⚡ The Challenge
Volkswagen was in the midst of an HR transformation and selected the latest version of SAP SuccessFactors as the successor for their highly customized SAP Human Capital Management system. The cut-over to SuccessFactors presented several challenges:
- Reacting to changing HR requirements for configuration
- Collaboration method for an international team with multi-parallel development
- Short-term planning while allowing stakeholder prioritization
- MVP-focused delivery rather than big-bang approach
- GDPR compliance framework for Near- & Offshoring
The 20-member team across India, Germany, and Portugal faced additional challenges when COVID-19 caused capacity shortages during delivery.
🧭 My Approach
Building a Resilient Global Delivery Framework During Pandemic Challenges.
1. Collaboration Model
⚡ Challenge
Time zone differences and regional separation created silos in the distributed team
🛠️ Solution
- Implemented Scrum of Scrums approach
- Local sprint planning with cross-regional syncs
- Structured working sessions for module alignment
📊 Outcome
- 40% improvement in cross-team collaboration
- Reduced duplicate work by 25%
- Clearer visibility on dependencies
2. Pandemic Response
People-First Policy
- Clear communication of “Health & Family First” principle
- Flexible workload redistribution system
- Transparent expectation management with leadership
📈 Result: Maintained 85% productivity during peak COVID while supporting team wellbeing
3. Delivery Optimization
Skill Matrix Implementation
- Mapped team capabilities across modules
- Created training plan for cross-module expertise
- Empowered team members to choose areas of interest
💥 Impact
- 30% increase in story point delivery
- Improved estimation accuracy by 40%
- Better utilization of team capacity
4. Legal Framework
- Worked directly with legal team to interpret requirements
- Implemented data access controls and contract adjustments
- Enabled full Indian team participation while remaining compliant
Key Insight: Legal barriers often have solutions when approached collaboratively
5. DevOps Implementation with Hybrid Support Model
- Integrated operations into sprint capacity (30% buffer)
- Visual work prioritization system
- Maintained project momentum while handling incidents
Outcome: 95% of critical incidents resolved within SLA during hypercare
📈 Results
⏩ 30% Faster delivery velocity
🛠️ 5 Modules successfully deployed
😊 95% Stakeholder satisfaction
📚 Lessons Learned
1. Transparent Communication
Proactive expectation management with both team and leadership prevents misunderstandings and builds trust.
2. Team Empowerment
Involving the team in solution-finding leads to more sustainable outcomes and higher engagement.
3. Flexible Frameworks
Hybrid approaches (like our DevOps model) often work better than rigid methodologies in complex environments.
4. Legal Collaboration
Direct engagement with legal teams can uncover compliant solutions that might not be immediately obvious.