How to Increase Production with Business Agility

Prudential Case Study

When Hyperdrive began working with Prudential, the team was facing significant challenges. Even after spending millions on a tech program for two years, they hadn’t produced any functional code.

The primary issue lay in their traditional waterfall approach, which relied heavily on meticulous planning and documentation but often resulted in delays and inefficiencies.

Agile Transformation and Cultural Shift:

Hyperdrive helped Prudential address challenges by introducing Agile practices. This helped create a more flexible and collaborative work environment. The team’s culture and mindset changed as a result. This transformation involved several key steps:

Training and Education:

• Conducted extensive training sessions on Agile principles and practices.
• Educated team members on the benefits of Agile methodologies, such as Scrum and Kanban.

Process Overhaul:

• Moved away from the waterfall approach, which involved writing detailed plans on a board without tangible progress.
• Introduced iterative development cycles, allowing the team to focus on smaller, manageable tasks and deliver incremental value.

Collaboration and Communication:

• Fostered a culture of open communication and collaboration across all levels of the organization.
• Implemented daily stand-up meetings, regular sprint reviews, and retrospectives to ensure continuous improvement.

Empowerment and Accountability:

• Empowered team members to take ownership of their work and make decisions autonomously.
• Established clear roles and responsibilities, promoting accountability and transparency.

Results of the Transformation:

Increased Productivity:

The Agile transformation led to a dramatic increase in productivity, with over a 600% improvement. Teams were able to deliver working code and functional software at a much faster pace.

Business Unit Transformation:

Six business units within Prudential’s Individual Life Insurance unit underwent successful transformations. Each unit adopted Agile practices, resulting in streamlined processes and more efficient workflows.

Getting Things Done:

Switching from waterfall to Agile methods meant teams were not only planning, but also actively delivering. By focusing on iterative development and continuous delivery, progress was visible quickly for stakeholders to see tangible results.

Cultural Change:

The transformation instilled a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and adaptability. Teams became more resilient and better equipped to handle changes and challenges.

Hyperdrive’s assistance resolved issues within Prudential and set the stage for future success. This help not only fixed problems but also ensured long-term prosperity. The Agile transformation resulted in significant productivity gains, effective collaboration, and a shift from mere planning to actual delivery of valuable software solutions.

Agile SAVED a program once considered a failure.