IT freelancer

My client decided on an agile transformation using SAFe and is currently partly in a transition organization to realign the company for the long term. To bring valuable insights from agile frameworks into the cluster (=ART), I was brought in as a Team / Agile Coach.

My client faces the challenge of training all employees in SAFe, shifting the mindset, and guiding the change process both gently and consistently.

• Acting as interim RTE for the entire ART
• Preparing, running, and following up on PI Plannings with over 50 people
• Coaching and training in the SAFe context in two Data Lake teams with over 20 people
• Establishing agile methods and approaches
• Organizing and facilitating Scrum events while adhering to the rules and agreements
• Communicating across team boundaries and managing dependencies (impediments) between teams
• Supporting team DL1 toward self-organization and cross-functional teamwork
• Supporting team DL1 and the cluster in PI preparations and PI Planning
• Leading and facilitating the team's active risk management
• Facilitating and running PI Planning

The project’s goal was to build a nationwide online organ donation register to record the willingness of citizens to donate organs. By developing user-friendly portals, authorized groups should be able to securely collect, manage, and, if needed, retrieve highly sensitive data. This was to be achieved by reflecting on and improving the previous agile way of working and cross-team collaboration.

The challenge was to enable and coach the teams to ensure efficient and well-coordinated cooperation. The project team of about 30 people and the three Scrum teams of about 8 people each faced the task of smoothly implementing and integrating the online organ donation register.

• Enabling teams in scaled collaboration to promote efficiency and teamwork
• Acting as dedicated Scrum Master for one of the three Scrum teams
• Promoting optimal team formation by implementing self-staffing practices
• Advising and supporting project management on agile practices
• Facilitating sprint transition events

An increase in efficiency across the entire lending process was achieved by introducing a "Digital Expert Workplace" implemented with MS Dynamics. This includes automating subprocesses such as valuation and balance confirmations, as well as integrating bank-specific processes and a customer dashboard. A hybrid management model that combines traditional and agile methods and is overseen by a project management team and a steering committee monitors the project's implementation.

The project's challenge was to introduce an agile work model to support the agile product development of the 12 theme cluster teams, consisting of product owners, software developers, business analysts, and test managers, in line with the traditional management approach outside the project. During the project, we had to realign all processes for remote work due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which required developing and implementing virtual working formats.

• Introduced Scrum@Scale practices tailored to the project's specific requirements.
• Acted as team coach to support developers and product owners in the agile transformation.
• Advised and supported project management in implementing agile practices.
• Developed metrics and KPIs to measure success.
• Actively organized and facilitated comprehensive release planning and retrospectives.
• Responsible Scrum Master (supporting daily stand-ups, moderating big room planning sessions (also remote)).

The client's web application, used for internal administrative purposes, was continuously expanded with new modules and functions during my assignment in the "Redesign" project phase using an agile Scrum approach. My tasks included the functional and technical analysis of change requests, as well as design and implementation. I was also responsible as Scrum Master for shaping the agile process.

• Lead Scrum Master in the project.
• Implemented test-driven software development in Java.
• Conducted technical analyses and designed workflow processes.
• Coordinated and aligned with business units.
• Troubleshot and fixed bugs.
• Ensured quality through continuous integration processes.

As part of the maintenance project, the client's existing application for managing their SKL and NKL lottery products was enhanced with new features in an agile Kanban environment.

• Implemented features (back-end and front-end) based on Java.
• Extended and adapted the SAP interface / maintained the infrastructure.