GroupM, the world’s leading media investment company, strives for continuous improvement and transparency in all its operations, including internal processes. To enhance its internal practices for future needs, this industry leader turned to Taskmill.
Initially, GroupM aimed to implement an internal tool and, more broadly, to adopt agile working methods. The goal was clear: to deploy the new tool swiftly while ensuring employees thoroughly understood its functionalities. However, the path to prepare employees for this implementation was uncharted. Taskmill’s Agile Leadership Consultant, Tomi Makkonen, addressed this challenge.
The agile transformation was divided into small, easily digestible segments. The process began with the new tool’s deployment, ensuring its benefits were clear to every employee. Next, the focus shifted to analyzing work and thought processes. For each area, information sessions, general training, and practical testing were planned and scheduled to involve GroupM’s employees at every stage of the change. Early experimenting and data collection were crucial to identify and address challenges promptly. Therefore, it was essential for Tomi to engage hands-on.
“My role has been to optimize the time spent on the project and support the change team in their work. When team members undertake development alongside other tasks, it’s vital to maximize the efficiency of the time dedicated to development,” Tomi explains. The goal was pursued through feedback loops characteristic of agile development, eight-week cycles, and weekly status meetings.
“Sometimes, I forget that Tomi is a consultant and not part of our organization. He is aware of the progress in other development projects, and I can’t imagine how things would have turned out without his help,”
praises Niina Alakoski, COO of Wavemaker, a GroupM company.
As an agile professional, Tomi has been able to assist and support GroupM’s employees more broadly. Similar implementation projects are underway in other Nordic countries, and Tomi has identified key learnings and areas for improvement to share across borders. He has also represented the project to other Nordic countries, clarifying the overall picture. “Tomi has been invaluable in terms of expertise and project management. Things progress independently, and it’s been fantastic to learn agile ways of working through practical experience,” Niina Alakoski concludes.
For more information
GroupM
Niina Alakoski
niina.alakoski@wmglobal.com
https://www.groupm.com/
Taskmill
Elina Kervinen, CEO & Agile Leadership Consultant
elina.kervinen@taskmill.fi
https://www.taskmill.fi