The document summarizes elements of a successful enterprise agile transformation. It discusses analyzing problems and opportunities, developing a vision and roadmap, implementing agile practices with appropriate support, and leading organizational change. Patterns of success include establishing transformation leadership, training, and coaching while adapting practices to the organization. Lastly, it emphasizes the importance of a guiding vision, communicating for buy-in, and creating a sustainable model for continuous improvement.

1. Mardi 17 Novembre 2009
Paris, la Défense
Enterprise Agile Transformation
Elements of Success
Petra SKAPA
Senior Consultant
Valtech Technology
pskapa@valtech.fr

2. Agenda
• My Background
• Why Consider an Agile Transformation
• Patterns & Elements of Success
• Leading Change
• Conclusion & Questions
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3. Background
• Developer, Iteration Manager, Project/Program Manager, Coach
• First Agile project using Scrum in 2002 with Ken Schwaber
• Consultant to Global 1000 companies in North America
• Project delivery, coaching & agile transformation
• Insurance, healthcare, energy, insurance, leasing, retail industries
• Director & Chief Agilist with Gap Inc. Direct (GID)
• Responsible for agile transformation for e-commerce business
• 300+ ppl; US$1 billion annual revenue, 4 locations
• Senior Consultant Valtech Technology
• Focus on agile transformation
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4. Why Consider an Agile Transformation
Solving Problems
• Long time to market or inability to respond to change
• Delivering the wrong thing to customers
• High maintenance costs / quality issues
• Losing market share to competitors
Organizational Improvements
• Collaborative, self-organizing and innovative teams
• Increase employee retention and productivity
• Work more closely with business groups & customers
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5. Patterns & Elements of Success
Analysis & Recommendations Phase
• Obtain perspectives and visibility into the problems & opportunities
• Develop Vision, Investment and initial plan
• Baseline current state
• Create Agile roadmap
• Prioritize most important activities
Example Vision Statement
• “Leverage Agile methods to develop a sustainable model that will
increase solution delivery throughput and quality.”

6. Patterns & Elements of Success
Example Agile Roadmap

7. Patterns & Elements of Success
Support & Approach
• Support
• Transformation leadership; training; coaching; co-development and
technical infrastructure
• Approach
• Multi-level engagement with pairing or coaching from developers to
executives
Reading books, or training, often will not result in lasting change
• What is right for your organization? Ask this…
• Experience amongst your people
• Drivers for change
• Leadership support
• Alignment & resistance or impediments to change

8. Patterns & Elements of Success
Agile Practices
Image Courtesy of Robert Norton
Interactions

9. Patterns & Elements of Success
Success depends on:
• Long-term sustainable improvements
• The right support for your specific needs
• Ensuring that you are actively managing impediments and providing
the right support
• The end goal is sustainable continuous improvement leveraging
Agile methodologies

10. Leading Change
Organizational Level
• “Heart of Change”
• Increase sense of urgency • Enable action
• Build guiding teams • Create short-term wins
• Get the vision right • Don’t let up
• Communicate for buy-in • Make it stick
John P. Kotter, Harvard Business School

11. Leading Change
Framework for Process Improvement
• “Six Areas of Agile Transition”
> Agile vision
> Organizational roll-out strategy
> Practice strategy
> Methodology support strategy
> Integration strategy
> Development environment
Cutter, Jim Highsmith, Director Agile Product & Project Mgmt Practice

12. Change Organization
Backlog
Chief Strategic Direction Owner
Agilist
Agile
Guidance
Team Agile Training 101
Agile Cookbook & Inception Toolbox
Employee 1
Organizational
Agile Health Check & Assessment
Owners
Project & Story Employee 2
Sizing
Iteration Management
Employee 2
Employee Employe External Employee External
e Expert Expert

13. Conclusions
• Clearly understanding of drivers for change
> Change is not free
• Patterns & Elements of Success
> Assessment Phase
- Develop Vision & Roadmap
> Support & Approach
- Agile practices
• Leading Change
> Heart of change
> Change organization & framework
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