio delivery. What began as a SAFe enablement initiative evolved into a broader transformation focused on product operating models, leadership alignment, and value stream optimization. Through coaching, visual management, and structured planning cadences, LitheSpeed helped ACS strengthen collaboration, bridge business and IT, and improve the flow of value from strategy to execution.

Client

Americal Chemical Society (ACS)

Market

Commercial

 

Industry

Publications & Research

 

Offerings

SAFe Enablement, Product Coaching

Challenge

The American Chemical Society is the world’s largest organization devoted to a single scientific discipline, serving more than 150,000 members across industry, government, and academia. With approximately 2,000 employees operating across headquarters in Washington, DC and offices in Columbus, OH, ACS manages a complex portfolio of publishing, research, and member services initiatives.

Within the Publications division, leaders sought to expand existing Scaled Agile practices to better support growing delivery demands and portfolio complexity.

Key challenges included:

  • Scaling Agile practices consistently across teams and programs

  • Accelerating delivery while maintaining quality and scientific rigor

  • Limited alignment between business strategy and IT execution

  • Lack of visibility into work flow, priorities, and dependencies

  • Need for stronger collaboration across cross-functional teams

ACS required a transformation approach that would not only enhance delivery speed but also create sustainable alignment between strategy, product development, and operational execution.

Solution

LitheSpeed partnered with ACS to design and implement a holistic Lean-Agile transformation that extended beyond frameworks into culture, leadership, and operating model alignment.

Scaled Agile Expansion

Building on ACS’s existing foundation, LitheSpeed expanded SAFe practices to strengthen coordination and portfolio execution, enabling teams to plan and deliver work within a shared structure.

Value Stream Alignment

LitheSpeed reorganized work around the flow of value, ensuring initiatives were aligned to strategic outcomes rather than siloed functions. This shift improved prioritization, focus, and delivery predictability.

Business & IT Integration

A central objective of the engagement was bridging the gap between business and technology. LitheSpeed enabled cross-functional teams to operate with shared goals, synchronized planning cycles, and a unified operating rhythm.

Product & Team Coaching

Teams received hands-on coaching in Agile ways of working, fostering:

  • Greater collaboration and adaptability

  • Continuous improvement practices

  • Stronger ownership of delivery outcomes

Visual Management & Planning Cadence

To increase transparency and execution discipline, LitheSpeed introduced:

  • Visual management systems to track work and priorities

  • Regular planning cadences for alignment and forecasting

  • Measurement and reflection rituals to sustain momentum

Results & Impact

The transformation delivered measurable organizational and delivery outcomes:

  • Comprehensive Lean + Agile Assessment completed, producing a tailored transformation roadmap

  • Leadership workshops delivered to build executive alignment and cultural sponsorship

  • Pilot teams launched to model and scale new Agile ways of working

  • Agile Release Train (ART) successfully launched, enabling coordinated cross-team planning and delivery

  • Value stream mapping workshop facilitated, clarifying delivery flow and aligning leaders around top priorities

Through this engagement, ACS strengthened its ability to deliver high-value publishing and scientific initiatives with greater speed, alignment, and transparency, positioning the organization to better serve its global membership and advance scientific innovation.

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