Agile transformation in a complex project environment

The transformation of a company from a traditional to an agile organisation is an undertaking that should not be undertaken lightly. This is because it is a complex process with unpredictable results. In addition to cultural and psychological factors, organisational or methodological changes also influence the company.

It is very easy to fall into various traps that prevent the transformation from being successful. In our support of agile transformations, we very often encounter the following hurdles:

• Little to no support from senior management and the executive board
• Introduction of the agile approach purely by order from above
• Agility is only implemented in the area of IT or software development
• No anchoring of values in the company that are compatible with an agile approach
• Organisation is not technically capable of proceeding in an agile manner
• Too little time is allowed for the transformation

We support companies at the beginning of the agile transformation so that such problems can be eliminated at the start of the transformation. We do this with a 360° assessment of the company with regard to the current status of the organisation in terms of the compatibility of the implementation of the existing agile values. Having supported more than 20 major projects at international companies, we mostly use the following approach:

• Introductions to agile methods for management, development teams and the specialist departments that are to work with agile teams
• Customised training for product owners and scrum masters
• Individual coaching for management, product owners and scrum masters
• Simulations for management and development teams to visualise the added value of agile procedures

During the agile transformation support process, we are known for not mincing our words and always communicating simply and clearly. Our recommendations and interventions are designed for long-term success. We do not limit ourselves to mere coaching and one-off training sessions.

What does an agile transformation mean?

Agile transformations start with agile principles, early and regular delivery as well as identifying and correcting on a large scale. They start with pilots and experiments. This approach implies that the first steps also fail and prove to be only partially the right steps. It is easier for us to try things out if we don't have the feeling that results have to last forever. We are more willing to experiment.

For organisations that work on a project basis, agile transformation means moving from individual teams to the entire organisation working in an agile way. If individual teams in an organisation work successfully with agile approaches such as Scrum, the question often arises as to how these can be used across projects or departments or even for large projects.

Agile scaling approaches offer proven solutions for this. They offer an organisation what Scrum offers teams:

• They are based on an agile process in the team (such as Scrum) that coordinates the work in the team
• They offer coordination mechanisms for working together on a common goal in larger units with several agile teams
• They offer coordination mechanisms to link the strategy and the goals of the units with each other and thus achieve a continuous flow of decisions from the strategy to the work of the teams

Roadmap for an agile transformation

Once a company has made the decision, the next step is to ask how? How do I start with my transformation? What do I need to consider and who do I need? As every company is different, we have defined a model for agile organisation in order to be able to respond to the individual challenges of the company. This is mainly based on the Scaled Agile Framework. Based on the following steps, we design a customised transformation for our customers and thus guarantee a successful start:

Management involvement

• The first step is a management workshop. The aim of this phase is not only to impart knowledge on the topic of agility, but also to get management to live agility.
• ‘Lead the change’ is the correct credo for a successful transformation. Responsibility cannot be delegated, but must be assumed by management itself

Identification of the agile areas

• With the commitment of the management, the areas that will begin with agilisation are then defined. A transformation team is set up for each area to support the transformation over the entire period
• This team consists of the managers and key players in the future agile setup as well as coaches from us. The transformation team also works in an agile manner and maintains all the necessary stages in a prioritised backlog in order to define the overarching framework conditions for the agile teams

Defining the framework conditions and working methods

• The transformation team has the task of dividing the planned scope into epics and prioritising them
• An epic describes a ‘larger functional scope’ that can be implemented promptly and completely by one or more teams. On the one hand, this represents a practical exercise in agile behaviour and, on the other, serves as input for future team building

Training in agile roles

• To put together the cross-functional teams, all employees from the relevant areas are trained together in the agile methodology in training sessions
• Subsequently, the employees themselves determine the composition of the cross-functional teams in a workshop and appoint the product owner. The transformation team presents the epics to be implemented by the future agile teams as a guide

Kick-off for agile working

• Once the agile teams have been formed, a kick-off meeting is held for each team in which individual questions and framework conditions are clarified
• The first sprint begins immediately afterwards, accompanied by our Scrum Masters

Continuous review and adjustment

• By regularly going through the agile cycle, the teams internalise the agile way of working
• The retrospectives are used to achieve continuous improvement in each individual team
• Work is carried out according to the principle of Inspect & Adapt: ‘start fast, learn fast, improve fast’

Possible approaches are SAFe and LeSS:

• Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)
• Large Scaled Scrum (LeSS)

Would you like to start the transformation?

If you need support for the first workshop, please contact us. We have extensive experience in the various frameworks. We will work with you to design the solution that suits your company.