Starting point
An e-commerce company wanted its growth and data teams to work more effectively. The department had tried Scrum more than once without getting the results it wanted. This time, 18 people in two Scrum teams set out to make it work.
What we did
- Assessed before acting. We analysed the department’s current situation in detail, built the most suitable transformation plan and agreed on it together.
- Gamified training. Interactive, fun sessions on agile principles, Scrum events and roles gave everyone a shared language.
- A Chief Product Owner. The cross-functional group was split into two teams, and a Chief Product Owner with strong prioritisation and value skills helped both set clear goals and clearer backlogs.
- Ownership in the teams. With Scrum, both teams learned to plan their own work and manage it more effectively, which encouraged everyone to take responsibility.
- Learning through uncertainty. Unclear data models sometimes made things hard, but two-week iterations meant the team delivered several pieces of work the customer asked for, and kept adapting.
Result
After four sprints, the growth and data teams were working together faster, more effectively and more flexibly. Retrospectives after every iteration became a habit, and team members felt their contributions mattered more. Learning from earlier failures and taking bold steps made the difference.