The Challenge:
The client, the world’s largest telecommunications company, was tasked with developing a "next generation" entertainment platform that was unprecedented in the industry. The client committed to release the first version of the new platform within one year and under tight budgetary constraints. An initiative of this magnitude and import required that the business and technology areas come together with cohesion and seamless communication. New ways of working were required, which called for a complete transformation of the way the organization’s leadership and developers thought, acted, communicated, developed, and delivered.
The Solution:
The client chose to use the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®) to achieve the desired results. Teams were created and the first Agile Release Train (ART) was stood up and trained, starting with 208 people in the first SAFe® for Teams class. Coaches were assigned to the ART to aid the teams in their transition to Lean/Agile ways of working. A Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) model using a common set of processes and tools, including Jira Align and Jira Software was also employed. Through the use of these tools and the implementation of SAFe®, we were able to redefine the role of leadership in the development process. We were also able to clarify the process by which interorganizational teams are built and function, and correct greater issues of miscommunication and misunderstanding of terminology across the groups involved.
Through a combination of teaching and coaching SAFe® and Lean-Agile principles, we implemented SAFe®, scaled it to the enterprise, and achieved the desired results for this "next generation" entertainment platform. The client was able to cultivate a lasting culture conducive to effective communication and efficient delivery.
By the end of Program Increment (PI) One (10 weeks), there were 375 team members and four Agile Release Trains working within the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®).
The Result:
This successful implementation of Agile through Jira Align and Jira Software has inspired other clients to implement Lean/Agile via SAFe® to enhance performance on an enterprise level. Our experts are currently working to instill a similar framework at a multinational financial services corporation. While we are in the beginning stages of our engagement there, even just the formulation of structure and the beginnings of building Jira Align has already impacted the organization through a change in the dialogue. The conversation has shifted from a discussion exclusive to numbers but lacking process, to one based in the planning, change, and enterprise-wide communication it will take to make to make a lasting impact on the efficiency of delivery and the company’s ultimate success.
