- COMPANY: MagMutual
- INDUSTRY: Insurance
- LOCATION: Atlanta, Georgia
- SOLUTIONS: Enterprise Visibility, SAFe Implementation
Overview: From Licensing Support to a Full-Scale SAFe Implementation
MagMutual, one of the largest liability insurance providers in the U.S., provides customer-centric solutions focused on improving the environment for medical providers and patient outcomes. At the heart of the organization’s success are its mission-based culture, thoughtful approach to innovation, and strong capabilities in product and technology development.
Initially, MagMutual partnered with Praecipio to provide Atlassian licensing support and identify areas of opportunity for Jira standardization, aiming to gain deeper insights into development capacity and project delivery. However, as we dug deeper, it became clear that the client’s workflows were stuck in a reactive cycle, where priorities shifted frequently, making it difficult to align work with business goals.
To address these challenges, our partnership evolved into a SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) adoption, with the goals of creating greater alignment and insight between technology delivery and strategic initiatives.
Challenge: Siloed Teams & Chaotic Workflows
MagMutual faced the typical problems for growing organizations: a free-for-all Jira instance and siloed teams. With a lack of structure and cross-team collaboration, work was scattered everywhere, and the organization had no clear visibility into progress or how each team’s efforts contributed to the bigger picture. On top of this, teams struggled to differentiate between work that keeps the lights on versus work that ties into strategic priorities and reduces technical debt.
To make matters worse, their development process was a notorious “black box.” Teams churned out deliverables that didn’t align with customer or business needs. These delayed feedback cycles resulted in developers having to do reworks.
Transparency was a major headache, too. Without clear workflows, stakeholders had to chase down updates through email or Slack to figure out who was working on what and when it would be delivered.
Solution: Strategic Alignment & Real-Time Project Tracking
To tackle these hurdles and reimagine MagMutual’s workflows, teamwork, and tools, Praecipio stepped in as trusted coaches and partners. First, we wrote an Epic tied to a strategic initiative with our client, working closely with leadership to break down large bodies of work into smaller, more manageable tasks and ensuring those tasks contributed to the broader strategic vision.
Jira Standardization for Improved Visibility
Next, we standardized MagMutual’s Jira instance to allow for real-time tracking of work progress. Instead of having to ping people, teams could easily identify who was responsible for what and when that work would be delivered. They also had visibility into how execution aligned with business goals, including work that traced down to the subtask level.
The Road To SAFe Adoption
We also helped MagMutual adopt the SAFe framework to support their new ways of working. By introducing PI planning, teams improved coordination and committed to realistic delivery timelines. Through value stream identification, we helped restructure teams and workflows to support how our client delivers value to customers. Additionally, we established early and more frequent feedback cycles, reducing reworks and ensuring deliverables met business needs from the start.
Leadership-Driven Change
Transitioning to SAFe isn’t just about metrics—it’s a cultural shift that requires having an engaged leadership team. MagMututal’s executives have championed SAFe from the top down and supported it from the bottom up. Senior leaders, including the CIO and COO, regularly spoke with teams to emphasize the strategic importance of their work, which helped employees see how they contributed to the bigger picture.
On-Site Insight
Lastly, our Field CTO frequently visited MagMutual’s headquarters in Atlanta, working closely with their leadership and actively participating in hallway conversations alongside our team. This helped us ask the right questions and gave us deeper insight into how MagMutual operates, allowing for a more tailored approach that aligns with the organization’s values, goals, and culture. This on-site approach was key in guiding the organization from a project-based to a product-driven mindset, which enabled better alignment with strategic goals.
Praecipio is a true partner. That's something that we look at as a mission-based company. We care a lot about what we're doing for our policy owners and to know we have a partner that will join us and have that same commitment makes all the difference.
Results: An Organizational Culture Worth Changing For
MagMutual’s evolution wasn’t just an operational win; it was a cultural one. While Praecipio may have helped illuminate the path to enterprise visibility, MagMutual’s commitment and openness to changing how they work has been just as important. Since our partnership began, MagMutual has experienced these improvements:
- Improved Business Outcomes: With the ability to tie strategic initiatives directly to technology teams’ work, leadership now has insight into both progress and challenges, allowing them to make decisions more confidently. Instead of focusing on status updates, meetings have turned into decision-making sessions that inspire more impactful conversations.
MagMutual has always prioritized a people-first mindset, but gaining clarity into work and its strategic importance, priorities, dependencies, and progress has enabled our client to build a stronger organizational culture.
- Real-time Visibility: Leadership can track progress in real-time, knowing exactly where work stands and who is moving it forward. Teams also have a clear understanding of how their work ties into strategic initiatives.
- Fewer Reworks, Higher Quality: By seeking iterative feedback early and often, development teams have avoided costly reworks and delivered solutions that meet expectations the first time.
- Increased Flexibility: With SAFe and PI planning in place, teams can provide more accurate delivery commitments and confidently meet deadlines, allowing the company to adapt to customer needs more efficiently.
- Better Collaboration & Empowered Teams: Silos have been broken down and teams now collaborate cross-functionally. Also, by allowing teams to determine how they deliver work, MagMutual has fostered a culture of ownership and accountability.
Our client’s SAFe journey continues, but MagMutual is positioned for sustained growth and success thanks to the strong Agile foundation they have built with Praecipio’s guidance.
