Big Orange Square
Big Orange Square is a US-based boutique consultancy that adapts Agile and Scrum practices to physical product development through its proprietary Industrial Agile Framework™, delivering in-house coaching and kinesthetic training classes to government, semiconductor, manufacturing, and industrial clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersFort Lauderdale, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Big Orange Square does
Big Orange Square LLC is a US-based, privately held consultancy founded in 2017 by Peter Borsella (CEO) and Hubert Smits (CTO) that adapts software-originated Agile and Scrum principles to physical product development. Its proprietary Industrial Agile Framework™ merges agile, lean, and six-sigma practices into a methodology spanning design, supply chain, manufacturing, and post-sale services, with the Scrum4HW™ sub-product positioned specifically for hardware product development. The core technical differentiator is a kinesthetic approach: coaches embed shoulder-to-shoulder with client delivery teams (taking joint responsibility for outcomes) and training classes use a full-size car build as the central learning exercise, replacing slide-based instruction with physical prototyping. Trademarks include Industrial Agile Framework™, Scrum4HW™, and the slogan "Twice the Product in Half the Time"™.
The firm generates revenue through two professional-services streams: 3-5 day in-person training and certification classes (delivered on-site at client organizations or at the firm's owned facilities in Erie, Colorado and Fort Lauderdale, Florida) and longer in-house coaching engagements that embed within client organizations across leadership, program management, and floor-worker levels. All engagements are quote-based with no publicly disclosed pricing, and the firm operates only in the United States. Customer segments are diversified across government and defense contractors, semiconductor manufacturers, discrete and process manufacturers (including beverage production), cash-automation/fintech hardware vendors, and enterprise technology firms, with named engagements including a large government contractor (missile and radar systems), an unnamed semiconductor firm, a global wine producer, ARCA, and CISCO, alongside community-facing work with rLoop (Hyperloop) and Team WIKISPEED. The firm has certified more than 10,000 people cumulatively and distributes its methodology through the Scrum Alliance CST ecosystem, partner webinars, trade show exhibitions (ASQ Space & Defense, Manufacturing & Technology Expo), and the annual Scrum4HW Gathering conference. Big Orange Square carries no disclosed institutional funding, has a leadership team of two co-founders with disclosed headcount of "2+", and operates as a designated small business contractor.
Big Orange Square firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big Orange Square
- Legal name
- Big Orange Square LLC
- Website
- https://bigorangesquare.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Big Orange Square is a US-based boutique consultancy that adapts Agile and Scrum practices to physical product development through its proprietary Industrial Agile Framework™, delivering in-house coaching and kinesthetic training classes to government, semiconductor, manufacturing, and industrial clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Big Orange Square industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Agile Consulting & Training
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (61143)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Production & Manufacturing Operations (TPM, OEE, SMED) (EDABAKAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Leadership & People Skills (Influence, Managing Up, Supervisory Readiness) (EDAAAKAI)
Keywords
Where Big Orange Square is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fort Lauderdale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Big Orange Square business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Training and Certification Services: In-person training classes (3–5 days) delivered on-site at client organizations or at Big Orange Square's training facilities. Classes include executive briefings, team training, and certification for team leads, product managers, and project managers. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated per engagement.
- In-House Coaching: Kinesthetic coaching engagements where the Big Orange Square team embeds within client organizations to coach leadership, product/project/program managers, and workers. Coaching covers portfolio management, obstacle removal, team building, and full agile implementation. Engagements are structured as on-site, in-person professional services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | In-house training and coaching — custom engagements for client organizations |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Big Orange Square product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Big Orange Square delivers the Industrial Agile Framework™, a proprietary methodology adapting Scrum/Agile principles to physical product development. The company sells two primary services: (1) multi-day hands-on training classes (3-5 days) where participants build a full-size car as a kinesthetic learning simulation, with CSM/CSPO/team lead certification options; and (2) on-site in-house coaching engagements where coaches embed shoulder-to-shoulder with client teams across leadership, project/program managers, and floor workers. Target buyers include government/defense, semiconductor, and industrial manufacturing organizations.
Product overview
Big Orange Square offers a single unified methodology called the Industrial Agile Framework™, complemented by hands-on training classes and in-house coaching services. Their core offering applies agile principles (originating from software) to industrial and physical product development. The Scrum4HW™ (Scrum for Hardware) sub-product adapts Scrum specifically for hardware environments. Training is delivered through 3-5 day immersive classes where participants build a full-size car, while coaching provides shoulder-to-shoulder support in client environments. They also provide a Video Library with educational content covering framework concepts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Industrial Agile Framework™: A framework for applying agile principles to physical product development, design, supply chain, manufacturing, and post-sale services.
