Scrum is a well-known Agile framework whose origins date to the late last century. It has gained momentum with the popularization of the Agile approach to software development in the first and second decades of this century. Its popularity exceeded the IT industry long ago and Scrum became an inevitable component of the delivery organization of any successful company. It is by far the most used agile framework and in this case study we will see how introduction to it helped a company operating in a traditional and highly regulated industry. Get ready to dive into a world of banking, and fintech and fight for existence.

Meet Our Client

Our client here was a well-known European bank. The bank has over 2500 employees internationally, with over 600 locally. Operating in a financial industry our client was exposed both to strict regulations of the sector imposed by different national banks, but also a competitive pressure by new players in the fintech arena. The bank is working in a traditional organizational setup, assuming a hierarchical, waterfall approach to project management.

The Challenge

This method of organization and execution is characterized by linear and rigid structure, and often results in delayed project timelines, inflexible processes, and difficulties in adapting to market demands and customer needs. These issues were compounded by the bank’s expansion into digital banking and fintech services, which required a more dynamic and responsive approach.

As the main stakeholders have already gone through our Introduction to Agile Approach course, they have already been acquainted with the concept and benefits of the Agile approach. So, they were aware of different frameworks, and which should suit them best. Therefore the request to us was straightforward – educate our people in Scrum, and help us establish it in our organization.

What was the problem?

As said, the request was made very clear. However, the main challenge lies in the background of the client itself. People were very much used to working in a traditional way, which assumed applying for projects on a yearly level, getting “resources” for a specific time, and nailing the project scope upfront. Each change in a project had to be reported and approved by a steering committee, the lines of communication were long and each decision took days if not weeks to be made.

From this setup, the teams should be taken to empowered persons capable of making decisions related to products they are working on, to teams dedicated to products instead of projects, and to people utilizing direct communication, not a hierarchy. This required not a single course but a change management strategy.

How did we help?

As said, the request was made very clear. However, the main challenge lies in the background of the client itself. People were very much used to working in a traditional way, which assumed applying for projects on a yearly level, getting “resources” for a specific time, and nailing the project scope upfront. Each change in a project had to be reported and approved by a steering committee, the lines of communication were long and each decision took days if not weeks to be made.

From this setup, the teams should be taken to empowered persons capable of making decisions related to products they are working on, to teams dedicated to products instead of projects, and to people utilizing direct communication, not a hierarchy. This required not a single course but a change management strategy.

Our proposal to the client consisted of several steps, some of which happened in parallel, others taking a sequential approach.

1. Start with the Introduction to Scrum Framework course, which will be expanded to encompass an understanding of the Agile Manifesto and its principles. This will be rolled out to 40 people in two flights. With this, we will bring the crucial people in the execution of the projects to the same level of understanding of Agile and Scrum.
The course lets people understand the key benefits of Scrum, and when and where it can be deployed. Through a series of practical exercises, attendees experienced the meaning of key Scrum events. Through lively discussions, they found out about Scrum roles and compared them to roles they already knew in their work (e.g. business analyst, project manager, system architect, etc.).

What has shown as the most important and most valuable part of this course, were the discussions with the coach about concrete, real-life examples of applying Scrum in their environment. As our coach has vast experience in implementing this framework in a similar environment his comments, insights, and recommendations meant a great deal to the attendees.

2. Engaging as a coach – Educating people is not enough for the change to happen. Having seen the positive impact the course had on the employees, and their enthusiasm, bank management decided to approve the next step, the engagement of our coach to continue working with the organization.
Coaching was happening through:
* Tailored Coaching Sessions: Customized coaching sessions for different departments to address their specific challenges.
* Establishing Scrum Teams: Formation of cross-functional Scrum teams with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
* Ongoing Support: Regular check-ins, workshops, and advanced training sessions to ensure continuous improvement and adherence to Scrum principles.

3. First change agent – Delivering knowledge and establishing a way of work are only two preconditions for the change. Making a new mindset a default way of thinking takes time and dedication from people in the organization. Therefore our coach performed the first change agent in the organization with the main role to meet, detect, and recruit a small team of internal change agents among the bank’s employees. The role of these pioneers was to promote the Agile approach through their behavior, but also through the education of others, proposals of improvements, or complete process changes. The important role of these first evangelists was the fact that they knew the organization well. Therefore, they were able to propose proper steps that have to be taken for a change to be gradual, yet effective. These people grew to become true Agile coaches in the organization. They were the essential engine in its transformation from a traditional, rigid financial institution to a modern, responsive, quick, customer-oriented bank of the future.

Learnings

Starting with a good understanding of the Agile approach overall is an excellent starting point for organizational transformation. When considering the concrete Agile framework that will be deployed, courses like Introduction to Scrum are invaluable for several reasons:

• It provides an excellent overview of the framework itself, giving attendees a thorough understanding of the framework.
• It gives practical experience in using Scrum in a safe environment enabling people to grasp how and if it might work in their organization.
• It gives reasons why and in which situations Scrum can be helpful, as well as when other Agile frameworks might be a better solution.

In this case, the Introduction to Scrum Framework course, delivered by our coach, played a pivotal role in transforming this bank’s approach to product and project management.

By embracing Scrum, the bank overcame its traditional challenges, aligning itself with the demands of the modern fintech world and setting a strong foundation for future growth and innovation.

In a journey similar to what is shown in this case study, supporting the team with an experienced mentor is always beneficial, especially when change management is needed, and when things are being set up in a new way.

If you are facing similar hurdles in your journey, contact us, and let’s chat about how we can help and supercharge your team’s performance.