How a transformation journey in a telecom operator would typically look like

1. ‘Agile For All’- Transformation
Journey in a Telco
-Abhigya Pokharel

2. • Sr. Project Manager, @ Ncell, Axiata (Nepal)
• Agile Scout - Driving the Agile Transformation Program
• Active member of Agile Nepal, organizing team member
for the Regional Scrum Gathering Nepal 2018.
CSM, CSP, CAL1, SAFE 4.5 Agilist,
ICP-ACC, PRINCE2 Practitioner

3. Agenda
2. Holistic approach to change
4. Servant leadership
5. How flow helps
1. Agile transformation journey for a telco
3. Embracing change

4. Agile in Nepal
Official User Group
by Scrum Alliance
International
Conferences
Software Industry using Agile since 2012
- RSGN2018 (169 Participants, 11 nations)
CAL1, Scrum@Scale, CSD Certifications
- Fifteen Agile Professionals Meetups
- Two​ Asia Agile Forum Conferences
- Two​ CSM Trainings for 150 participants
- One​ CSPO Training for 45 participants
- Participation in Global Scrum Gathering
(Bangalore, Shanghai, Singapore)
75 CSMs in 2016
Scrum &
Kanban
Regional Scrum Gathering
Nepal 2018

5. Business
Overview
Declining
revenue/
declining ILD
OTT Threats
High
Competition
between telcos
Data Revenue
/Opportunities
highest
Telco X
Leading
Telco
Subs: 20M
GDP
Contribution
3.2%
Penetration:
45%
Largest tax
payer
Organizational Demographics

6. Why Transform?
 Employee satisfaction score low- Happy Employees?
 Low productivity/ less revenue
 Waterfall projects not delivering end results as expected
 Expected faster TTM with good ROI
 Build products with customer needs- Happy Customers
 Using Agile- launched 10 products in 1 year in 2018, compared to 4 products in 18 months in 2016
54
60
60
64
54
58
70
80
80
84
70
70
Career Development…
Communication
Empowerment
Operating Efficiency
Performance…
Teamwork
Employee Satisfaction Survey (2016 Vs. 2018)
2018 2016

7. Holistic Approach to Change
Change
1. Values &
Beliefs
2. Practices,
Processes &
Tools
3. Functions &
Teams
5. Learning
4. Exemplary
Leadership
• Respect company values and change
• Clarity on what to implement
• Drive the end result
• Alignment
• Start with known frameworks
• Use of standard tools
• KPIs for measuring
• Breaking Silos
• Self organized teams
• Could be co-located
• Consistency across teams
• Change agents to implement the change &
frameworks
• Common vocabulary throughout the org
• Ask for help as required
• Trainings & Certifications
• Execute workshops to kickoff the
change
• Hypothesis & experimentation
• Active participation from all
• Inspire purpose to employees
• Create a sense of urgency
• Could be on a burning platform
• Focus on what I can give

8. Holistic Approach to Change – Values & Beliefs

9. Holistic Approach to Change – Processes & Tools

10. Holistic Approach to Change – Functions & Teams
Team Building
Holi
Badminton
Competition

11. Holistic Approach to Change - Leadership

12. Holistic Approach to Change - People

13. Holistic Approach to Change - Learning

14. Leadership Level Visualization

15. Team Level Visualization

16. Typical Agile Delivery
Ceremonies at Telco X
• Bi annual review of Products and Offerings
(Campaign Management)
• Monthly Calendar plan for Products and
Offerings
• Monthly Operational Meetings
• Daily Standups
• Sprint Planning
• Sprint Review
• Retrospective
5 Scrum teams and 3 Scrum Masters at
current who run Agile Projects and
Campaigns

17. Challenges
Cultural Transformation
• Empowerment
• Mindset Shift
• Work behaviors would not change easily
Performance
• Set and reach personal goals
• Train and develop your employees
• Identify and remove any roadblocks
• Focus on business strategy
Return on Action
• Financial impact
• Minimizing Risks
• Detailed reporting
User Engagement
• Energy/ Motivation
• Stakeholder buy-in
• Implementation of rules – do’s and don’ts to be
applied consistently across all the layers
Teams reluctant to engage Sprint backlogs keep on changing
Developers hate doing QA & documentation
Nobody understands Agile

18. Albatross Alignment
Fist of FiveLean Coffee
Experiments/ Prototypes/ Pivoting
Team commits first, before committing to client

19. YES
Failure: Integration of Data from all network elements, to analyze CAPEX utilization per BTS & Network Analysis
Lesson Learnt: Start with something small first. Once the result is visible plan for the next chunk.
Plan your work in Iterations.
Clear Communication: well planned & executed communication plan
Before
• Waterfall Model failed twice
• Project delivery in 1.5 years
• End result was not as expected
• Could not use the solution for the
customers
• Scraped the project
• CAPEX loss: 700,000 USD
After
• Used Agile
• Delivered 5 Use Cases in 6
Sprints
• End result as expected
• Using the solution for the
customers
• Phase 2 implementation on
going
• CAPEX : 450,000 USD

20. Agile Organization
Revamp the
workspace
Flexible working
hours
Extended
maternity leaves
Recreational leaves
Rewards and
recognition (Letter
of appreciation)
Slack time Vote of thanks
Visual boards/
Program walls
Celebrate success Fitness & wellbeing Hall of fame
Trust &
transparency
Delegating
authority &
empowering
employees
Process
simplification- in
terms of approvals
Create open
feedback culture
Career
development and
training plans
Secured
environment for
failing
Link performance
evaluation with
company values
Quarterly review of
targets ..

21. धन्यवाद
abhigya1@gmail.com Abhigya Pokharel