Equifax began as a “Big Data” company before we had computers to manage data. A successful history can sometimes foster anti-Agile inertia, yet as the pace of change quickens, we must continue to evolve and innovate. Our Agile transformation began as a grass roots movement in various pockets of a company where maturity takes time and enterprise alignment is challenging. The Scaled Agile Framework provides a model for Equifax to mature our teams; however, anti-Agile inertia ultimately requires a number of additional approaches for scaling agility.

We’ll share 3 distinctions that are helping us bridge enterprise gaps and pick up the pace of innovation & delivery.

• First, we walk through the Agile “Integration Dilemma” where we integrated 4 team-level Agile tools – preserving team autonomy while enabling visibility of program-portfolio metrics. Our connector strategy enables us to drive Agile behavioral change with team based performance insights via self-comparison.

• Next, we cover our approach for building the Agile “Communities of Interest” across disparate groups, headlined by our annual Equifax Agile Smashup event. For the past 3 years, this event has promoted knowledge sharing about Agile practices throughout the organization with a balance of external and internal contributions. This community is supported by ongoing and wide-scale internal training provided to all Agile groups within Equifax.

• Finally, we discuss our model for bridging the Agile culture gap to promote our Core Software Engineering organization’s vision of the future. We are developing a pipeline of talented and diverse technical employees through partnerships with local colleges, and these young individuals are naturally suited to the Agile culture.

by: Rob P. | over a year ago | Not Sure Where it Fits...