- Scrum4HW™
- Kinesthetic Coaching
Products and services
- Industrial Agile Framework™ Proprietary methodology that adapts software Agile/Scrum principles to physical product development (design, supply chain, manufacturing, post-sale services), enabling organizations to deliver 'Twice the Product in Half the Time' by forming cross-functional teams and enabling early and continuous inspection of product increments.
- In-House Coaching On-site, shoulder-to-shoulder coaching where Big Orange Square coaches embed within client teams, taking delivery responsibility alongside clients. Coaching covers leadership (portfolio management, obstacle removal), product/project/program managers (facilitation, communication), and workers (team building, self-organization) through the full product lifecycle.
- Training Opportunities (Hands-On Classes) Multi-day immersive training classes (3-5 days) where participants learn the Industrial Agile Framework through kinesthetic learning by building a full-size car. Classes include executive briefings, team training, and certification options for CSM, CSPO, and team leads. Delivered on-site at client locations or at Big Orange Square's training facilities in Fort Lauderdale, FL and Erie/Longmont, CO.
- Scrum4HW™ (Scrum for Hardware) Scrum framework adapted specifically for industrial and hardware product development, covering design, supply chain, manufacturing, and post-sale services. Applied to integrated circuits, automobiles, satellites, boats, bicycles, and food products, addressing cross-functional teams across the full hardware product lifecycle.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced project cost/time overruns from 100% to zero in 6 months for a semiconductor client
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Big Orange Square
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Big Orange Square technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Big Orange Square partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Team WIKISPEED / Joe JusticecoreJoe Justice, founder of Team WIKISPEED, was a keynote speaker at the first Big Orange Square Gathering (August 2016). The WIKISPEED car design (a prototype car built in one-week sprints using Scrum) serves as the foundational model for the Scrum4HW training program. Big Orange Square adopted the WIKISPEED car build as the central kinesthetic learning exercise in their training courses.
- Scrum AlliancecoreScrum Alliance hosted the 'Scrum for Hardware' webinar led by Hubert Smits (June 2016), featuring a case study on John Deere and guidance on implementing Scrum for hardware. The company is a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) provider, with certifications (CSM, CSPO) administered through the Scrum Alliance ecosystem.
- Belatrix SoftwareminorBelatrix Software hosted a webinar with Hubert Smits on 'Using Scrum for Hardware Development' (August 2016), attended by over 50 CIOs, CTOs, and Directors. The webinar covered aspects of Scrum for hardware, case studies including John Deere, and implementation guidance.
- rLoop TeamminorrLoop is a non-profit, crowd-sourced online think tank developing Hyperloop pods for the SpaceX competition, with over 300 members across 15+ countries. Hubert Smits worked directly with the team on trade-off management (treating scarce resources like a budget), helping the team manage the battery pod design. The team won an Innovation Award for their brake system. Big Orange Square used this engagement as a case study.
- Joe Justice (Scrum, Inc.)minorJoe Justice is President of Scrum@Hardware and Scrum, Inc., and founder of Team WIKISPEED. He was a keynote speaker at the 2016 Gathering conference organized by Big Orange Square. He formalized eXtreme Manufacturing and has coached agile hardware teams globally. Featured in Forbes, CNN Money, Fast Company, and Discovery Channel.
- Kevin Thompson, PhDminorKevin Thompson, PhD (Physics, Princeton University) was a keynote speaker at the 2016 Gathering. His talk focused on developing hardware with Scrum frameworks and pragmatic approaches to agile in hardware environments.
- Jeanne Bradford (TCGen)minorJeanne Bradford, Founding Principal of TCGen (product innovation consulting firm, Silicon Valley), spoke at the 2016 Gathering on 'Agile for Hardware – Learnings from the Trenches' and co-authored 'Innovate Products Faster'. Prior to consulting, she led global organizations at Apple, re-architecting Apple's new product development process (ANPP).
- Mark Buckner (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)minorDr. Mark A. Buckner, Senior Research Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Leader of the Power and Energy System Group, spoke at the 2016 Gathering on 'Scrum for Life: A Tale of 2 Journeys' covering agile adoption at ORNL and FIRST Robotics Competition Team 4265.
- ARCAcoreARCA is a manufacturer of cash automation technology for financial institutions and retail customers. They brought international teams (from England, France, Italy, and US) for multiple in-person training engagements at Big Orange Square's training center in Colorado. The engagement spanned multiple years and included hands-on car building as part of the training.
