KLM: The journey of flying in formation

July 10, 2019

Flying in formation: our work with AirFrance-KLM

In the highly competitive air travel industry, information systems are a strategic competitive asset. BlinkLane Consulting has worked together closely with Air France - KLM (AFKL) Commercial Digital to implement a new way of working: from setting up new structures and governance, to training hundreds of co-workers; from on-boarding new teams to increasing the overall performance.

Time to market: too long

AFKL is one of Europe’s largest passenger airline groups, operating up to 2,200 flights daily and carrying over 93 million passengers annually. In such highly competitive industries, information systems are a strategic competitive asset. As such, AFKL desired to significantly reduce its time-to-market for business applications.

Moreover, digital touchpoints were rapidly gaining importance in the air traveler’s customer journey. Previously managed by a handful of Agile teams, the touchpoint landscape had evolved to a complexity that was no longer manageable.

Agility: key to success

Better alignment was necessary to scale up this way of working, as more teams were continuously being added. To achieve this, the company decided to improve the business/IT collaboration by breaking down silos and expanding Lean-Agile practices throughout the whole organization. The Commercial Digital domain was chosen to kick off the transformation.

Our involvement: structure and governance

From the start, BlinkLane was involved in the transformation towards a responsive and innovative domain. Together with an ambitious and eager team of change enablers from AFKL, we launched the first Scaled Agile Team of Teams. Throughout the last three years, BlinkLane has been closely working together with AFKL Commercial Digital.

As of today, BlinkLane is still involved in the transformation and has guided the expansion of the Scaled Agile teams. As the new way of working became the default state, adjustments in the old modus operandi became necessary.

Collaborating Agile at scale soon increased demand for more lean portfolio management. This gave the ability to break down the silos even further and to increase collaboration and adaptability on higher levels.

Today: committed leaders and continued momentum

There are still a multitude of challenges to tackle, such as dynamic allocation budget, enhancing the flow from strategy to execution, and introducing more and more people to this (new) way of working. The commitment of leadership throughout the previous three years has played a major and crucial role in the success of the transformation.

BlinkLane consultants are working closely together with the management of Commercial Digital, which is crucial to create and keep the momentum of change initiatives that continuously evolve.

Results:

  • Reduced time-to-market
  • Improved overall Business/IT efficiency
  • Increased collaboration and alignment
  • Better Adaptability, Alignment and Transparency

In the words of one of our consultants

“This scaled Agile transformation at AFKL Digital supported by BlinkLane is a great example of the effort and dedication it takes to change an organization that has already existed for almost 100 years to a more innovative and responsive enterprise. We as consultants have experienced ourselves how it has resulted in a motivated, ambitious and fun organizational culture.”
- Matthijs Breeuwsma, consultant