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agile transformation roadmap
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Christian Heidemeyer

Agile Transformation Roadmap: 5 models & their similarities

Are you stuck on which agile transformation roadmap to use? Well, we are here to help!

If you want to adapt an agile transformation roadmap, then you have a wide range to choose from; there are many.

Therefore, we have handpicked some of the most commonly used roadmaps in order for you to understand which one you should use for your team.

In this article, you will discover the different roadmaps there are with short summaries of the steps you need to take for each one. We will also provide a model for each one and a description, ending with an all round model that summarizes the similarities of all models in one.

As agile is more responsive to change, a roadmap is too. Here is exactly what it is:

What is an agile transformation roadmap?

According to Atlassian a roadmap is a plan of action of how a product or solution will improve over time. When being utilised in agile development, it is there to provide context for the team. 

It is responsive to shifts and changes in competitive landscapes, so can be flexible with new approaches. The whole point is for better business outcomes. 

Before we go any deeper, a quick note. We recently had 11 international senior agile practitioners as guests in one of our webinars, asking one question: How do you scale agile methods the right way?

The result of this is the following fantastic video recording that answers some of the key questions when scaling agile, for example:

  • Should you start your agile transformation rather bottom-up or top-down?
  • How do you align leadership on a common goal and vision?
  • How do you choose the right agile framework – and why is that actually not that important?

 My recommendation: take a look! The video is rather long, but every single minute is worth it.

Why use an agile transformation roadmap?

  • Align everyone on the next steps
  • Flexible and flux, no fixed artifacts
  • Help corporate offices
  • Help teams gain right knowledge
  • Help training to stick
  • Make better-informed decisions
  • Prioritize tasks

So now we have that out the way, here are five specific roadmap models from Kotter’s change management to Scale @ Scrum.

By the way, talking about agile transformation... one quick hint: Do you want to make sure that you are setting the right priorities in your agile transformation ? 

Fill out our agile maturity assessment for your agile transformation – it only takes 3 minutes! You will even get a benchmark based on the more than 300 participants we already have. Have fun 🙂

Agile Maturity Assessment

Agile Transformation Roadmap #1: Change management by Kotter

“Change is the only constant”

Heraclitus, Greek philosopher

We have covered what this 8-step model by Kotter entails before: check it out here for more detail.

For now, in a nutshell, The Kotter Model runs in sequential order but all steps may be used at the same time. It inspires an urgency for change. The first four levels focus on the basis of change, then five to seven focus on the introduction of new behaviours, and lastly, eight is how to solidify the change. Here, we explain them a bit more in detail:

Focusing on the basis of change

  1. Step one is for the whole company to step into the change. Research by Kotter show that 75 % of the team members have to “support” the change in order for it to be successful.

  1. Step two concerns convincing the team that change is unavoidable for success. Out of this, “change coalition” will require working as a team to build the need for change.

  1. Step three is to effectively execute a vision. A strategy is always needed. Now is the time to determine the values for change etc. 

Introduction of new behaviors

  1. Step four includes communicating this urgency to the team. Talk about your vision. Demonstrate the behaviour wanted to invest into the change.

  1. Step five is about removing obstacles and seeing if anyone is resisting the change. All need to be on board for change to occur, right?

  1. Step six is about creating short-term targets rather than one long-term goal. What do they say? Nothing motivates more than success!

  1. Step seven means analysing what went wrong and what went well. Real change calls for building - this is the part to see where to improve.

Solidifying the change

  1. Step eight refers to finally noting that continuous efforts are being displayed in every aspect of the company for change to be brought about. It is about consistency and progress.

This model works well for teams who are ready to implement change successfully and radically. We have made an eBook to empower your teams - check it out right here right now.

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Agile Transformation Roadmap #2: Scaled agile framework roadmap

"If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you are doing."

W. Edwards Deming

We have covered what Scaled Agile Framework is before - check it out right here .

The SAFe implementation roadmap series consists of 12 articles, where each one describes a strategy and an ordered set of activities proven to be successful in the framework.

We will briefly cover each “critical move”, as described by Dan and Chip Heath , in a simple fashion.