- ASQ (American Society for Quality)minorBig Orange Square exhibited at the ASQ Space & Defense division event at Cape Canaveral, FL (March 2019) and delivered a talk to the ASQ Boulder chapter on Industrial Agile (March 2019). ASQ is an industry body focused on quality improvement.
- Manufacturing & Technology TradeshowminorBig Orange Square was an exhibitor at the Manufacturing & Technology Expo in Pittsburgh, PA (April 1–3, 2019).
- CutterminorCutter hosted a webinar on the Industrial Agile Framework featuring Hubert Smits (February 2019), providing a platform for the company to present its methodology to a broader audience.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Big Orange Square competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ICAgile: An agile certification and learning organization offering ICAgile-accredited courses across multiple tracks. Overlaps with Big Orange Square on agile certification delivery and curriculum development, though it does not specialize in hardware/industrial contexts.
- Scaled Agile: Creator of the SAFe framework and a major provider of agile-at-scale training, certification, and consulting. Competes with Big Orange Square for the same enterprise agile transformation budget, though focused more on software/scaled contexts than physical product development.
- Velocity Partners: An agile consulting and software development firm offering transformation coaching, training, and delivery services. Comparable to Big Orange Square in the agile coaching/training market, though primarily focused on software product development.
- Scrum Inc. Founded by Jeff Sutherland, co-creator of Scrum, Scrum Inc. provides enterprise Scrum training, coaching, and transformation services globally. It is the most direct peer to Big Orange Square in terms of Scrum-based transformation methodology and CST-credentialed training delivery.
Broad incumbents
- Rockwell Automation: Industrial automation and information solutions provider serving manufacturers worldwide. Adjacent to Big Orange Square through its Lifecycle Services and operational transformation offerings for industrial clients.
- Siemens Digital Industries: Industrial automation and digital transformation business of Siemens, providing consulting, software, and services to manufacturers. Targets the same industrial transformation buyer as Big Orange Square, but with integrated technology and consulting offerings.
- Bain & Company (Operations Practice): Global management consulting firm with an operations and industrial practice serving manufacturing clients. Competes for the same enterprise transformation RFPs as Big Orange Square but with far greater scale and broader mandate.
- PMI (Project Management Institute): Global professional association for project management offering certifications (PMP, Agile Certified Practitioner) and training. Competes for the same enterprise professional development budget, with broader scope but less specialization in hardware agile.
- McKinsey & Company (Operations Practice): Global management consulting firm with a deep operations and manufacturing practice that advises industrial clients on transformation. Competes for the same enterprise transformation budgets as Big Orange Square, though with broader scope and far greater scale.
Others
- Scrum Alliance: Non-profit member organization that certifies Scrum trainers and credentials CSM/CSPO certifications. Big Orange Square's CST credential is granted through Scrum Alliance, and they co-hosted webinars; competitive overlap is limited but they share an ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Big Orange Square social profiles
Digital presenceBig Orange Square financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big Orange Square leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Big Orange Square funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big Orange Square M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Big Orange Square
What does Big Orange Square do?
Big Orange Square delivers the Industrial Agile Framework™, a proprietary methodology adapting Scrum/Agile principles to physical product development. The company sells two primary services: (1) multi-day hands-on training classes (3-5 days) where participants build a full-size car as a kinesthetic learning simulation, with CSM/CSPO/team lead certification options; and (2) on-site in-house coaching engagements where coaches embed shoulder-to-shoulder with client teams across leadership, project/program managers, and floor workers. Target buyers include government/defense, semiconductor, and industrial manufacturing organizations.
Is Big Orange Square a public or private company?
Big Orange Square is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Big Orange Square founded?
Big Orange Square was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Big Orange Square based?
Big Orange Square is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Big Orange Square make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Training and Certification Services are the primary driver. The others are in-House Coaching.
Who are Big Orange Square's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ICAgile, Scaled Agile, Velocity Partners and Scrum Inc.. Broad incumbents are Rockwell Automation, Siemens Digital Industries, Bain & Company (Operations Practice), PMI (Project Management Institute) and McKinsey & Company (Operations Practice). Scrum Alliance is listed as an others.
Does Big Orange Square have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big Orange Square.
What industry is Big Orange Square in?
Big Orange Square's product category is Industrial Agile Consulting & Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABAKAK, Production & Manufacturing Operations (TPM, OEE, SMED), with a secondary code of EDAAAKAI, Leadership & People Skills (Influence, Managing Up, Supervisory Readiness). Its NAICS code is 61143 and its SIC code is 8742.