The MAHD Framework is an agile-based product development process designed for flexibility and scalability, managing everything from simple projects to complex systems and the entire product lifecycle. It integrates seamlessly with systems like Stage-Gate, SAFe, and Six Sigma while supporting portfolios, innovation pipelines, and sustaining engineering. Rooted in agile principles, MAHD incorporates key elements tailored for hardware development.
The MAHD Framework Core
Teams get frustrated when directly applying agile methodologies like Scrum to hardware development. They are told that by writing user stories, executing in two-week sprints and holding standup meetings, they’ll BE agile. They quickly discover this is not the case.
However, if teams learn to apply the principles of agile with the right tactics for the unique characteristics of hardware development, they quickly see the benefits, while at the same time being able to:
Visit our FAQ to address specific questions you may have or learn more about the benefits you should expect.
Learn about the spark, history and evolution of the MAHD Framework.
Sample the companies that have adopted MAHD to go faster and deliver more value.
The MAHD Framework is designed to help teams and organizations adopt agile in a practical, scalable way. At the Core level, teams gain the tools and tactics to plan, iterate and deliver hardware projects effectively. At the Complete level, MAHD broadens to support enterprise-wide agility—from portfolio planning through sustaining engineering—creating a consistent way of working across all product development efforts.
The focus of the Core MAHD Framework is to manage projects from concept to launch while adhering to Agile principles. It defines the principles, roles, key concepts and step-by-step tactics for agile project success.
The Complete MAHD Framework applies agile methods to an organization’s entire product lifecycle process including portfolio management, opportunity investigation and sustaining engineering.
Agile principles can be applied to any project or process. However, specific tactics like Scrum and SAFe were designed for pure software-based products. The MAHD Framework is optimized for solutions that have physical components such as mechanical and electrical components but almost always include embedded firmware as well as software elements.
The MAHD Framework provides agile methods and tools built on five key pillars that are proven to deliver product development success.
The agile manifesto identifies 12 principles that were written with SW in mind. Most are valid for HW, but specific implementation methods must be reconsidered for physical products. See our article on MAHD’s refinement of these 12 agile principles for HW.
The first pillar of the MAHD Framework focuses on the ability to consider the needs of the entire project, which is critical to hardware development. This includes strategic priorities as well as constraints such as cost, schedule, and resources.
The MAHD Framework includes the principle that teams should be empowered to make decisions and be held accountable for the results. Teams should also be responsible for self-correction and communication.
The third pillar is the principle that only when customers see and experience your solution can they provide meaningful input. This principle is critical to the success of hardware projects.
The MAHD Framework uses short execution and learning cycles to allow teams to focus on the most important and valuable project elements. This approach also allows teams to adapt to changing requirements and project needs.
The fifth pillar, execution excellence, is about giving teams the tools and methods to focus, meet commitments, collaborate, and consistently deliver their best work in the most efficient way possible.
The table below summarizes the differences between the MAHD Framework and other common Agile-based processes. The primary difference is that while MAHD builds on Agile principles, the tactics are designed specifically to meet the needs of physical products. Download the whitepaper for a more comprehensive comparison.
Learn how MAHD, SAFe and other scaled Agile approaches compare and which is best for your situation.
Download the comprehensive Introduction to MAHD E-book to learn about the key elements of the MAHD Framework.
Request a 30-minute overview and discussion of your situation. We can provide an overview of the MAHD Framework and help you determine if MAHD is a good fit for your goals.
