Session Title : Meet the incredibles Executive Leadership engagement for Agile Transformations Session Overview : For a Fortune 500 client, an agile transformation using Spotify model met with conflicts and power struggle between executive leaders almost stalling the transformation. This case study presents how an Executive Action Team was created to get the Executive Leaders to a common understanding, bury their egos and work towards effective transformation roll out. The final results are astonishing for everyone to see.

2. 2
• PrincipalAgile Consultant with Xebia
• Overall 24 years of IT Experience
• Working in Agile space for the last 11 years
RajuK
Snapshot

3. 3
• Learn how to effectively engage Executive leadership that spans geographies across business units for a large agile
transformation
• Understand how to orchestrate Product Management symphonies across the globe with several distributed teams
• Learn how to build a community driven approach on internal capabilities development while scaling agile
• Learn how to weave two scaling frameworks together with least possible disruption
Key takeaways

4. 4
• Global leader in HR and related Service offerings
• Fortune 100 company
• AnnualTurnover ~USD 13 Billion
• 60000+ employees
Our Client
Please note: in the case study presented, few dramatic elements are added for humor.

5. A top consulting firm sold the
idea of Spotify model for Agile
transformation to the Global
CIO

6. Spotify model is enabled by a matrix aligned organization of Chapters (aligned to skills and capabilities) and
Recipe Teams (aligned to products and solutions)
Demand intake
from customers
is based on
standard set of
solutions offered
by Client
Chapters
Network
Database
Recipe Teams
R1 RmR2 Rn
• Teams are aligned to a
product(s) and solutions
• Operate in Agile
• Charged with continuous
improvement, cross
training, and upskilling
• Recipe teams focus on
automation
• Several recipe teams form
a tribe
About Spotify Model
Product aligned Infra aligned

7. Transformation Rollout
Timing of major
activities for each
stage of the
recipe rollout
Activity Timing
Sprint 1 S1 = 0
Kickoff S1 – 2 weeks
MVP identification S1 – 4 weeks
Communications S1 – 3 weeks
Logistics S1 – 3 weeks
Team selection S1 – 3 weeks
Role training S1 – 6 weeks
Activity Timing
Prioritize next set of
solutions to focus on
Pre-launch
Build fact base on
prioritized solutions
Pre-launch
Design recipe teams Pre-launch
Identify core team
members (RO & SM)
Pre-launch
Validate scope &
refine prioritization
Pre-launch
Create initial
solutions framework
& iteratively refine
Pre-launch
Activity Timing
Health / maturity
monitoring
Post S1 &
ongoing
Performance
monitoring
Post S1 &
ongoing
Release support Post S1 &
ongoing
Communities
of practice
Post S1 &
ongoing
Recipe team 30 day
check-point
S1 + 30 days
Training Post S1 &
ongoing
Stabilization S1 + 4-6 wks
Sprint 1
Recipe pipeline creation
(for iteratively designing recipes)
Recipe team rollout
(for launching batches of recipes)
Recipe team support
(for monitoring each recipe)

8. Just like any fairness cream advertisement…
Agile (Spotify) is not a magic wand…

9. What could go wrong?

10. When global teams started emerging…
Please note: This image is a symbolic representation of shift in priorities. It has nothing to do with any politician or region or government.

11. Stalled transformation…

12. That’s when the Global CIO issued a Wanted poster…

13. Introduction to Scrum@Scale…

14. Let’s welcome the EAT – The Incredibles
• EAT stands for Executive Action Team
• EAT co-ordinates multiple Scrum-of-Scrums of teams
• It maintains a transparent backlog and meets daily
• It builds the capability with in the organization for Business
Agility
• It supports the exploration of new ways of working

15. Reaching out to EAT
• Few things on the primary radar of the EAT
Breakdown of Silos
Large technical issues
Vision and Mission
related guidance
Co-ordination across
departments/functions or
Business Units & geographies
Investments related
External or vendor/supplier
related

16. EAT’s visual dashboard…

17. EAT’s monthly Leadership Retrospectives

19. End Result of Phase 1 of Transformation…
• Phase 1 completed 1 month ahead of schedule
• A total of 140+ teams across the globe successfully transformed into Agile New Way of Working and
they are able to sustain the Agility on their own going forward
• Number of consultant coaches reduced from 25 to 6 in USA and Europe, 5 to 3 in India.
The Global CIO now leaves for home early and spends some quality
time with his Grand Children.
Significant achievements:
• Database maintenance window reduced from 2 hours to 20 minutes
• 480 hours of deployment cycle reduced to 40 hours
• Approval cycle of 200 days was reduced to 1 day
• Complete Onboarding procedure was reduced from 3 weeks to 1 day
• Password reset process turnaround was reduced from 5 hours to 2
to 3 minutes