Product Thinking & Kanban-Based Agile for Financial Services

About the Client:

Our client, a global leader in the financial services industry, has a reputation for delivering cutting-edge payment solutions and maintaining high customer satisfaction. Their technology group is pivotal in managing intricate systems, ensuring operational efficiency, and driving innovation to support seamless global services.‍

Problem Statement

The organization faced significant challenges in its effort to meet operational goals within the dynamic financial services industry:‍

1. Complex Dependencies: Teams heavily relied on internal stakeholders and external vendors like AT&T, which caused frequent delays and bottlenecks.
2. Leadership Resistance: Although the transformation initiative was part of a company-wide mandate, leadership lacked genuine commitment and engagement, perceiving it as a     compliance exercise. This resulted in limited support for teams and the Agile coach.‍
3. People Challenges: Teams were left to navigate issues independently, as leadership was not actively involved. The Agile coach faced resistance but chose to focus on empowering teams to take ownership of the transformation.‍
4. Process Inefficiencies: Low Agile maturity led to unclear priorities, delayed deliveries, and SLA breaches by vendors.‍
5. Workflow Blind Spots: Teams struggled without tools to visualize tasks, dependencies, and SLAs, resulting in misalignment and inefficiency.

Solution Offered: Bottom-Up Kanban Transformation with PLM Tool Implementation

Given the lack of leadership support, the Agile coach employed a bottom-up approach, empowering teams and demonstrating quick wins to build Momentum. Kanban and the implementation of RallyDev, a project lifecycle management (PLM) tool, supported the transformation.

Here's how the solution addressed the challenges:

• Starting Small with Basics: The Agile coach shared simple yet impactful tips with teams, such as visualizing workflows on Kanban boards, setting WIP (Work In Progress) limits, and improving task prioritization. Teams quickly experienced the benefits of these practices, fostering a sense of ownership
• ‍Building Momentum from the Ground Up: Teams began adopting Kanban independently, achieving early successes that encouraged others to follow. This ground-up adoption     created a cultural shift and demonstrated the initiative's value.‍
• Leveraging the Company-Wide Mandate: Despite leadership resistance, the company-wide initiative ensured that teams were at least participating. This allowed the Agile     coach to gradually win support by showcasing tangible benefits.‍
• Enhancing Visibility with Tools: Kanban boards enabled teams to visualize dependencies, identify bottlenecks, and track progress. RallyDev further streamlined operations by providing a unified platform for managing tasks, milestones, and dependencies.

• Collaborative Practices: Regular replenishment meetings, daily syncs, and improvement discussions fostered team communication and problem-solving.‍
• Turning Leadership Resistance into Support: As teams began to see measurable improvements, their enthusiasm and results gradually gained the leadership's attention. This eventually led to leadership support and alignment with the transformation goals.

Benefits Achieved

Over the course of 10 months, the organization achieved remarkable results:

• Dramatic Lead Time Reduction: SLA resolution times dropped from 18 days to just 2 days, a transformative improvement in the financial services sector.‍
• Improved Team Collaboration: Empowered teams became advocates for change, driving adoption across the organization.‍
• Better Workflow Visibility: Kanban boards and RallyDev enabled teams to track tasks, dependencies, and SLAs clearly, facilitating proactive problem-solving.‍
• Increased Efficiency and Throughput: Streamlined processes led to faster deliveries and improved quality.‍
• Leadership Buy-In: Initial resistance from leadership was overcome as the success of the bottom-up approach became evident. Dramatic‍
• Dramatic Lead Time Reduction: SLA resolution times dropped from 18 days to just 2 days, a transformative improvement in the financial services sector.‍
• Improved Team Collaboration: Empowered teams became advocates for change, driving adoption across the organization.‍
• Better Workflow Visibility: Kanban boards and RallyDev enabled teams to track tasks, dependencies, and SLAs clearly, facilitating proactive problem-solving.‍
• Increased Efficiency and Throughput: Streamlined processes led to faster deliveries and improved quality.‍
• Leadership Buy-In: Initial resistance from leadership was overcome as the success of the bottom-up approach became evident.‍

Timelines

This transformation unfolded over 10 months, with visible improvements in the first few weeks as teams implemented Kanban boards and began following the tips provided by the Agile coach.

‍Exciting Takeaway: From Compliance to Commitment

The most exciting aspect of this transformation was how a company-wide initiative, initially seen as a compliance exercise, became a catalyst for cultural change. The Agile coach turned resistance into commitment by focusing on small wins and empowering teams, proving that even reluctant leadership can be won over through results.

Conclusion‍

This case study highlights how a leading financial services organization overcame operational and cultural challenges by leveraging Kanban, RallyDev, and a strategic bottom-up approach. The story underscores the power of persistence, team empowerment, and the strategic use of company-wide mandates to drive meaningful change in a complex, high-stakes industry.

Facing resistance to change in your organization? Learn how a strategic bottom-up approach, combined with tools like Kanban or any PLM, can drive lasting transformation. Let's discuss your journey to operational excellence!