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Waterfall to Agile Transformation for a US based Petrochem Payment Solutions
Delivering Scalable Agile Transformation Across a 13-Team, Multi-Region Petroleum Payments Program using SAFe
Client Overview
The client is a leading petroleum retail technology organisation providing end-to-end payment and customer experience solutions across gas stations in North America and South America. Their portfolio includes Point of Sale systems, Forecourt management, Food Services, and digital customer interfaces, all running on legacy technology with increasing regulatory and operational demands.
With teams distributed across India, the US, and Canada, the organisation needed to modernise its technology stack, improve responsiveness to market needs, and transition from traditional Waterfall delivery to Agile ways of working. Leadership sought a consulting partner to introduce structured agility, enhance cross-regional collaboration, and establish predictable execution across product lines.
Business Challenges
The organisation faced several structural, cultural, and operational challenges that limited its delivery velocity and ability to modernise effectively:
Prolonged Release Cycles
Waterfall-driven delivery slowed feedback loops and hindered timely customer value realization.
Complex Legacy Architecture
Aging systems limited upgrade flexibility while digital demands continued to expand rapidly.
Fragmented Team Priorities
Distributed teams operated with inconsistent workflows across customer delivery, new initiatives, and technical excellence.
Limited Agile Maturity
Most teams lacked exposure to iterative ways of working and cross-functional collaboration practices.
Structural & Cultural Bottlenecks
Hierarchical decision-making and cross-cultural differences created delays and dependency challenges.
Pandemic-Driven Disruptions
COVID-19 intensified operational instability and required immediate transition planning for remote delivery.
The leadership recognised the need for a unified Agile operating model capable of delivering predictability, improving quality, and ensuring adherence to regulatory and compliance standards.
Our Approach
NextAgile executed a structured and scalable transformation using the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), supported by continuous coaching and leadership alignment across regions.
- Conducted Agile readiness and maturity assessments for all product teams.
- Mapped product streams across Point of Sale, Forecourt, and digital services to identify key interdependencies.
- Engaged business leaders, architects, and regional managers to understand constraints, legacy system risks, and cultural gaps.
- Assessed portfolio-level flow to determine where SAFe could most effectively bring predictability.
- Designed a SAFe-based operating model tailored for distributed engineering teams across India, the US, and Canada.
- Established 13 Scrum teams aligned to value streams with clearly defined roles for Product Owners, Scrum Masters, and Release Train stakeholders.
- Introduced structured governance through PI Planning, Inspect & Adapt workshops, and synchronised sprint cadences.
- Created a business contingency model to ensure uninterrupted delivery during the pandemic.
- Embedded three NextAgile coaches for 12 months to guide teams through sprint execution, backlog refinement, and SAFe ceremonies.
- Conducted extensive training programs on Essential SAFe, Agile fundamentals, and role-based competencies for new Scrum Masters and Product Owners.
- Facilitated PI Planning across two major regions to improve alignment, prioritisation, and dependency management.
- Worked closely with leaders to address cross-cultural collaboration gaps and empower teams to operate with shared ownership.
- Set up Agile information radiators, including team boards, PI dashboards, and progress visibility mechanisms.
- Established unified reporting for sprint performance, delivery progress, and impediments at the ART (Agile Release Train) level.
- Enabled data-driven decision-making at leadership forums through transparent flow metrics and cadence-based governance.
- Ran a 6-month internal capability-building program for Scrum Master and Product Owner candidates to foster self-sustaining agility.
- Conducted reinforcement cycles to ensure consistency in cadences, backlog management, and sprint delivery.
- Built a culture of continuous improvement through retrospectives, role-based communities, and shared learning across distributed teams.
Impact & Outcomes
Within the transformation period, the organisation experienced measurable improvements across delivery, culture, and operational resilience:
Strong Regulatory Compliance
Achieved full adherence to compliance requirements despite legacy constraints and distributed delivery environments.
Enhanced Customer-Centricity
Embedded product discovery practices—such as persona mapping and user journeys—to deepen focus on end-user needs.
Predictable Delivery Rhythm
Established reliable delivery cycles through structured SAFe ceremonies, synchronized cadences, and PI Planning.
Resilient Remote Operating Model
Enabled seamless continuity during COVID-19 through a rapidly deployed business contingency and remote-first framework.
Strengthened Agile Capability
Built internal maturity with trained Scrum Masters and Product Owners leading self-organizing teams.
Improved Visibility & KPI Outcomes
Unified Agile practices enhanced value-stream transparency, enabling leadership oversight and timely delivery of business KPIs.
Testimonial
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