Embracing an agile transformation for sustainable growth

Executive Summary

Our client, a leading European financial institution, recognized the need to update its operational and delivery approaches. The organization shifted from conventional project-based frameworks to agile, cross-functional teams designed to enhance value delivery with greater efficiency and transparency.

Navigating change in financial service delivery

As a leading European financial institution, our client operates in a regulated and fast-changing environment. To stay competitive and meet regulatory and customer demands, the company aimed to modernize its delivery model but found its traditional structures and hierarchical decision-making were challenging quick adaptation and cross-department collaboration.

In this context, the organization faced two main challenges: first, it had to shift from working in isolated departments to fostering collaboration across different functions. Second, the financial institution aimed to cultivate an agile mindset to encourage continuous improvement and innovation. This transformation required not only adopting new processes but also changing team operations, communication methods, and ways of delivering value.

Implementing a structured approach to organizational transformation

The financial institution engaged BearingPoint as its strategic advisor to support this transformation. The multi-year collaboration was designed to enhance agile capabilities, revamp delivery frameworks, and foster a culture of agility across the organization.

BearingPoint kickstarted its agile transformation by launching autonomous Scrum teams aligned with strategic goals. To scale effectively, the project team adopted frameworks like Nexus and SAFe, enabling synchronized delivery and greater transparency. Role-specific coaching was provided to Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and development teams to enhance their agile skills. Simultaneously, over 100 managers completed agile leadership training to support the transformation from the top down.

BearingPoint used the Agile-Check© maturity tool to assess and benchmark agile capabilities, pinpoint improvement areas, and support backlog and reporting workshops. Moreover, internal teams were coached for ownership, driving sustainable transformation.

Empowering teams for increased operational efficiency

Our client’s agile transformation led to greater operational agility, team autonomy, and responsiveness. Within the set timeframe, four Scrum teams became fully functional and managed operations and change more efficiently.

The introduction of agile roles and responsibilities allowed for faster decision-making and decreased reliance on hierarchical approvals. A shared product vision, created using the Product Vision Board, aligned team efforts with strategic objectives and distributed ownership throughout the organization.

Most significantly, the transformation initiated a substantial cultural change. Teams grew more confident in handling tasks independently, leadership adopted a more supportive approach, and the organization demonstrated increased adaptability to change. By embracing iterative delivery cycles and fostering a culture of continuous learning, the financial institution positioned itself effectively to address future challenges with assurance and resilience.