Atrada – Success Story

Atrada AG had some big expectations when they introduced agile methods in the organization: reduced reaction and development time, increased efficiency, and greater customer and employee satisfaction. In order to reach these goals the online marketplace specialists brought in the agile coaches from agile42.

Berlin, November 5, 2012 agile42, consulting and coaching specialists for agile methods including Scrum, Kanban and their in-house Agile Framework for Managers, stood by Atrada AG’s side and bolstered their implementation of agile methods and processes. Atrada AG is one of the pioneers of the German Internet marketplace active in eCommerce for over 14 years.

The subsidiary of Deutschen Telekom AG decided to adopt agile methods to improve cooperation both internally and with customers during the product development cycle. Alongside improved efficiency they also expected to see employees take more direct responsibility with increased motivation.

Atrada AG chose Berlin firm agile42 to be their partner for training and coaching on agile methods and mindsets. “We chose a partner who wasn’t dogmatic in their approach, but could adapt to the requirements and circumstances of our business, and who were also agile themselves,” Konstantin Waldau, the Manager and CEO of Atrada AG, said. The management team at the online-marketplace specialist agrees: agile42 lived up to all expectations placed on them. The staff was enthusiastic about the practical approach of the trainers and coaches. Rather than dry theory, practical experience was at the center of the agile learning experience.

“Immediately after the training we started with the first Scrum sprint”, reported Ralf Kruse the agile42 trainer responsible for the project. From a customer point of view this practical tryout was extremely important. That way everyone could immediately apply the new method in their day-to-day work. When the Atrada teams encountered unexpected surprises during their first agile experience, they were able to find their own solutions with the support of the agile42 trainer accompanying them during the sprint. By the end of the second sprint the relevant teams already felt they were equipped to continue working with the agile methods independently.

Six months after the introduction of Scrum the management team at the e-commerce specialist is still convinced they made the right decision. “The support we had from agile42 with the process from the very beginning was a significant contribution to the success of our Scrum introduction and therefore helped us reach our goals,” Peter Höpfl, Head of Technology at Atrada AG, said. While the Atrada staff is more satisfied and motivated in their work, the Atrada customers are the big benefactors. After shortening the release cycle, the development team receives more feedback from customers earlier, and they can react to customer needs in a targeted and, most importantly, a timely manner.