Brewing Ideas (and Coffee) at BiiG 2025 

Post-BiIG Reflections from WorkingMouse 

The BiIG event was outstanding—well run, highly engaging, and full of actionable insights. 

Here are a few highlights that stood out to us: 

1. Event Themes That Hit Home 

• Word of the day learning 
  

• Innovation is leadership 
  

• Strength through wisdom 
  

• Hope drives action 
  

• Pride in service 
  

• Laser-sharp delivery 
  

• Experimentation over hesitation 
  

These themes align closely with our work. Our biggest delivery and quality gaps have come down to knowledge breakdowns. That’s why we’re now running twice-weekly training sessions across teams at WorkingMouse. 

Here are some helpful resources aligned with the themes: 

• Experimentation: Embrace the Journey of Iterative Experimentation 
  

• Innovation Leadership: Executive Buy-in for Modernisation Projects 
  

• Continuous Learning: The Power of Learning Pathways 
  

• Risk and Wisdom: 5 Risks You Need to Know When Building Software 

2. Clear Government Direction and Delivery Focus 

There was strong alignment from the public service on executing the new Queensland Government’s direction. 

That clarity of purpose was refreshing and encouraging to see. 

3. Room for Stronger Leadership Signals 

Some Director-General presentations were insightful. But in our view, the spark of leadership from roles like the Chief Digital Officer or Chief Entrepreneur was missing. 

That absence leaves a visible gap. 

Filling it may require more active direction and voice from Ministers to drive change at speed. 

4. Ross Dawson: Policy Embedded in Code 

This message deeply resonated. 

We’ve tackled similar challenges—especially fragmented knowledge and poor version control. 

At WorkingMouse, we made a shift to: 

• Store all knowledge in its simplest, most reusable form 
  

• Use Git to manage system documentation 
  

• Link documentation directly to live models using our Jidoka process 
  

This mirrors how developers manage complex source code—and it works for policy too. 

Explore the approach: 

Have a read of our founder Dr Eban Escott’s paper Jidoka Automation with a Human Touch’ 

Conversations, Stickers, and Some Branded Fun 

We set up our booth with a lot to see (and take home!). Did you see our new Jidoka animation? From custom-designed stickers and Jidoka info packs to WorkingMouse t-shirts and desk mats, it was great seeing so many people stop by, grab a coffee, and chat with.  

Quiz Insights from BiiG 2025 

Many attendees also took our Continuous Legacy Modernisation Quiz to find out if their systems were showing signs of legacy. Here’s what we learnt from the responses:  

Category	Insight
Stakeholder Satisfaction = 58.33%	Moderate performance. Consider reviewing and improving related processes.
System Control & Agility = 0.00%	Critical underperformance. Immediate action and leadership attention required.
Process Efficiency = 52.33%	Moderate performance. Consider reviewing and improving related processes.
Security & Compliance = 88.75%	Strong performance. Continue leveraging best practices.
Overall Score = 46.44%	Low performance. Prioritise enhancements and training in this area.

If there was any doubt, these results make it clear, delaying modernisation puts systems at risk! 

If you didn’t get a chance on the day, you can still take the quiz here. 

A Quick Talk on Jidoka 

Our CGO and Director, David Burkett, gave a short pop-up talk. In just five minutes, he introduced Jidoka — our method for modernising legacy systems using automation, with a strong focus on the human side of tech. It’s a process we’ve refined through real government projects, and we’re excited to share it more widely. 

If you missed Dave’s presentation you can watch it below!

A Few Last Words 

A huge thank you to everyone who came by the WorkingMouse booth. Whether you stayed for a conversation, grabbed a coffee, or just picked up a sticker, we really enjoyed meeting you. 

Until next time, thanks again, BiiG!