With the support of KEGON AG, a software company in the automotive industry successfully transformed its software department into a high-performing Agile Release Train, thereby laying the foundation for scaled agile collaboration across the entire group.
Initial situation
The client from the automotive industry is a software house that operates as a 100% subsidiary of a major German automobile manufacturer. With the increasing importance of software in modern vehicles, the client established the Software department to build the necessary tooling and infrastructure for effective software development. This initiative aimed to provide system engineering tools that would empower development teams to work efficiently and enhance the overall software development process for the automobile manufacturer’s vehicles.
To further improve agility and efficiency, the Software department team took a bold step in 2023 by pioneering the adoption of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®) within the client organization. Recognizing the complexity of the transformation, they sought the expertise of KEGON to guide them through this journey.
The KEGON solution
KEGON played a crucial role in supporting the clients transition to SAFe. The journey began with the establishment of a dedicated transformation team, ensuring that key stakeholders were aligned and engaged from the start. Close collaboration with the internal Process Quality team helped to integrate Agile methodologies with existing organizational standards. To set a strong foundation, KEGON facilitated a Value Stream and Agile Release Train (ART) Identification Workshop, helping the client define its first ART.
As the transformation progressed, KEGON provided hands-on coaching to ART-level roles, ensuring that leaders and teams were well-prepared to drive agility across the value stream. The preparation for the first Program Increment (PI) Planning was a pivotal moment, with KEGON not only leading the planning process but also delivering SAFe® for Teams training to ensure alignment and readiness at all levels. The first PI Planning event was a significant milestone, marking the beginning of a structured, iterative development process.
Beyond the initial setup, KEGON continued to support the client by sustaining the transformation through ongoing coaching and mentorship. Team from KEGON prepared RTE to facilitate regular Business Agility Assessments that delivered quantitative measurement of the transformation progress and provided tangible source of further improvements. Their efforts ensured that the ART not only adapted to SAFe principles but also achieved high performance and delivered tangible value.
As a result of this structured and strategic transformation, this ART (formerly the Software department team) became a well-functioning and high-performing Agile Release Train.
Sustained Growth and Expansion
Since its establishment, this ART has continued to evolve, serving an expanding customer base within the client and automobile manufacturer. The demand for its services has led to multiple ART splits, resulting in the formation of several additional ARTs. These ARTs now collaborate effectively within a Large Solution setup, demonstrating the scalability and sustainability of the transformation initiated with KEGON’s support.
Conclusion
The clients journey with SAFe® has been a remarkable success story, showcasing how a structured Agile transformation can significantly enhance software development capabilities in the automotive industry. With KEGON’s guidance, the client has built a strong foundation for Agile at scale, ensuring continuous growth, innovation, and collaboration within the automobile manufacturers software development ecosystem.
You might also be interested in this.
From ART to Solution Train – Scaled Agility in Automotive Software Development
Would you like more information or do you have any questions?
Feel free to contact us!
Irina Heck
Tel +49 611 20 50 80
irina.heck(at)kegon.de