Published Case Studies
Some of my work has been appeared as case studies in a number of prominent publications most notably.
"Team Focused Office Space at CLD" in the ground breaking book Team Topologies by Matthew Skelton & Manuel Pais
"Agile Working at CDL" in one of the first books looking at Agile leadership. The Agile Leader by simon Hayward
An Agile Transformation
Empowering an IT Department through a Scrum and Tribes & Squads Implementation
Image by vectorjuice on Freepik
Introduction:
This case study highlights the journey of a leading legal panel management company's IT department as it underwent a transformational shift towards agile practices. Faced with the challenges of lengthy and often late deliveries with associated quality issues, I lead the adoption of Scrum and the implementation of a Tribes & Squads organisational structure, aimed at fostering autonomy, mastery, and ownership within the teams.
Background:
The company's IT department had previously struggled with a lack of trust from the business or at least a limited understanding of what they did and the problems they faced. This was sustained by inconsistent delivery and quality issues. The business had recognised the need for change and had engaged me as Delivery Lead to oversee a comprehensive agile transformation to address these challenges and create a more efficient and effective work environment.
Objectives:
The primary goal of the agile implementation was to establish, at first 2 and then 3, three autonomous, cross-functional Scrum teams capable of taking a product from concept to production and beyond. The focus was on promoting ownership via a product-centric approach, having the team responsible for the full life cycle of their products.
Approach:
Transitioning to Scrum: Scrum had been chosen as the agile framework. The teams were restructured into three autonomous units, each having a cross-functional composition encompassing all necessary skill sets to develop, test and deploy their products.
Ownership and Responsibility:
The concept of solutions architect and designated leads were eventually removed, promoting a sense of collective ownership within the teams. Every team member was encouraged to take on leadership responsibilities, fostering a collaborative and empowered working culture.
Tribes and Squads Model
The organizational structure was transformed using the Tribes and Squads model, decoupling line management from specific skill sets. Managers became a servant leader role, focused on supporting team members' career development rather than exercising traditional command and control.
Mastery and Learning:
The development teams embraced a sense of purpose driven by higher levels of engagement in their products and it vision provided by the product owners. Continuous learning and improvement were emphasised, with the belief that "out learning the competition" was key to our success.
Small, Rapid Value Delivery:
The teams shifted their focus towards building small, valuable increments, deploying them quickly and safely through automate everything and everything as code principles. This enabled rapid iteration and feedback loops for continuous improvement.
Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing:
Regular Chapter meetings were organised to sharpen skills and promote knowledge sharing. Guilds were formed to tackle specific initiatives such as DevOps and cloud adoption. Tribal gatherings further facilitated the sharing of experiences and celebrated successes.
Results:
- The transformation yielded significant improvements in delivery efficiency and quality:
- Deployment frequency increased from 5 times a month to over 5 times a week.
- The teams became highly trusted, resulting in the successful development of a revenue-generating product within just 15 weeks.
- Lessons learned throughout the journey provided valuable insights, enabling continuous refinement and improvement.
Conclusion:
By implementing Scrum and fostering autonomy, ownership, and a strong learning culture, the IT department of the legal panel management company underwent a successful agile transformation. The teams became highly trusted, achieved faster and safer deployments, and accomplished remarkable product development milestones. The agile approach enabled them to adapt to changing market needs, deliver value rapidly, and outperform their competition.
Building a new Revenue Stream in 15 weeks from a standing start
Image by vectorjuice on Freepik
Introduction:
This case study illustrates the rapid creation of a new revenue stream by a legal panel management company, leveraging its data assets and innovative agile practices. Faced with the challenge of launching a new product quickly, the company assembled a small Scrum team using contractors and focused on efficient development, robust testing, and cloud-native architecture. This study examines the strategies employed to achieve this remarkable feat and reflects on lessons learned during the process. .
Background:
The legal panel management company possessed valuable data processed by its legacy system, which had potential to create a new revenue stream. However, the company needed to bring the product to market swiftly and lacked available development resources. The challenge was met with a strategic approach aimed at building a capable team and adopting efficient development and deployment methodologies.
Agile Approach:
1. Quick Formation of a Skilled Team:
Recognizing the urgency, the company quickly formed a small Scrum team composed of a Product Owner (PO) and one developer familiar with the business domain. To augment the team's capabilities, three experienced developers and one test automation expert were brought on board as contractors. This allowed the team to hit the ground running within two weeks.
2. Agile Development and CI/CD Pipeline:
Leveraging the .NET framework, the team utilized Azure DevOps for Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) through YAML pipelines. This "pipelines as code" approach ensured regular builds and deployments across various environments, all managed through Terraform for "environments as code." This streamlined process enabled fast and controlled releases.
3. Test-Driven Development and Automation:
The team emphasized high test coverage and automation. "Tests as code" practices were adopted to ensure the product's reliability and maintainability. This approach facilitated early detection of issues, enabling swift resolutions and minimizing disruptions during development.
4. Cloud-Native Microservices Architecture:
The team embraced a cloud-native microservices architecture, enabling rapid development and scalability. This architecture was crucial for creating a resilient and flexible foundation for the product. It allowed the team to build on top of existing resources and avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts.
Progression and Reflection:
1. Iterative Releases and Enhancements:
The team released iterative versions of the product, continuously adding enhancements based on customer feedback and evolving requirements. This iterative approach allowed the product to adapt to market demands and improve its offerings over time.
2. Transition to Permanent Team Member:
As the product gained traction and the company's needs evolved, the temporary contractors were gradually replaced with permanent staff members. This approach ensured continuity and sustainability as the product matured.
Conclusion:
The legal panel management company's success in building a new revenue stream in just 15 weeks showcased the power of agile practices, smart resource allocation, and a commitment to rapid, customer-centric development. By assembling a skilled team, adopting efficient development methodologies, and embracing cloud-native architecture, the company was able to pivot a valuable data asset into a thriving product. The experience also underscored the value of continuous improvement and adapting strategies based on insights gained from the journey.