How Fletcher Building Used SAFe to Successfully Drive Digital Transformation and Accelerate Flow of Value

“Our customers have told us they’re getting the products and services they have always wanted. We’re connecting with them to understand and solve their pain points at a pace previously unheard of in Fletcher Building”

Wayne Armstrong, GM Digital & Marketing at PlaceMakers

Industry:

Construction, Manufacturing, Recycling

Quick Facts:

  • Approximately 150 people trained and practicing SAFe
  • 2 ARTS, 5 Value Streams
  • Fletcher Building followed the full implementation roadmap to ensure all their people (including multiple partners across multiple geographies) were trained and aligned before launching each of the trains.
  • They also focussed on gaining buy-in from executives of the business units as well as IT leadership through a Leading SAFe course. This helped them understand the theory and enabled buy-in to the radical change in approach. 
  • Including the Business Change team in the ART created the organization’s first cross-functional business team with marketing, operations, digital team, and digital support.

Outcomes & Lessons Learned:

  • Improved reliability (~ 94% predictability) and frequency of releases as well as accelerated development into market enabled better comms and created a competitive advantage
  • Creating a cross-functional alignment helped to drive digital adoption. 
  • Following human-centred design and focusing on solving customer pain points was integral to achieving the organization’s goals.
  • They shifted conversations from time/cost/budget to customer experience and prioritisation (fixed capacity) and benefit realisation.
  • They did discovery in parallel to development, which enabled a relentless improvement of products.
  • The transformation resulted in a more  than 90% customer satisfaction in products. Customers are more highly engaged than ever before.
  • Ecommerce revenues jumped from $0 in 2019 to $300+ million in 2022
  • Over time, the teams created strong bonds, took ownership of the objectives, and created their own innovation features, which accelerated development and ensured that Fletcher Building achieved its initial $100m sales target a year ahead of schedule.

Overview

SAFe helped Fletcher Building transform their large, complex portfolio organisation by completely changing how they implement technology solutions. They moved from siloed teams and waterfall technology practices to customer-led cross functional teams aligned around delivering prioritised business outcomes. 

The company faced initial challenges, such as getting buy-in from a decentralized IT department and overcoming the organizational mindset that “going fast” was a problem for IT to solve. Additionally, there was a six to seven hour time difference between Fletcher Building and their software development vendors, which made it more challenging for people to align and communicate. 

“There is always resistance to change,” explains Wayne Armstrong, GM Digital & Marketing at PlaceMakers, the retail trading arm of Fletcher Building. “Initially there was a belief within parts of the organization that this is a nice theory but would never work in our highly complex, fragmented organization with a huge number of disparate systems and vendors.” 

To overcome this, Fletcher Building worked with a dedicated partner, Pretty Agile, and focused on ensuring the culture of the teams was strong with a very engaged leadership who actively addressed some of the risks quickly. Pretty Agile was able to challenge the organization’s thinking and help set them up for success leading up to launch. 

In the end, SAFe helped Fletcher Building to halve the time and cost to implement technology, exponentially increase digital revenue, and make a step change in staff engagement and customer satisfaction.

Back to: All Case Studies

Suggested Case Study: Royal Philips

The British Council

“I think our story has resonance with lots of other people, probably like myself, who find themselves in positions of leadership in today’s world and maybe don’t have the background in technology particularly. That’s one thing I will say, and I think this is sometimes controversial, but I often get nods when I say it. Technology is not the main event.”

Saima Satti, Head of Global Exams Business Improvement, British Council

Industry:

Education, English language, and Cultural Sectors

Quick Facts:

  • Founded in 1934, the British Council has focused on building connections for 90 years.
  • It is a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. Most income comes from partnership agreements, contracts, philanthropy, teaching and exams, and they also receive grant-in-aid funding from the UK government.
  • The Council is currently present in 100+ countries.
  • As part of their growth and development, the British Council’s Global Exams Business Improvement team created a Lean-Agile Center of Excellence and embedded a SAFe think tank.
  • Most of the team’s leadership is SAFe certified.

Outcomes & Lessons Learned:

  • It’s not all about technology. The adoption of SAFe enabled the development and delivery of over 150 initiatives including a balanced proportion of both Technology and non-tech improvements that deliver value across the world.
  • SAFe enabled the delivery of value more efficiently and more broadly across the globe.
  • The adoption of LPM and work on multiple portfolios with an overarching Portfolio of Portfolios was game changing for the teams, stakeholders and ultimately the realisation of value. Even though we realised we were already working at portfolio level when we started our SAFe journey we adapted and embedded accordingly ensuring SAFe worked for us .. and it did! Key lesson there is to try and find a way through and not get overly worried that your context is already more complex.
  • With SAFe, they were able to shift their focus to “people, passions, and pivots” and accelerate the flow of value.
  • Critical to success was culture and it was important to foster a culture of safety through communication events, peer support, and sharing vision and strategy across every level.
  • Involve everyone, from the most junior person to leadership. Respect your people and culture.
  • Work toward alignment, transparency, and continuous improvement.
  • If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the business and they will take care of the customer.

