Situation

At Wells Fargo, Scrum Masters in the Telecommunications area faced the challenge of managing vast amounts of information spread across multiple platforms such as Jira, Confluence, Tableau, collaborative whiteboards, and calendars. This made it difficult to track and maintain important metrics, ensure Jira hygiene, and access necessary data to support teams effectively. The lack of a centralized hub for this information was causing inefficiencies, particularly in an environment where such information is crucial for team success and Agile practices.

Challenges

The primary challenge was the decentralization of information across numerous platforms, including Jira, Confluence, Tableau reports, and others. This fragmentation meant that Scrum Masters had to navigate multiple tools, often leading to time-consuming processes and missed insights that could help improve team performance. Additionally, existing tools, such as Jira dashboards, lacked the flexibility and layout options needed to integrate all the critical data in one view. The user experience across teams was inconsistent, leading to a gap in effective communication and decision-making.

The Approach & Solution

I sought to streamline and radiate information more effectively by experimenting with different approaches. Initially, I tried customizing virtual meeting backgrounds with important metrics, but this approach proved time-consuming and unsustainable. I then shifted my focus to Jira dashboards, but they lacked the versatility needed for a comprehensive solution.

Finally, I turned to Confluence, despite having limited experience with it. I found it to be a highly flexible tool with versatile layout options and numerous macros that allowed me to integrate data from multiple platforms. I created a centralized Confluence dashboard that pulled in key metrics and reports, including:

• Jira Hygiene metrics
• Sprint metrics (e.g., burndown charts, scope creep indicators, story points per sprint)
• Team calendars
• Tableau reports for Kanban metrics (lead time, cycle time, flow efficiency, and throughput)
• Quick links to team agreements, retrospective whiteboards, and other relevant resources

I also used my development skills to write custom JavaScript, highlighting areas in Jira that required immediate attention, making it easier for teams to stay on top of their hygiene metrics.

The Results

The implementation of the Confluence-based dashboard was transformative. It allowed my teams to:

• Achieve 100% Jira Hygiene compliance within days
• Visualize and address performance gaps quickly, leading to significant improvements in sprint execution
• Transition smoothly from Kanban to Scrum, as the dashboard provided real-time insights into areas like burndown progress and story points per sprint
• Access crucial planning data, such as story points per engineer and team calendars, in one central location, improving planning accuracy

The dashboard’s success extended beyond my immediate teams. It was adopted by other teams across the Telecommunications area and became a model for Scrum Masters throughout Wells Fargo. The wide adoption of this solution was incredibly validating, demonstrating the effectiveness of centralized information radiators in large-scale Agile environments.

Client Testimonial