Agile in Hardware: Agile for Physical Products, Insights from Dainese’s Helmet Project With Massimo Terzo

In this Agile in Hardware episode, Agile Coach and Consultant Massimo Terzo shares the story of his experience implementing Agile methodologies for physical product development, highlighting Dainese’s journey to develop an innovative motorcycle helmet. Massimo shares essential strategies and unique challenges in applying Agile to hardware, emphasizing continuous learning, collaboration, and a customer-focused mindset. Whether you’re in software or hardware, this conversation offers valuable insights for anyone navigating complex product development.

The Agile Journey Begins: Adapting for Dainese’s Helmet Project

“Dainese is a cutting-edge company, but they faced market pressures that required faster development – this helmet project was all about innovation, under intense time constraints.”

Massimo provides an overview of Dainese’s motorbike helmet project, an Agile transformation journey for a purely physical product – with no software involved. As Dainese faced heightened competition and urgent market deadlines, they knew they had to accelerate product development. Massimo describes how Agile’s typical techniques for software, like continuous delivery, had to be redefined for hardware. Instead of delivering functional increments, they focused on incremental learning to develop elements like airflow and ventilation. Prototyping became a central strategy, allowing the team to test quickly, gather feedback, and make informed design choices in a dynamic environment.

“In hardware, Agile isn’t about delivering functional slices but rather about acquiring critical knowledge incrementally to guide design.”

Introducing Agile to Hardware Teams: Building an Agile Mindset

"Getting the right people on board was key – we needed people open to Scrum values and willing to collaborate on cross-functional teams."

Massimo talks about his initial steps coaching the Dainese team, who were accustomed to a waterfall approach. He began by training the team, especially focusing on the Product Owner, to adopt an Agile mindset. With enthusiastic support from the R&D Director, Massimo led a “Lift-Off” workshop to unify team goals, map out the project, and visualize workflows through story mapping. The team started to think of “increments” as stages of understanding rather than fully-functional slices (as we would do in software), and this helped shift them towards Agile principles of continuous improvement.

“Starting with a ‘Lift-Off’ workshop set a foundation for collaboration and got everyone focused on a common goal.”

Bridging Agile and Waterfall: Working with Supplier Constraints

"Suppliers were essential in this project – we had to adapt our Agile adoption to respect lead times and certain traditional practices."

Massimo highlights the complex supplier relationships in hardware development and the need for hybrid planning. Agile principles like sprint planning and incremental development were adapted to accommodate suppliers’ lead times and waterfall-style deadlines. The team balanced traditional Gantt charts for high-level planning with Agile sprint cycles for flexibility, using reverse planning to align the two approaches. By including a dedicated buyer in the team, they improved communication with suppliers and maintained transparency, ensuring project timelines could be met.

“Adapting Agile to work with supplier constraints meant creating a roadmap that respected both Agile flexibility and traditional lead times.”

Key Success Factors for Agile in Physical Product Development

“Every Agile framework should be adapted to fit the product and the context. Don’t get too focused on ‘doing Agile’—focus on making your product development faster and smarter.”

Massimo provides his top advice for anyone looking to apply Agile in hardware contexts. He encourages teams to draw inspiration from Agile frameworks but adapt them to their specific product needs. Breaking down complex questions into smaller, testable hypotheses, fostering cross-functional skills, and investing in fast, reliable prototyping are essential steps to stay agile. He emphasizes transparency and reducing feedback loops as core practices to make informed, timely decisions, ultimately making the entire development process more efficient.

“Agile isn’t a template – it’s a mindset for making product development faster, leaner, and more responsive to change.”

Resources for Agile Hardware Enthusiasts

“Whether you’re new to Agile in hardware or looking to deepen your knowledge, these resources offer essential strategies.”

Massimo shares his recommended reading list for those interested in Agile for physical product development. He suggests The Agile Factory by Claudio Saurin, Scrum for Hardware by Paolo Sammicheli, and Joe Justice’s Scrum Master book. He also recommends exploring agile procurement and supply chain insights from Mirko Kleiner.

About Massimo Terzo

Massimo Terzo is an Agile Coach and Consultant with expertise in Agile methodologies for physical product development. Over the past decade, he has guided numerous organizations, including a major car manufacturer, through complex Agile transformations. Known for his knowledge in Agile for hardware and engineering, Massimo is a frequent speaker, inspiring teams to adopt agile practices for real-world product development challenges.

You can link with Massimo Terzo on LinkedIn.