Energy industry – Agile SAP project

To ensure significant quality improvements, more efficient implementation, faster adjustments and a strictly prioritized approach, Scrum was used instead of the classic waterfall method. Based on a scaled Scrum approach with three IT implementation teams and six “non-IT” teams, an entire program including the Program Management Office was managed in an agile manner for the first time. At the beginning, full-day training sessions were held for all employees involved to teach them the basics of Agile and Scrum. The managers learned about the opportunities and challenges of agile working in 30-minute sprints in so-called “Agile Awareness Sessions”. In addition to the ongoing learning and change processes, nine scrum teams spread across two continents had to be set up, coached and managed. Another challenge was to harmonize the software implementation by an external IT service provider with the internal customer requirements. In order to demonstrate the added value of the iterative approach in practice, an agile method was chosen for the assessment of the new IT service provider and the project initialization. In addition to providing intensive technical advice, a consistency consultant took on the role of agile coach. Furthermore, a contract was drawn up that uses an agile balanced score card to promote agile collaboration with the service provider throughout. The Chief Scrum Master provided by consistency supported the entire non-SAP area in six workstreams as well as the customers and suppliers in the agile implementation and coached a total of seven Scrum Masters. This enabled a consistently agile approach from project management at senior level through to software development after just a short time.