01
Organisational context
A top UK fast-food brand was spending too long on quarterly planning and moving too slowly from idea to market in a fast-changing consumer landscape.
02
Capability challenge
Planning cycles were long, decisions were slow and the traditional way of working no longer matched the pace of the market.
03
Roles involved
- C-level executives aligned through an executive briefing
- Key staff trained as practitioners
- Planning and product teams supported through retreats and coaching
04
Pathway or intervention designed
An executive briefing set the strategic direction. Key staff completed a five-day practitioner programme in agile methods and sprints. Retreats and coaching supported the teams as they redesigned the planning process around focused sprint sessions.
05
Live challenge addressed
The quarterly planning process itself, redesigned as a series of intense, focused sprints with rapid concept testing and clear decision points.
06
Evidence and work products
- Redesigned planning process
- Sprint outputs and tested concepts
- Decision records from planning sprints
07
Decisions and outcomes
Quarterly planning time was substantially reduced and the route to market for new product ideas shortened.
08
Capability retained internally
The brand continued to use the sprint-based planning process after the engagement.
09
Next stage
Continuous Improvement for the planning process and portfolio governance for the product pipeline.