Case study: BT

BT’s use of the agile methodology for software development began in 2001, driven by individuals within project teams looking for better delivery methods.

The arrival of chief information officer Al-Noor Ramji prompted a more prolific use of the approach. He launched a challenge to development teams in 2004 which entailed the provision of working software every 90 days to the business.

The first issue was finding the right development model, said agile advocate Roger Leaton.

“We looked for a way to achieve delivery from concept to market in 90 days, and none of the traditional methodologies would allow us to do that. Agile promised that we could reach that objective,” he said.

The baseline for the new working method was the creation of The Agile Cookbook ­ BT’s learning material used to introduce the methodology to staff involved in software development ­ – which used agile techniques in its assembly process.

BT then needed an adoption plan to help developers start work under the new scheme. It turned to agile specialist Exsoftware to roll out an enterprise coaching model.

“Coaching and expert involvement in the projects were critical in getting teams to put agile into practice,” said Leaton.

BT now has a crew of in-house coaches and provides regular training, with 30 per cent of IT projects now using agile techniques.

The business uses the peer programming model for software development schemes such as the 21st Century Network, and is tracking the performance of agile across other IT projects using QVIP benchmarking.

“We have shown the benefits, but it is not free. Firms using agile must invest in collaboration tools, coaching and training,” said Leaton.

BT intends to use agile for bespoke development of products and services and will start by using the techniques in an upcoming project for a large high-street retailer. It also intends to extend the standard for work with suppliers.

The main objective is rolling out agile across the whole IT department, but there is no set timescale. “We will take the time to ensure a successful transformation,” said Leaton.