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Ilkka’s Management Team Set Out On an Agile Change Path With the Support of Taskmill

Taskmill and Ilkka started working together at the beginning of 2022, when Ilkka’s executive group wanted to find out what kind of benefits they could get from agile methods throughout the organization. The main goal was to improve responsiveness in an ever-changing operating environment and to include customer needs more strongly as part of operations. Agile methods were also seen as an opportunity to standardize the operating methods of different businesses and create a One Ilkka culture for the corporation.

The corporation’s PMO Manager Mervi Sirén says: “We knew that there was a long learning journey ahead that would challenge our existing thought patterns, so we wanted, above all, a brave and straightforward partner to join us on the journey. Taskmill has been able to support and guide our journey with sufficient enthusiasm and strong expertise. The cooperation has been easy from the beginning and trust with Taskmill was born quickly.”

Ilkka’s wish was that during the agile transformation path, instead of just theory, concrete actions would be reached as soon as possible. The content of the workshops was modified during the process according to the needs of the executive group, so that it would meet their needs as well as possible. With each workshop, the executive group learned new methods, both in the field of executive group work and business management.

Ilkka’s agile transformation was launched with executive group training on the values, principles and benefits of agile methods. After that, Taskmill’s Agile Leadership Consultants Virpi Repo and Elina Kervinen facilitated a retrospective, in which the group’s current situation was mirrored and epics were chosen from different areas, to prepare for the transformation.

With the help of Taskmill’s experts, the executive group clarified the goals of the agile transformation and created a preliminary backlog. With the support of Taskmill, the executive group also broke down the issues in the backlog into concrete tasks. Some of the issues were taken up to the vision and strategy level to be solved, and some were categorized as quick wins to be achieved promptly.

During the transformation path, the executive group also made a few company visits, to concretely see and hear how agile methods are successfully utilized in other companies throughout the organization.

Human Resources Director Annika Tuovinen describes that the goals of agile development were especially the fact that as the world is changing faster and faster, we too must have the ability to anticipate and react quickly. Unnecessary hierarchy must not slow down decision-making either. When personnel can make more decisions, it increases the meaning of work and creates productivity. The journey is at the beginning, but we got a great starting point and new way of thinking.

Ilkka’s executive group will focus on clarifying the group’s vision and strategy next, for which a good foundation has been created with the help of the agile transformation initiated by Taskmill.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Ilkka’s active executive group. It is rewarding to see when the top management level is committed to change, and the change does not have to be initiated only at the grass-root level. The discussions in our workshops were really fruitful”, praises Taskmill CEO and Agile Leadership Consultant Elina Kervinen.

Lisätietoja

Ilkka

Mervi Sirén, PMO Manager
mervi.siren@ilkka.com
https://ilkka-yhtyma.fi/

Ilkka Oyj is a media group that produces print media, digital services, and marketing and communication services solutions for consumer and business customers. The group’s growth is based on both organic and inorganic growth. In recent years, Ilkka has bought several companies whose industries vary from digital marketing to software development. Around 500 experts in media, marketing and technology are responsible for the group’s services.

Taskmill

Elina Kervinen, CEO & Agile Leadership Consultant
elina.kervinen@taskmill.fi
https://www.taskmill.fi

Taskmill Oy is a company founded by experts, with a mission to change the operations of organizations to be more agile, efficient and reasonable, so that people also enjoy their work. Taskmill takes agile methods to completely new industries and helps in business transformation from the management to the team level. Taskmill’s experts do not give advice from high up, but plan real actions with you starting with the very basics, so that the change is really felt and seen in people’s everyday lives.

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