Agile Transformation Case Study

Case Study Summary 

In “Giving Legal a Leg Up!”, learn how Senior Agile Consultant Andrew Robbins and his team led a transformation within the legal branch of a Fortune 500 company, by blending Agile and Lean techniques with Scrum Values. The organization not only changed its business culture, but also increased its efficiency and exponentially decreased decision latency and costs to the company.

SUMMARY: Overcoming Traditional Challenges by Applying Scrum Values to Hypotheses and Actions

Our story begins within the Office of the Chief Legal Officer (OCLO), where 100 attorneys, formerly dispersed across the company, faced challenges due to growth, a hiring freeze, and escalating workloads. The legal team, driven by a culture of always serving the business, experienced burnout, high overtime costs, and challenges in prioritization. Meanwhile, meetings were often redundant, paralegal utilization varied widely, and time was spent building materials better suited for the business. Consequently, this led to the company looking for help, and where Andrew and his team stepped in, to help build a new management system that was aligned to the five Scrum values.

The Solution: Empiricism Driving a Better Tomorrow

Andrew and his team began the transformation by employing Agile and Lean techniques, conducting onsite organizational analysis “Go See“, focus groups, process mapping, and culture surveys, to understand the existing dynamics. This diagnostic phase also included an inventory of ongoing initiatives to avoid duplication and encourage collaboration. He championed the five values of Scrum: Commitment, Courage, Focus, Openness, and Respect, across the OCLO.

Andrew then encouraged the implementation of Scrum Values to set a lasting foundation of Agility for the organization. The hypotheses included: Daily touchpoints to shift the culture; structuring problem-solving to create empirically measurable benefits; connecting work to strategy, thereby improving prioritization; and finally welcoming leading practices.

A Lean Management System was then adopted and infused with the Scrum Values. Critical aspects of this management system included: Introducing daily touchpoints; focusing on the critical, few Kaizens; creating a Hoshin Strategy for the organization; implementing the welcomed leading practices; and introducing standards for paralegals.

Outcomes from Implementing an Agile Transformation

By embracing Scrum values and principles, this legal organization achieved remarkable results—doubling its output while significantly reducing operational costs. Their journey towards Agility still continues, with a commitment to continuous improvement and sustainable practices.

• Transitioning to in-house operations eventually led to a marked decrease in outsourcing expenditures.
• Reallocation of funds previously used for outsourcing to internal projects contributed to a cost saving of approximately 1.5 million dollars per year.
• By optimizing processes, the organization both saved around 400 hours per week, and enhanced focus and efficiency.
• Support for product groups and ongoing improvement efforts were also bolstered by reallocating the saved time.
• Decision-making and communication processes were streamlined, cutting down latency from weeks to mere days.
• The organization’s overall responsiveness improved, ensuring better cohesion and strategic alignment.

Who Is Andrew Robbins

Andrew brings a mindset that loving the core of what you do is the only way to be both happy and successful. Hailing from the Buckeye State, Andrew has been with Scrum Inc. for nearly two years as a Senior Agile Consultant. Prior to joining the team, he worked for more than a decade in the insurance industry. Andrew also graduated with an MBA from The Ohio State University and has a background in coaching with the Fisher Leadership Initiative at OSU.

Andrew is an experienced consultant with a history of partnering with leaders to drive Lean, Six Sigma, and Agile practices across the enterprise. He is also capable of leading transformational initiatives that are complex in nature and involve multiple stakeholders. He develops strategy with company leaders and then guides them towards actions that result in measurable benefits. Andrew utilizes change management and communication techniques to help transformations undoubtedly sustain their gains.

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