Getting the start right

  1. Otherwise known as the tipping point, step one is where visualization and realization come together. It is about implementing the need for change and the vision for change in one. Research shows that the tipping point is the beginning of the formation of a guiding coalition. 

  1. In article two, the difficult journey begins. However, it doesn’t have to be hard. For step two, the leading agents are required to gather and set the way. There are three steps recommended to take for this: train the lean-agile agents, train executives and other managers, and charter a Lean Agile Center of Excellence (aka a working group). 

  1. In article three, the training begins. This is because strong leadership is needed for any change to be visibly and successfully implemented. By making these three “critical moves”, the company is now on the path to success.

  1. As noted in step two, the LACE now comes together in step four. LACE stands for Lean Agile Center of Excellence and refers to a small group of people who are dedicated to promoting the Lean-Agile way of working. John Kotter notes the size of the team depends on the size of the company - change starts with just two or three people.

Start scaling

  1. Article five is about implementing SAFe. Now is the time to identify. Identify value streams and Agile Release Trains (ARTs). 

  1. Now it is about making detailed plans. Article six covers the implementation of an organizational change and applying their new knowledge from training. 

  1. So far, there have been value streams and an implementation plan. So article seven is a pivotal moment. It is the moment when there is the first launch for the ART. There are a number of steps to take in the lead up to the launch. Find out more on the SAFe website right here. 

  1. The launch of the ART requires training of teams in article eight. Now the launch plan and stakeholders are trained, the real change can occur. Kotter says leaders must “shape the path”, in other words that requires training and time and effort. 

  1. The first big events have been achieved. Now in article nine, the team is empowered. As the competency and potential are based on the team, now the agile teams must also be coached. If you want to know more about developing teams, check out our useful Ebook right now. 

After first adoption

  1. In article ten, it is about producing more change and launching more ARTs. Imagine this article like a car picking up speed on the motorway in full gear. 

  1. Nearing to the end, SAFe has been adopted. Article eleven focuses on the drive and the implementation of SAFe. Now is the time for the Lean Portfolio Management competency and being able to anchor the culture’s new approach to the company. 

  1. The final article is highlighting the importance of constant change. Now they are to be congratulated after following all the steps! We are sure that progress has been made on this transformational journey and now is the time to accelerate the enterprise towards business agility. 

 

Agile Transformation Roadmap #3: Scrum @ Scale

"Complexity is death."

Gereon Hermkes

It is all about simplifying scaling. Scrum @ scale is about a single Scrum team that is able to deliver optimal value at a demonstrable rate. According to Scrum @ Scale , the process “helps an organization to focus multiple networks of Scrum Teams on prioritized goals.” 

So let us see the steps Scrum @ Scale takes in its repeatable pattern. What do they say? Rinse and repeat! Here are the ten steps simplified for you:

  1. Step one is where Scrum Coaches develop a list of problems for the organization.

  1. From there, they brief senior management about it and identify common goals etc. 

  1. Step three is where an Executive Action Team (EAT) is formed, aka the leadership team of the transformation.

  1. The next step is where a leadership team is selected to prioritize all work. In other words, the Executive MetaScrum.

  1. Moving on with training to step five. This is where all team members, product owners, Scrum Masters and leadership etc. are trained by the EAT about who will work within the Agile Operating System.

  1. Step six concerns the product owner’s backlog.

  1. Step seven quickly moves on to one Scrum of Scrums with scaled daily scrums.

  1. Step eight means to deliver early and frequently.

  1. The last step is to expand the Agile Operating System to the next set of prioritisations before step ten...

  1. Rinse and repeat!

 

Agile Transformation Roadmap #4: Product manager - a disciplined agile roadmap

“The Product Management process blade includes the acts of identifying and evolving your organization's business vision ”

PMI.org

Roadmaps in product management describe the visions for three timings: near term, intermediate term (3-12 months), and long term (one year). The roadmaps provide product managers to prioritize decisions as well as planning activities. Here are some other process factors to take into consideration:

  1. Product owners want to provide products that will bring value to your organization.
  2. Due to a limited budget, there is a limited amount of products, too - meaning there has to be prioritization.
  3. The evolution of the roadmap is done by product management activities.
  4. Features, also known as outcomes, epics, stories etc., need to be allocated to teams to be implemented.
  5. The marketing of products to customers is taken on by the product manager to increase the chance of potential customers knowing about its existence.
  6. Product managers monitor the success of their products by end user satisfaction, market adoption rates etc.

