An agile, optimized approach to collaboration

Agile Collaboration | Aspen Grove

Project at a glance

  • Industry Solution

    Mortgage Servicer

  • Challenge

    A poor collaborative structure, disorganized data and inefficient workflows were affecting Aspen Grove’s ability to efficiently deliver new solutions and capabilities for our mortgage servicing client.

  • Solution delivered

    Aspen Grove partnered with the client to implement agile development teams, known as “Squads”, to support and streamline development projects through increased coordination and workflow automation.

Differences we made

Faster, more iterative and more value-added development that prioritizes projects and upgrades that deliver the greatest business benefit

Significant reductions in product defects per product release

Reduced resourcing demands at every stage of project development

Scalable resourcing to support projects with right mix of developers and other talent

Improved self-assessment ratings among squad members asked to rate their team performance

Problem

The high cost of inefficiency

Aspen Grove’s mortgage servicing solutions are built around close collaboration and communication. But as we worked with one of our mortgage servicing clients to develop and deliver new capabilities, it became clear that this delivery method could be improved by incorporating new efficiencies in the process.

Development processes were bogged down by too many stakeholders involved in decision-making. Development processes were disrupted by multiple stakeholders and unclear decision-making. As long development cycles grew longer, new solutions and updates produced a higher volume of defects which delayed project delivery.

To streamline workflows, improve communication and align day-to-day operations with larger project goals, a new approach to software delivery was needed—one that could streamline decision-making and task delegation, and facilitate more open communication at every stage of development.

Solution

A new approach to partnership

Aspen Grove recognized the importance of addressing the constraints and bottleneck issues created with a linear, waterfall approach to project management. We approached our mortgage servicer with a new model that emphasizes partnership, open communication, and a smaller, team-based approach to service. This “Squads” solution replaces linear workflows with a collaborative development model that prioritizes efficiency, performance, and the ability to stay aligned with your business goals. 

Aspen Grove collaboration case study
By centering people rather than tasks, this innovative model ensures that project workflows remain focused on long-term outcomes.

Each squad is comprised of experts from both the Aspen Grove and client side of operations. Team members are strategically chosen to support each squad with the critical skills and decision-makers needed to streamline project development, while maximizing business value.

Through this partnership approach, collaboration is supported throughout the development process, and resourcing can be shifted around to meet the most urgent project needs. With a more flexible model in place, squads can lean into efficiencies and outcomes that deliver greater value for the client.

Results

Agile development, better results

By implementing squads to enable a more flexible, efficient approach to development, our mortgage servicing client saw its project development phases reduced from six-month commitments to two-week sprints. This more iterative approach also delivers the following results:

  • The ability to prioritize project phases that deliver the greatest business value
  • Fully scalable resourcing that limits costs to what each project needs
  • Constant feedback and communication to improve project quality and time-to-deliver
  • Improved trust between the service provider and client