The challenge 

When Sigel faced the new operationalization of digital marketing, a website redesign, and the implementation of a company-wide CRM system, it quickly became clear to the office product specialist that adopting an agile approach would bring decisive advantages. Classic values from the New Work environment, such as user centricity, efficiency, and joy in one's work, were to be brought to life in everyday practice and not just serve as a collection of buzzwords.

The approach 

In the preliminary phase, our core team—Michael Timmermann (Partner), Lukas Bargel (Project Manager and Agile Coach), and Matthias Fligge (Agile Consultant and Agile Coach)—began to address fundamental questions such as “What organizational structure do we need?” and “What digital tools are available, and which one truly suits our project?” together in co-creation with Sigel.

In the subsequent ramp-up phase, the focus was on onboarding three Scrum teams and establishing a comprehensive agile architecture. Structuring the process with Program Increment Plannings (from the SAFe agile framework) helped create clarity and align everyone towards a common goal, as well as regularly review progress. The ramp-up phase concluded with the first successful Program Increment Planning.

From this kick-off event onward, our Agile Coaches supported the teams intensively through various formats:

• Development of inspiring and motivating product visions that are not "interchangeable"
• Training formats for role holders and teams, including a three-tier Scrum Master certification program
• 1:1 coaching and 1:1 sparring, especially for Product Owners and Scrum Masters
• On-the-job sparring on agile methods
• Team coaching
• Meeting-Shadowing
• Training in agile leadership mindset for the management and stakeholders
• In-depth consulting regarding the "Agile Backbone" (elaboration of agile roles as well as structures and processes regarding interfaces and stakeholders, intersection of agile teams)

The results and success factors

• Time-efficient and goal-oriented approach through customization of traditional agile frameworks like Scrum or SAFe according to the context rather than rigid adherence to rules
• Clarity and motivation regarding one's own work among all team members through transparent structures and promotion of proactive assumption of responsibility
• Tangible cultural change with many interconnected impulses through the integration of psychological and pedagogical expertise
• Sustainable transfer of competence from Timmermann to Sigel through thorough training and on-the-job guidance of key role holders
• Equality in discussions across different hierarchical levels through substantive and cultural integration of management
• Swift and effective decision-making in the project through highly structured management reporting

"Thank you very much, dear Lukas and Matthias! You have inspired us with diverse methods and a lot of passion for agile work, and you have supported us in finding our own path. Thanks to the collaboration on an equal footing with you, our corporate culture has evolved even further towards openness and trust. We have gained plenty of inspiration and exciting ideas, and we are very much looking forward to implementing them daily."

- Kathrin Killisperger, Scrum Master

We're honored that an agile expert like Sigel trusted us and suggest exploring the top-notch office products from this project on the  Sigel website.