Problem
SAIC had invested in SAFe Agile training across all levels of the organization, from C-suite executives to project managers. However, teams used Jira in widely different ways, creating disconnected data and making it impossible for leadership to track project progress and budget alignment with company strategy. The scattered approach to project management tools prevented meaningful rollup reporting and strategic decision-making at the enterprise level.

As a SAFe Agile Product and Program Management consultant, I needed to standardize Jira usage across teams and implement VersionOne for enterprise-level visibility. The goal was to create a unified system where project data flowed smoothly from team-level Jira projects up to executive dashboards through VersionOne integration. This would enable leadership to track project progress, budget status, and strategic alignment across the organization.

The first phase focused on creating standardized Jira templates. These templates needed to balance team-specific needs while ensuring consistent data capture for enterprise reporting. I worked with team leads to understand their current Jira configurations and identify essential elements that needed preservation in the new templates.

Next came the VersionOne implementation. The system needed to pull data from numerous Jira instances while maintaining data integrity and meaningful relationships between projects. I designed the integration architecture to ensure accurate data flow and created value stream mappings that aligned with SAIC's organizational structure.

The coaching phase proved crucial. Teams had grown comfortable with their customized Jira setups, and change met initial resistance. I worked directly with teams to demonstrate how standardized templates would reduce their configuration overhead while maintaining necessary flexibility. We held regular coaching sessions to help teams adapt their workflows to the new system.

The executive dashboard creation required careful thought about what metrics mattered most for strategic decision-making. Working with C-level stakeholders, we identified key performance indicators that would help them track project health, budget status, and strategic alignment. These metrics shaped how we configured VersionOne's reporting capabilities.

Throughout the implementation, we maintained a feedback loop with both teams and leadership. This allowed us to refine the templates and reporting structure based on real usage patterns and emerging needs. The iterative approach helped build trust in the new system and increased adoption rates.

Results
The standardization effort succeeded despite initial challenges. Teams adapted to the new Jira templates, recognizing the benefits of consistent project tracking. The VersionOne integration provided executives with their first comprehensive view of project status across the enterprise. Leadership gained the ability to track project alignment with strategic initiatives in real-time. The standardized data structure enabled meaningful comparisons across projects and departments. This visibility helped identify both best practices and areas needing improvement.

The project revealed that successful enterprise-wide change requires both top-down support and bottom-up buy-in. The executive mandate provided the necessary momentum, but team-level coaching ensured successful adoption. Technical solutions alone don't drive change. The human element - coaching, feedback loops, and addressing team concerns - proved essential to the project's success. Taking time to understand and preserve valuable aspects of existing workflows helped overcome resistance to change.

Standardization doesn't mean losing flexibility. By carefully designing templates that allowed for team-specific customization while maintaining consistent core elements, we achieved both standardization and adaptability.

The improved visibility into project status and strategic alignment enhanced decision-making at all levels. Leaders could make informed decisions about resource allocation and project prioritization based on real data rather than disconnected reports. Teams benefited from reduced administrative overhead and clearer communication channels. The standardized system made it easier to onboard new team members and share resources across projects. This efficiency gain helped teams focus more on delivery and less on tool management.

The project demonstrated that enterprise agile transformation requires more than just tools and training. Success comes from creating a cohesive system that serves both executive visibility needs and team-level practicality. By focusing on both aspects, SAIC achieved a sustainable solution that continues to support their strategic objectives and day-to-day operations.