A leading telecommunications company needed to modernize its operations to remain competitive. As part of their journey to become an agile, tech-enabled product company, they were looking to enhance productivity across the HR, finance, and IT. This effort involved overhauling their SAP applications, internal ordering processes, asset management systems and collaboration tools. CGI was tasked by the client’s Transformation Center of Excellence with driving this critical shift through a comprehensive agile transformation plan that used Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) methodology and involved enterprise agility coaches to support the organization’s executives.

Context and challenge

In the fast-paced communications sector, modernizing systems and optimizing processes is crucial. In CGI’s 2024 Voice of Our Clients research, telecom executives cited alignment gaps between IT and business operations that must close to achieve a unified strategy, with agility as a key pillar. For this telecom client, agility and efficiency were paramount. However, they faced several challenges that hindered their growth and efficiency. Legacy systems were costly and lacked scalability, compounded by increasing support requests and rapid technology updates. Transformation was essential for maintaining a competitive edge.

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Solution

With the support of the CGI’s Corporate Services, our experts implemented agile teams using the SAFe framework to manage complex systems and streamline operations. We conducted empathy workshops and interviews to address internal challenges, ultimately developing a comprehensive agile transformation plan focused on continuous improvement and efficiency. Upgrades included enhancements to corporate messaging, asset management and collaboration platforms. Key deliverables were: 

  • Establishing agile teams: Sixteen agile teams were organized into an Agile Release Train (ART) to manage and support various enterprise systems. This structure resolved cross-dependencies and delivered value more quickly.
  • Empathy workshops and interviews: These sessions were conducted to understand internal challenges, leading to targeted restructuring and improved planning processes.
  • Developing an agile transformation plan: The plan included the establishment of agile teams, regular retrospectives and strategies for self-organizing teams—all aimed at removing bottlenecks and optimizing workflows.
  • Upgrading systems and tools: Upgrades included corporate messaging, internal ordering processes, asset management systems and new collaboration tools such as an internal chatbot, enhanced endpoint protection and support for Webex and Microsoft SharePoint migration to Microsoft 365.

Our end-to-end change capabilities, combined with our agile-at-scale expertise and deep understanding of the telecom industry, enabled CGI to support the client in driving a successful agile transformation. By aligning business and IT around value, we not only helped them improve efficiency, but also positioned the client to thrive in a competitive landscape.

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Business outcomes

The agile approach implemented by CGI’s business consulting experts, along with support from the client’s Corporate Services executives, has led to significant improvements in several key areas: enhanced responsiveness, reduced costs, increased productivity, improved compliance, and a seamless SAP cloud upgrade that aligns the client’s business with IT. 

Here’s a closer look at how these outcomes were achieved:

  • Accelerated feature releases: Over 16 agile teams were established within 4 months, resulting in faster release cycles for internal ordering systems.
  • Lower operational costs: Streamlined processes and modernized systems contributed to reduced operational costs associated with the help desk.
  • Enhanced employee productivity: Upgraded collaboration tools and systems improved employee productivity.
  • Improved compliance and policy implementation: The agile approach facilitated quicker implementation and adherence to both corporate and regulatory policies.
  • Efficient SAP cloud upgrade: The agile methodology enabled a swift and successful upgrade and migration to the SAP cloud.