The phrase “time is valuable” takes on a whole new meaning when discussing work plans and the time they typically require in most organizations. But Menora is not just any organization. In 2023, Yaki Zino, head of the IT department, defined a new vision for the division: to adopt a methodology focused on short-term planning (a new plan each quarter). After deliberation and management approval, it was decided to shorten the timelines further and create a new plan every two months!
This decision builds on a previous process we carried out with the department: the adoption of the Agile methodology, working in sprints, and planning and executing tasks in the short term (rather than on an annual basis).
The Challenges:
In a large financial institution like Menora Insurance, there are multiple business units, which naturally diversifies the goals and objectives, making it challenging to create a new task plan every two months. To tackle this, key strategic focuses were defined, to which the entire division is aligned and committed. The business side consolidates and submits its requirements (aligned with one or more of the strategic focuses), and the IT department analyzes and refines them. This process results in a focused, short-term work plan.
At the beginning of 2024, the department adopted a completely new perspective on the concept of “work plans”:
- The foundation of the new approach: planning no more than two months ahead – this includes everyone, with all the implications that entails.
- Centralized task management: All involved parties consolidate and manage task information in one place (the Jira system), ensuring order and effective management while also providing broad holistic transparency.
- Closing gaps and approving the plan: To finalize the upcoming plan, every two months, a day is set aside where senior department leaders, heads of divisions, and department heads gather from morning until late afternoon. During this time, they resolve conflicts, address challenges, and consider all relevant constraints, with the goal of concluding the day with a closed and approved plan.
- Communication and transparency: Adopting and successfully implementing the new methodology in practice takes time. However, as the department progressed alongside its business partners, they learned the importance of mutual commitment to the success of the process. The business teams understood that for the IT department to meet tight deadlines and deliver the required outcomes on time and with high quality, they must provide clear, detailed requirement documents, commit to being available to clarify needs during development, and approve small deliverables as they are completed.
- What happens when changes and adjustments are needed? Changes and adjustments are part of business reality, and flexibility is a critical feature in a competitive market. To address this, a procedure was established to assess the impact of changes on the continued implementation of the entire plan. If the change does not affect the committed work plan, they proceed. If there’s a risk of disruption, it’s escalated to management, but there’s always support. The real value comes from the level of commitment and dedication of all involved to the process.
- Ongoing monitoring: Continuous close monitoring of the pace and progress in Jira provides a safety net, aiming to identify risks in real time that could delay the plan.
In conclusion: This change is possible. Nir Yaakov, the expert who led the project at Menora on behalf of Strauss Strategy, said: “Even traditional organizations that have been accustomed to working with certain methods for years can successfully adopt and implement new and different methodologies, ones that generate significantly higher productivity than the existing processes. However, it’s important to recognize the critical role of senior management commitment. Without strong leadership support, such a change cannot be fully realized.”
Want to learn more about adopting Agile processes? Interested in understanding how to create short-term work plans?
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