Abstract:
The future is agile. The business landscape is dynamic. The success of an
organisation depends heavily on its ability to adapt quickly. As digital technologies
reshape the competitive landscape, organisations are drawing on digital
transformations and the increasing need for business agility. A growing number of
organisations, particularly in the financial services sector, are embracing and
adopting large-scale agile transformations. Despite this growing popularity, there is
still a paucity of peer-reviewed academic literature examining how such frameworks
are implemented and benefit organisations, more especially in an African context.
The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is one of the most popular frameworks for
scaling agile methods within large organisations. This study aimed to investigate the
adoption, application, and impact of SAFe in a South African bank corporate division
using a qualitative single case study method. Thirteen semi-structured interviews
were conducted with agile team members, senior managers, and executives.
Through the examination of three business units, findings show that continuous
coaching and training, transparency, customisation of practices, and strong
leadership are crucial for the successful adoption of SAFe in large organisations.
Additionally, the most significant success factor identified was organisations' need
to continuously evolve and improve after implementing SAFe or any large-scale agile
transformation.
