Supporting a global pharmaceutical company in its agile transformation

Adaptability is key in the pharmaceutical industry. A global pharmaceutical company set out to implement a new operating model to drive strategic initiatives with greater agility. With multiple self-managed, multidisciplinary teams working on different work packages and a dynamic decision-making cycle every 90 days, the organization needed a partner to help embed this transformation at scale.

The Challenge

Despite the bold vision, bringing this new way of working to life posed several challenges:

• Partial budget allocation for each work package made long-term planning complex.
• While teams were self-managed, they needed clarity on roles, priorities, and agile ceremonies.
• The organization required scalable support to coach both business and non-business teams.
• Decision-making at the end of each 90-day cycle (Summit) required strong facilitation and alignment with strategic goals.

Our Approach & Impact

Winning designed a flexible coaching model to support the rollout and maturation of the new framework. Key actions included:

• Individual coaching for each self-managed team, focusing on agile rituals and product ownership.
• Tailored support to help functional areas replicate the agile practices adopted by core business teams.
• Active participation in the organization’s transformation committee to provide insights and guidance.
• Facilitation of the Summit— the critical quarterly moment for portfolio and budget decisions.
• Refinement of the governance model to better define responsibilities, prioritize initiatives, and allocate resources.

The Outcome

The company made tangible progress toward its transformation goals:

• Teams gained confidence and clarity in their ways of working.
• Strategic alignment across departments improved decision-making.
• The transformation gained momentum, embedding agility into the company’s culture.