Overview

The British Council is an organization that works for a more peaceful and prosperous world by building connections and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. Working with people in over 200 countries and territories and with presence on the ground in more than 100 countries.


Uniquely combining the UK’s deep expertise in arts and culture, education and the English language, global presence and relationships in over 100 countries with unparalleled access to young people, creatives and educators, and their own creative sparkle, the British council will reach 650 million people this year alone.


One of the focus areas of the organization is administering examinations, helping people gain access to trusted qualifications to support their career and study prospects. About 5 million exams are administered at more than 850 locations worldwide.


The British Council’s Global Exams Business improvement team, dispersed across 23 countries, implemented SAFe to help break down silos and to reduce wasted time in handovers between tech teams, systems teams, process, and implementation. They also wanted to align their culture around a shared strategy and vision and were able to do so with SAFe.

Back to: All Case Studies

Suggested Case Study: Royal Philips

Meet SAFe CoPilot

Meet SAFe® CoPilot

Join us for a SAFe Studio exclusive experience where you’ll Meet SAFe® CoPilot!

When:

June 27, 2024, 10:00 am – June 27, 2024, 11:00 am MST

Where:

Zoom

Who:

Agile Coach, Product Manager, Product Owner, Release Train Engineer, SAFe Program Consultant, Scrum Master

Event Overview

Generative AI tools like SAFe CoPilot have unlocked significant productivity gains for SAFe roles. By reducing the routine, repetitive tasks that create toil for the individual contributor, SAFe CoPilot enables more ‘time in zone’ for higher-order, critical thinking work. In this interactive session, we will unravel the potent capabilities of SAFe® CoPilot by diving into the tool in real time. 

We’ll also discuss its positive impact on SAFe roles and how SAFe® CoPilot offers a competitive edge in the tech development landscape.

Speakers

William Kammersell

Director of Product Management, Scaled Agile, Inc.

Unlock Unprecedented Productivity: The Flow Metrics Path to Agile Success

Unlock Unprecedented Productivity: The Flow Metrics Path to Agile Success

Whether you are new to the concept of flow metrics or looking to deepen your understanding and application, this session will equip you with the knowledge and tools to start leveraging flow metrics for remarkable improvements in your organizational performance.

When:

April 24, 2024, 10:00 am – April 24, 2024, 11:00 am MST

Where:

Zoom

Who:

Agile Leaders, LACE Leader, Product Manager, SAFe Practice Consultant, SAFe Program Consultant, Transformation Leader

Event Overview

In today’s competitive business landscape, attaining enterprise agility is more crucial than ever. Many are intrigued by the potential of Value Stream Management (VSM), yet find it intimidating and overly complex, even a colossal challenge. What if the journey to enterprise agility could be significantly simplified?

This session focuses on demystifying “flow metrics” – it’s the fastest and most effective path to extract immediate value for any organization. Flow metrics offer a lens through which organizations can view the efficiency, speed, and quality of work moving through their processes.

By attending this webinar, you will learn:

– What Flow Metrics Are: An introduction to flow metrics and their role in tracking the movement and delivery of value in the enterprise.

– Why They Matter: Explore the critical importance of flow metrics in identifying bottlenecks, reducing waste, and improving overall system performance, leading to enhanced enterprise agility.

– How to Get Started: Practical steps to begin collecting and analyzing flow metrics, even without fully implementing Value Stream Management (VSM). We’ll break down the seeming complexity of VSM, showing how any organization can derive significant value from flow metrics.

–Transformative Insights: Discover the kinds of insights flow metrics can provide and how these insights can be used to make informed decisions, prioritize work, and drive continuous improvement.

Speakers

Marc Rix Headshot

Marc Rix

Methodologist, SAFe® Fellow at Scaled Agile, Inc.

Brad Kramer

Pre-sales Solution Engineer at Atlassian

Co-Presented by:

Improving Portfolio Outcomes with Real Options

Improving Portfolio Outcomes with Real Options

Real options promote flexibility in decision-making and enable organizations to pivot, change course, or seize new opportunities as circumstances evolve.

When:

May 21, 2024, 12:00 pm – May 21, 2024, 1:00 pm MST

Where:

Zoom

Who:

Consultant, Director, LACE Member, Program or Project Manager, SAFe Program Consultant, Transformation Leader

Event Overview

In this one hour session, you’ll receive an overview of: 

• Similar to Options contracts: The right but not the obligation to purchase or sell (i.e. Gets and Puts, respectively).

