Case Study LIC

Livestock Improvement Corporation, or LIC, is a world-leading innovator in the dairy industry, specialising in Agri-tech and herd improvement through genetics and technology. As a farmer-owned co-operative with a global footprint, LIC is one of NZ’s agriculture sector’s most prominent private investors in R&D and new product development. LIC focuses on serving the backbone of NZ in the dairy farming industry, for which NZ is renowned. LIC also plays an essential role in helping NZ dairy farmers reduce their environmental footprint by providing solutions to help them meet climate targets.

The Challenge

Being a truly innovative company that prides itself in constantly pushing the boundaries of R&D and new product development, LIC has invested heavily in developing internal capabilities in technology. This has resulted in more teams responsible for different facets of managing their ever-changing IT systems. LIC IT leverages the SAFe methodology to coordinate multiple teams to deliver software solutions to the business and customers. The challenge for Boxfish was to improve the operational efficiency, standards and communication within the LIC IT teams.

Our Solution

Boxfish was engaged to work with LIC's IT teams to help improve their delivery explicitly relating to software development practices. Using a proven methodology that focuses on DevOps and Value Stream analysis, the team was able to identify challenges and distil the solution to four key areas to focus on. Through extensive collaboration with all groups and stakeholders, the four solution areas resulted in a healthy balance between predictability, standardisation, and autonomy. All teams fully embraced the ability to actively drive local and global improvements, supported by shared objectives with leadership. With all teams focusing on meeting an agreed set of standards for all deliverable items, the teams we’re able to support and grow as a collective to break down traditional silos.

Key Outcomes

LIC has been able to improve its technology delivery radically through:

• Shared objectives and communication between IT and business teams
• Metrics are shared between teams and leadership, promoting transparency
• A shared vision of how the teams work together
• Good practices to craft a LIC way of working

The Boxfish Difference

To improve the performance of IT teams, organisations need to apply strong capabilities of DevOps, Agile, Value Stream Analysis, Software Development, and Coaching expertise. Improvements need to be based on data-driven insights on current practices to track results measurably. Change needs to happen in the teams that perform the work, which requires working alongside people - on the job and not in meetings.

“Boxfish were truly trusted advisors with our teams, working alongside them to apply DevOps and value stream analysis and optimise delivery.”

Corinne Monkley (Head of Programme Portfolio Management, LIC)

Boxfish’s approach combines all of these elements into a right-sized system for each organisation. We work alongside your teams to ensure improvements are adopted through to the end.