The Situation: Adaptability in a Changing World
How can innovation and stability be managed at the same time? This was the question facing a global IT service provider with more than 10,000 employees worldwide. The company had initiated a comprehensive agile transformation of its IT organization, aiming to create the foundation for faster innovation and greater resilience through modern processes, clearly defined roles, and a new leadership culture. Campana & Schott supported a central subproject within this transformation. A global department with around 100 employees in Germany, Spain, and India was tasked with migrating the existing call center and communications solution from on-premises to the cloud, as well as redesigning the user interface and functionality.
Throughout the development and implementation process, the department was also responsible for ensuring the stability of day-to-day operations — a classic example of ambidexterity, where balancing ongoing operations with innovation is essential.
The Challenge: Managing Complexity and Uncertainty
The specific challenges of this project went beyond technology. The main challenges lay in the interplay of structures, culture, and people.
Parallel operations and capacity management
The department had to maintain reliable operation of the legacy solution while developing the new one. This resulted in capacity bottlenecks and an increased cognitive load for employees.
New and changing roles and skills
The introduction of Product Owners, Agile Masters, and Chapter Leads created uncertainty and raised questions about responsibilities.
Standardization vs. customization
Moving from individual customer solutions to a globally standardized platform challenged existing processes and customer relationships fundamentally.
Internal silos and inefficient processes
Existing structures stood in the way of a consistent product development strategy. Teams worked in isolation and struggled to maintain a holistic view.
International collaboration
The different cultural backgrounds of teams in Germany, Spain, and India required a new shared understanding of transparency, collaboration, and accountability.
Our Approach: Building a Holistic Agile Organization as a Lever for Efficiency and Innovation
Campana & Schott supported the agile transformation of a department that, in addition to its line responsibility for operating the existing on-premises solution, was also responsible for developing and implementing the new platform. This transformation was part of a company-wide reorganization.
Agile structures were established together with leadership and teams.
- Comprehensive support for agile teams: Definition, setup, and coaching of teams to effectively implement agile work.
- Definition of a collaboration model: Establishment of workflows, regular agile formats, and appropriate tools aligned with the overarching governance model.
- Role coaching: Training and mentoring for Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Chapter Leads, and Tribe Leads to help them gradually take on and confidently manage responsibilities.
- Reorganization of the department: Introduction of a matrix organization to better integrate teams, developed in close coordination with stakeholders such as the works council.
- Cultural dimension: Transparency, accountability, and cross-border collaboration were to be actively lived. From the outset, the transformation was accompanied by a cultural component to ensure that new values became part of everyday practice.
The Project Results: A Sustainable Agile Structure with Measurable Success
Clear successes were achieved during the subproject. The department established structures and roles that not only ensured project progress but also laid the foundation for sustainable development. Key results included:
→ Agile organizational structures: The organization was restructured around products and value streams and is now able to adapt flexibly to changing conditions.
→ Clear role definitions: A consistent role model reduced uncertainty and strengthened employee ownership.
→ Harmonized planning rhythms: Standardized sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives increased efficiency and facilitated cross-team collaboration.
→ Regular retrospectives: A culture of continuous learning emerged, enabling faster adjustments and fostering trust and open feedback.
→ Development of a shared vision: Defining a clear collaboration strategy facilitated international teamwork and ensured alignment on common goals.
→ Agile leadership as an enabler: Leaders evolved into enablers by providing orientation, creating space for initiative, and modeling transparency and trust. Agile values were exemplified from the top and firmly anchored in the culture.
→ Systematic Inspect & Adapt: Regular “Inspect & Adapt” sessions supported continuous improvement and strengthened the organization’s ability to change.
Next Steps and Scaling
The subproject was successfully completed together with Campana & Schott and today serves as an example of how agility can be implemented in practice. The lessons learned are being transferred to other parts of the organization. Proven practices and processes are being scaled step by step to establish a sustainable agile culture based on transparency, ownership, and continuous learning.
Agile Transformation as a Continuous Process
Agile transformations are iterative processes, not one-off projects. With each step, organizations gain experience that can be used to continuously evolve structures, roles, and culture. If you would like to learn more about agile transformations, our experts will be happy to arrange a non-binding consultation.