• Financial Framework: a financial decision-making framework based on ROI and probabilities

• Strategic Flexibility: enabling organizations to reduce risk, better use of capital, and avoid sunk costs. 

Don’t miss it!

Speakers

Joe Vallone

Principal Consultant, SPCT/SAFe Fellow at Scaled Agile, Inc.

Claus Hirzmann, Dipl.-Ing., MBA

Co-founder at Strategic-Finance SAS

Event Sponsors

The Future of SAFe 

The Future of SAFe® 

When:

April 25, 2024, 12:00 pm – April 25, 2024, 12:45 pm MST

Where:

Zoom Webinar

Who:

SAFe Experts, SAFe Partners, SAFe Professionals

Event Overview

Join us for a dynamic 45-minute webinar to explore how SAFe is evolving in today’s unique context. Learn about the areas of focus informing future Framework guidance, and learn about new solutions for SAFe customers, partners, and professionals.

Inbar Oren and Product Management team leaders will start by revealing new solutions to help your organization break down barriers that impede organizational agility and enable individuals, Agile teams, and ARTs to work more effectively with SAFe.

Then, we’ll shift to all the latest from Andy Sales and his Framework team. A year after the launch of SAFe 6.0, Andy Sales will share areas of focus for SAFe Next: Revisiting the origins of Agile with Agile Engineering, deeper/more practical Lean Portfolio Management guidance, and emergent patterns for organizing around value at scale.

Don’t miss this opportunity to peek into the future… The Future of SAFe!

Speakers

Inbar Oren

Chief Product Officer at Scaled Agile, Inc.

Andrew Sales

Chief Methodologist at Scaled Agile, Inc.

William Kammersell

Director of Product Management at Scaled Agile, Inc.

Michelle Jimenez

Product Manager at Scaled Agile, Inc.

Marc Rix

Methodologist, SAFe Fellow at Scaled Agile, Inc.

Silvio Wandfluh

Senior Director of Product at Scaled Agile, Inc.

February RTE Circle

February RTE Circle

From RTE to Flow Master: Achieving Synergy with ART Kanban

When:

February 22, 2024, 9:00 am – February 22, 2024, 11:00 am

Where:

Zoom

Who:

Release Train Engineer

Event Overview

Imagine exchanging ideas, troubleshooting challenges, and recounting tales with fellow RTEs and STEs worldwide without leaving the comfort of your home.

You’ve just described RTE Circles. And you’re invited.

Speakers

Mike Alber

Director of Community Engagement

Charlen M. Cuenca

SAFe Fellow, SPCT

SAFe Day Government 2024

SAFe Day Government 2024

When:

May 8, 2024, 8:00 am – May 9, 2024, 5:00 pm EST

Where:

Ronald Reagan Building 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004

Who:

Event Overview

Join us as we explore Empowering Government Transformation through Agile Innovation. SAFe Day Government explores the paradigm shift in the Federal government when fostering a culture of Agile innovation. This conference brings together visionary leaders, policymakers, and Agile practitioners to explore and champion the adoption of Agile methodologies in government. Through collaborative discussions, real-world case studies, and interactive sessions, we aim to inspire, educate, and empower government agencies to embrace agility as a fundamental driver of positive change.

SPC Welcome Webinar

SPC Welcome Webinar

Our next SPC Welcome Webinar is exclusively for new SPCs.

When:

December 5, 2024, 10:00 am – December 5, 2024, 11:00 am MST

Where:

Zoom

Who:

Consultant, Director, Program or Project Manager, Release Train Engineer, SAFe Program Consultant

Event Overview

We will review the many tools and resources available to ensure your success as a SAFe® trainer and coach.

– Ready to Train online learning
– Course enablement + validation
– Purchasing licenses
– Downloading courseware
– Creating courses
– Virtual classroom (optional, for remote setting)
– Uploading roster
– FAQs
– Other valuable resources

Speakers

Mike Alber

Director, Community Engagement at Scaled Agile, Inc.

Garren Watkins

Product Manager at Scaled Agile, Inc.

SPC Welcome Webinar

SPC Welcome Webinar

Our next SPC Welcome Webinar is exclusively for new SPCs.

When:

September 12, 2024, 10:00 am – September 12, 2024, 11:00 am MST

Where:

Zoom

Who:

Consultant, Director, Program or Project Manager, Release Train Engineer, SAFe Program Consultant

Event Overview

We will review the many tools and resources available to ensure your success as a SAFe® trainer and coach.

– Ready to Train online learning
– Course enablement + validation
– Purchasing licenses
– Downloading courseware
– Creating courses
– Virtual classroom (optional, for remote setting)
– Uploading roster
– FAQs
– Other valuable resources

Speakers

Mike Alber

Director, Community Engagement at Scaled Agile, Inc.

Garren Watkins

Product Manager at Scaled Agile, Inc.