An agile transformation case study is a published report that tells a story about an organization’s experience when applying an agile transformation methodology and how the agile transformation process affected the whole organization or a specific department. Case studies are sometimes referred to as “customer stories” or “success stories” and are mainly used for marketing purposes. They are written so that the contents are from the focus of the customer and they are intended to show an example or value of a service. The intent isn’t necessarily to sell a product or service.
Professional services firms who provide agile consulting often include case studies as part of their marketing strategies and will have a section or page completely dedicated to transformation case studies on their website. These compelling client stories are a great way to show the value an agile transformation can bring to an organization.
The format in which studies are presented are primarily .pdfs which enable easy sharing, but some firms may also provide video. For example, LEGO Digital Solutions presented their agile transformation experiences and the video is published by Scaled Agile
Case studies can serve many purposes from providing supplemental educational material to supplying data necessary to create a business case for agile transformation.
Whether an organization is preparing to adopt an agile transformation process, methodology or in the midst of these activities, case studies can serve as a great reference to help educate teams and leadership. Case studies reference “real-life” examples which some people can relate to better than academic knowledge.
Due to the analytical information a case study offers, they can serve as a great tool necessary when building a strong business case for agile transformation.
Listed in a clear, concise format, a well-written case study should, at minimum, contain:
Additional supporting data such as: implementation costs, increased productivity costs, software analysis of quality, return on investment, metrics and financial information can are sometimes included and help to show quantifiable results.
The Barclay’s Retail and Banking agile transformation case study begins with the key “takeaways” so immediately they present what they had learned as a result of agile transformation. The case study also contains information such as the reasons why they wanted to transform, what they hoped to achieve with agility and the “why”, “what” and “how” statements which provide more insight into their agile transformation journey.
The USPTO case study describes some challenges, the method used to aid in transformation and the results.
As more and more organizations participate in transformation and publicize their results through case studies, more data can be collected, referenced and analyzed. This information can also help dispel the belief that agile is simply a “fad”.