The Pega Express™ delivery approach advocates you bundle application changes into a software release called a Minimum Lovable Product (MLP) which forms of your transformational roadmap

What is a  Minimum Lovable Product? 

A Minimum Lovable Product delivers a solution that is not only viable, but is wanted and embraced by end users. An MLP is packaged to quickly deliver business outcomes in a way that delights customers and makes their lives easier. One or more prioritized Microjourneys^® make up each MLP. A transformational roadmap can include more than one MLP.

Why do Minimum Lovable Products add value?

Breaking down the complexity of the development process into incremental deliveries increases the certainty of both achieving the delivery and achieving the associated value, by making the delivery manageable and responsive to change. This structure positions the business to take account of learning and insights gathered along the way, as each MLP on the roadmap is implemented. Our approach bakes in the principle of an ever-living roadmap – one that can adapt to real-time insights and accommodate that learning. This flexibility keeps the overall MLP roadmap relevant and on track to quickly deliver capability, while also being responsive to changes that are needed to achieve business outcomes. 

The following figure shows how we compile a series of MLPs to create an MLP roadmap, which allows us to sequence the delivery of an application over time in order of value and importance to the business and its customers: 

When does a Minimum Lovable Product take place?

The concept of the Minimum lovable Product is key to our delivery success. When identified and prioritized into an MLP Roadmap before a project starts, MLPs define the context for longer-term development needs alongside immediate needs. MLPs and the roadmap of MLPs continue to support the project team throughout the project delivery lifecycle by:

• keeping the team focused on the immediate needs of the current MLP,
• providing a mechanism to design and build with insight into the bigger picture, and
• responding to changes in accordance with needs and outcomes defined across the MLP roadmap.   

This flexibility empowers the business team to make informed decisions and ensures that there is a constant delivery of capability and value that is always aligned with business needs and outcomes.