“We have established a workforce specifically focused on driving innovation, creating value not only for our customers and the organization but also for society. This approach goes beyond merely inventing and developing new products; it is about fostering new ways of thinking, operating, and producing. Therefore, it is crucial for us as a Company to continue embedding an Agile culture and mindset into our digital transformation processes. This serves as a management model to energize creation processes with an efficient, dynamic, and disruptive approach. Additionally, we are committed to strengthening our talent’s digital capabilities through development, training, and recognition programs.”
Fabián Hernández, CEO Telefónica Colombia
We are a Company Committed to Transformation and Evolution
Agility has emerged as a crucial foundation for driving continuous evolution and advancement at Telefónica Colombia, marking the onset of substantial transformations in its organizational approach. In this context, agility is not merely a working method but a mindset shift that drives innovation, efficiency, and continuous improvement across all aspects of the business. Through this process, Telefónica Colombia has solidified its position as a benchmark in Business Agility, focusing its efforts on digitalization and delivering customer value.
Agile and Digital Transformation Journey in Telefónica Movistar
In 2016, Telefónica’s partners engaged in discussions with the software development team to explore the benefits of agility. Inspired by success stories like Netflix and other companies in the telecommunications sector, they initiated agile cell pilots based on Scrum. This approach led to substantial improvements in delivery times, quality, and customer satisfaction.
By 2018, progress continued, leading to the integration of this model into the organizational strategy. More than 60 agile cells and several Kanban cells were formed to optimize processes. In 2019, the need to drive agility across all areas of the company as part of the organizational culture was highlighted, aiming to innovate, automate, simplify operations, and improve product and service quality.
After more than three years immersed in the agile model, Telefónica Colombia embarked on its most ambitious endeavor yet in 2020: the transformation towards Business Agility. This shift was driven by the need to accelerate market response, improve productivity, and focus on the customer. The year concluded with 78 active cells and the training of over 2,000 employees in The New Telefonica Way, thus strengthening the agile mindset.
Additionally, agility became an accelerator of digital transformation, enabling the provision of digital solutions for customer self-management of transactions. Furthermore, 250 initiatives were designed and implemented to develop new products and services, ensuring the security of customer information and the reliability of products and services.
The agile operating model was further strengthened, achieving the first design milestone by completing 100% of our transformation blueprint. The roles of Product Owner and Scrum Master were consolidated, and the agile culture was promoted through training programs and growth events in the Digital mindset, enhancing Digital Capabilities in non-digital roles, reaching over 2,500 employees. By this date, the Company had become a benchmark for Business Agility in Colombia.
Telefónica Colombia positioned itself as a leader in the implementation of digital technologies and Business Agility. The push for the agile operating model intensified, achieving 15 Trains and 9 Centers of Excellence. The Digital Transformation plan was consolidated, focusing on process automation and customer experience enhancement. The digital maturity index experienced significant growth.
Digital Transformation became part of the company’s DNA, with over 1,200 employees working within agile structures and more than 600 practicing agile methodologies. The agile and digital mindset was further strengthened by promoting continuous training and creating digital ecosystems to optimize customer experience and improve operational efficiency. These ecosystems include digital platforms, mobile applications, and self-management tools, allowing customers to interact with the company more easily and quickly. Telefónica continues to excel in Business Agility in the region, supported by significant improvements in the agile and digital maturity index.
We forge an innovative and Agile future for our clients
Currently, we persist in driving Business Agility, with a focus on digitalization and delivering value to the customer. Every step we take, every innovation we propel is guided by the desire to enhance the lives of our clients and communities. We will continue to work tirelessly to fulfill our mission, leveraging agility and innovation to deliver solutions that make a difference in the lives of our users. Together, we are building a more human, connected, and brighter future for all.