The Business Problem:

A Plan in Place, But No System for Execution 

When AIMMS encountered Rhythm, they were seeking a way to get better at executing their strategy. They had been using a strategic plan model from Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, but they needed more discipline, as well as specificity around their goals. They lacked a cadence that would empower them not only to set goals, but to move them forward week to week and achieve them.

How Rhythm Helped:

Staying on Track With a Regular Cadence

Early in their use of Rhythm, the AIMMS team found the execution-related elements of the software to be particularly empowering. They established quarter priorities to break down their long term strategy. Several teams, most notably Software Development, set and monitored KPIs to help them stay on track to meet their commitments. 

Weekly statusing and adjustment meetings reminded the team about what they planned to do and gave them up-to-date snapshots of their performance. Rhythm also provided leaders like CIO Jan-Willem van Crevel with visibility across the business. “It’s a very effective way to see what’s going on without distracting or disturbing the teams,” said Jan-Willem. “Especially once we have identified good KPIs, it’s a wonderful way to keep us focused on our goals and performance.”

A “Christmas Tree” of Top-Down Planning

The AIMMS team also improved company alignment as they set more cohesive goals in a top-down planning process. “We were recalibrating the balance between attracting new customers and making sure our existing customers were successful and happy,” shared Jan-Willem. “We set two Winning Moves…and the whole Christmas tree underneath of annual goals and priorities, and what everybody individually or as a team had to do. It made it very clear how different activities contribute to each of those two very important goals.”

The Results:

Embracing Discipline, Boosting Results 

As the AIMMS team has grown in their planning and execution habits with the help of their Rhythm coach, they have set better SMART goals, fine-tuned their KPIs, and strengthened their discipline around weekly updates and adjustments. 

Over the course of their almost decade-long relationship with Rhythm, they have:

• Tripled the size of the business 
• Improved software development through use of KPIs
• Enhanced customer success performance