Transport for London faces significant challenges due to expected population growth and high daily road traffic. The organization aims to use technology to assist highway professionals in managing road space, reducing disruption, and promoting safety. The document outlines various challenges faced in implementing agile practices within a traditionally non-agile environment, emphasizing the need for flexibility and collaboration in project management.

1. Transforming the way we deliver
Operational Technology
Alex O’Brien
Senior Product Owner
Transport for London

2. Some existential questions..
Who am I?
What do I do?
Why am I here?
2

3. TfL’s Challenge
• Expected population growth to 10 million by
2030
• Over 20 million trips on London’s roads every
day
• 80% of all trips in London take place on the road
network
3
London is busy...

4. TfL’s Challenge
• London’s buses carry 6.5 million people each
day
• Over 90% of all freight is carried on the road
network
• Half a million road works every year
4
London is busy...

5. TfL’s Challenge
• 100+ organisations can dig up the road
• 33 boroughs + TfL
• 1 National specification – EToN
• Legislative and statutory requirements
5
London is busy...

6. My Team’s Vision
Delivering technology to help London’s Highway
Professionals:
– Manage the public road space
– Reduce Disruption
– Promote safety
– Manage revenue
6

7. Products
7

8. LW2 Origins
• Live since 2006
• 2014 Tech Refresh
• 2015 Surface ITS / Pathfinder
• Agile Scrum
8

9. 9

10. Pathfinder Challenges
1. Contracts
2. Environments
3. Customers
4. Leadership
5. Support
6. Project Management
7. Planning
10

11. Agile in Local Government
• Tech + Process hurdles
• LG = governance / risk management / public
money
• Constraints = our own hybrid version
• Informs future projects
11
Hello governance!

12. Pathfinder Challenges #1
/ AKA / how to procure services for something you
don’t yet fully know or understand
• Detailed plan / payment milestones vs flexibility
to work creatively, explore scope, evolve
understanding
• Fixed Price vs Time and Materials
12
Contract Management

13. Pathfinder Challenges #2
/ AKA / What to expect if you cannot deliver
shippable products every sprint
• Project-specific [environments did not yet exist]
• Challenged concept of ‘shippable product’
• Led to ‘end-of-project-testing-effort’
13
Non-Agile deployment / Environments / Testing

14. Pathfinder Challenges #3
/ AKA / how to sell them the idea that they are
more accountable for success than ever before
• Greater responsibility
• Inherit traditional expectations
• Use of video
14
SME Involvement

15. Pathfinder Challenges #4
/ AKA / how to ensure that ‘this agile stuff’ is as
good as everyone says it is
• Problems are inherent with a disruptive
approach
• Problems encountered may be a symptom of a
wider dysfunction
15
Senior Leadership Backing

16. Pathfinder Challenges #5
/ AKA / Exploring a non-penalty-centric approach
to support agreements
• Punitive approach vs partnership approach
• Kanban / WiP
• Complex model, but a good foundation
16
Application Support Models

17. Pathfinder Challenges #6
/ AKA / delivering change in a ‘generally’ non-agile
environment
• Adherence to a programme can be counter-agile
• Value is in the planning ‘not’ the plan
• We need the agility to change course quickly,
without penalty or waste
17
Project Management vs Agile thinking

18. Pathfinder Challenges #7
/ AKA / how to champion agile values in a
traditionally C&C organisation responsible for
spending public money
• Educate, demonstrate success
• Use stage-planning, not project-planning to
determine overall budgets
18
Budget Planning

19. Partnerships
• WS02
• ESRI
• TfL Business
• TfL T&D
• Application Users
• Application Partners
19
And THANK YOU!

20. Final Words
• Embrace Coaching - get help early, and
throughout a new deployment of agile
• Embrace agile values and principles – refer to
these often, use as a sanity beacon
• Embrace the humanity of software development
20
It’s been emotional...

21. Thank You

22. wso2.com