A data-driven approach to fast flow using Team Topologies principles at EBSCO
EBSCO Information Services, a leading provider of research databases, leveraged Team Topologies with Conflux's support to optimize its organizational dynamics for software delivery.
EBSCO operational improvements:
$9.1M recurring annual cost reduction
26% faster feature delivery
Dependency-related blockers decreased by 45%
Repeatable enterprise capability playbook
Significantly higher team satisfaction
After seven years of using SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), EBSCO’s existing ART (Agile Release Train) structure was experiencing several critical challenges in delivering value efficiently.
A restructure of ARTs to better accommodate legacy and emerging value streams was needed. As the restructure would be implemented using Team Topologies principles and practices, EBSCO enlisted Conflux, a leading Team Topologies Solutions Partner, to guide them through the implementation.
Restructuring using Team Topologies principles enabled significant improvements in EBSCO's speed, autonomy, and efficiency. Feature output increased by 25%, unlocking an additional $9M annually. EBSCO also discovered a renewed awareness of its value and now has a repeatable playbook for future enterprise capabilities and new platform plays.
Outdated team structures impede fast flow
After seven years with SAFe, EBSCO's ART structure no longer supported the organization's desired flow. The challenges included:
Ownership challenges: Teams lacked end-to-end ownership of value streams
Alignment issues: Managing too many dependencies across boundaries
Delivery speed: Existing structures limited the desired flow of value
Cognitive load: Teams and leadership faced excessive cognitive burden
Excessive WIP: Work in Progress levels complicated delivery effectiveness
"At first, I was skeptical that reorganizing the teams would have any significant benefit. It was hard to imagine there would be any measurable difference. However, once the Team Topologies work had completed, my development managers reported that they felt they had much less cognitive load and there was an increase in their job satisfaction." — Mike Gunning, SVP of Development, EBSCO IS
Catalyzing decision-making through Team Topologies
Conflux guided EBSCO through discovery sessions to map team architecture and value streams. Using Independent Service Heuristics (ISH), they identified optimal value streams for team alignment.
Effective implementation of Team Topologies requires self-awareness at multiple organizational levels, which was very evident at EBSCO. This self-awareness is fundamental to understanding how boundaries can be built around value streams to enable flow.
"EBSCO's relative cultural maturity positioned the organization well for the Team Topologies approach." — Matthew Skelton, CEO/CTO of Conflux and co-author of Team Topologies
From ‘Ownership’ to ‘Stewardship’
In the Team Topologies approach, emphasizing ‘stewardship’ rather than simple ‘ownership’ of services signifies a critical shift in thinking about team responsibilities.
Traditional ownership models sometimes create territorial behaviors, while stewardship emphasizes ongoing care and evolution of services. Establishing clear responsibilities for services and applications was essential to EBSCO's transformation journey.
Stream-aligned teams drive value flow
The transformation delivered substantial financial benefits over the initial two-year period:
$9.1M in cost savings
62% ROI with payback in just 1.2 years
197 additional features delivered
EBSCO's new model connected capabilities, applications, and teams around distinct value offerings. This optimized structure enabled end-to-end domain stewardship and reduced handoffs, removing delivery friction.
"Becoming a full-stack development team has benefitted my team in so many ways. We're avoiding dependencies on other teams, triaging a wider range of defects, and providing both API and UI focused teammates a better understanding of where their data comes from." — Craig Spara, Senior Software Engineer, EBSCO IS.
Team Topologies enables organizational transformation for fast flow
"One key takeaway is that we now have the tools to develop and maintain a consistent approach. If we need to reorganize or redesign into new enterprise capabilities or a new platform play, we have the playbook." — Nicole Casellini, VP Lean Enterprise Office, EBSCO IS
EBSCO now has a sustainable improvement model based on five key principles:
Empowering teams via technology – Creating an environment where teams can deliver value autonomously
Ongoing stewardship over project completion – Moving from ‘build and move on’ to continuous care
Sociotechnical systems thinking – Aligning human and technical elements
Fast flow through clear boundaries – Enabling rapid delivery by defining team interfaces
Cognitive load management – Ensuring teams can effectively maintain and evolve services
Thank you to Nicole Casellini, VP Lean Enterprise Office - EBSCO Information Services, Scott Cummins, SVP Office of CIO - EBSCO Information Services, and Steven Whitaker Principal Enterprise Architect - EBSCO Information Services for sharing their insights.
Book your discovery call today to discuss your organization's specific challenges and how our proven approach can help you achieve measurable improvements.
