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Keeping the Momentum: Driving Continuous Improvement After the Large-Scale Agile Transformation

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Product-Focused Software Process Improvement (PROFES 2021)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 13126))

Abstract

The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is currently the most popular framework to scale agile development to large projects and organisations. An organisational transformation to SAFe is usually driven by a Lean-Agile Centre of Excellence (LACE). What happens to the LACE after the initial transformation is over? How does the organisation keep improving? In this single-case study we investigated how the volunteer-driven LACE in a Nordic bank, Nordea, drives continuous improvement long after the organisation’s transition to SAFe. We collected data by 10 semi-structured interviews and several observations. We found that the LACE at Nordea drives continuous improvements by working in a Scrum-like fashion: it uses Product Owners, maintains a backlog of improvement features, works in sub-teams to identify and solve issues, and meets once a week to coordinate and share between the sub-teams. The LACE consists of volunteers, which is an advantage as changes are identified and implemented by the same practitioners who experience the need for them. However, this volunteering model is not without challenges: the LACE lacks the formal mandate to implement the needed changes and other work takes priority for the participants.

Supported by Nordea.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://www.nordea.com/en.

  2. 2.

    in July 2021.

  3. 3.

    https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16729000.

  4. 4.

    Due to an active Non-Disclosure Agreement between the researchers and Nordea, all data used for this research project is protected from sharing.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. IT University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Josefine Bowring

  2. LUT University, Lahti, Finland

    Josefine Bowring & Maria Paasivaara

  3. Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland

    Maria Paasivaara

Authors
  1. Josefine Bowring
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  2. Maria Paasivaara
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Josefine Bowring .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy

    Luca Ardito

  2. Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering, Kaiserslautern, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany

    Andreas Jedlitschka

  3. Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy

    Maurizio Morisio

  4. Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy

    Marco Torchiano

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Bowring, J., Paasivaara, M. (2021). Keeping the Momentum: Driving Continuous Improvement After the Large-Scale Agile Transformation. In: Ardito, L., Jedlitschka, A., Morisio, M., Torchiano, M. (eds) Product-Focused Software Process Improvement. PROFES 2021. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 13126. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91452-3_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91452-3_5

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-91452-3

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