1. Agile-Scrum Implementation in Comverse – Case Study Yoav Flam – April 2010

2. Overview • Why did we do it? • How did it work out? • What worked out well? • Challenges • What Next for us?

3. Overview • Comverse – Billing and Value added services systems provider to Telco operators world wide • Platform Product Unit – Provider of HW & SW infrastructure to different internal product units. • Cross organizational projects with different products and releases timelines.

4. Why did we do it? • Trust and partnership issues between groups • Lack of goals synchronization • Time to Market • Low Quality • Constant crisis management • Need for change

5. How did it work out? • Good Very Good

6. What worked out well for us – Top 5 • Better Communication between technical teams – dissolve the hierarchical communication model • Improved Quality: • Immediate feedback and small iterations • Knowledge sharing • Focus on actual customer needs • Release grade – 98/100 • Core team Motivation and Satisfaction • Ability to Contain Changes: • Additional requirements without changes in the Timeframe • Mistakes in initial design • Keep the planned project Budget

7. Challenges • Need clear support from Management – mixed signals & other commitments • Requires “more” Effort than before • Need an Agile Champion to keep the project energy levels up • Teams tend to Fallback to old ways with new agile naming • Need Re-education of the entire food chain for successful assimilation – PM, RM, SE, TL, Developers, Testers.

8. What Next for us • Preferred development method small-medium size projects • We are not ready yet for large scale implementation • More projects developed using Agile-Scrum methodologies • Role building workshops – PO, SM

11. Yoav Flam – March 2010