As you can see, this process is focused on building the right products at the right time to ensure people will use them. 

 

Agile Transformation Roadmap #5: Large-scale scrum

"Longing on a large scale makes history"

Don DeLillo

Unlike the other frameworks we discussed, at Large-scale scrum does not really give a roadmap. Instead, a Scrum product Backlog is produced by the product owner and team. Depending on how big it is, - it could take weeks or months - where analysis workshops, and estimation of first releases are identified. 

For an established product, there shouldn’t be extensive research for the next release as the product owner and team should be doing a Product Backlog every sprint. Thus, the continuous product development means there is no need for a roadmap as such.

Large-scale scrum, otherwise known as LeSS framework, starts with understanding one-team Scrum. For LeSS to take effect, agile development with Scrum has to require a deep organizational change to become agile.

Let’s put into practice this organizational design framework as a scaled up version of one-team Scrum:

LeSS oversees two different large-scale Scrum frameworks:

  1. LeSS - eight teams
  2. LeSS Huge - up to a few thousand people on one product

We will focus on the LeSS framework below.

  1. Sprint planning part 1: Includes members from all teams - discuss where they belong and opportunities to find shared work.

  1. Sprint planning part 2: Each team holds this independently, though sometimes two or more teams may hold it in the same room.

  1. Daily scrum: Each team also holds this independently.

  1. Overall Product Backlog Refinement (PBR): This is a meeting held by one product owner and all teams to increase alignment with the PO and teams. The purpose is deciding which teams will implement which items - selecting those items for later in-depth single-team PBR. 

  1. Product Backlog Refinement: The difference between this stage and the previous one is the only requirement is one team at a time in LeSS, but a variation may be multi-team PBR where more teams are held in the same room for increased learning.

  1. Sprint review: Includes people from all teams, not just the product owner. The purpose is inspecting the product increment and new items. Imagine it like this: Big room with many areas staffed with team members, where items developed are discussed and put on show.

  1. Overall retrospective: Includes product owner, Scrum Masters, rotating representatives from each team. The purpose is to improve the system as a whole.

 

Conclusion: One Roadmap based on all the others

"The destination is more important than the journey" 

Less.works

From all the agile transformation roadmaps we have viewed, it is clear to see that there are some steps in common. So here is a roadmap for all based on the five common steps that should also be essential in your roadmap.

  1. Vision: Without a vision, action cannot happen. As Kotter notes in his seminal book, Leading Change, vision and strategy enables a foundation of change to evolve. When a clear and compound vision is in place, people will understand why you are asking them to change. It may be difficult to begin with, but then the next step will lead to cooperation. A vision statement can easily carry the message of “why”. 

  1. Preparing leadership: The motivation for others to take change is crucial in any cycle to be successful. Building a functioning team requires understanding and cooperation in leadership before anything else takes place. 

  1. Organize around value: For initial success, you must organize around value. This means the evolution of the roadmap has core target figures - customer value streams - to lead its way. In order to implement any strategies, customer value must be at the center. 

  1. Prepare your teams and develop them through ambassadors: Culture is one of the biggest challenges in scaling agile methods. In order to spread the vision and the agile way of working throughout the organization, strong teams must be developed. The point is not to create another organization, but to ensure that enough people in the organization are ready in teams for the change. It is important to keep in mind that you can never reach 100 % of employees. You reach the turning point when you reach the 30%, which has the greatest impact. These 30%s will accelerate the change of the rest of the team.

  1. Regularly meet and iterate through retrospectives: There must be a structure for providing feedback. Thus, holding retrospectives and alike are always key at the end of a cycle to see what went well and what didn’t go well. It is also helpful to motor the success of a roadmap and to see how teams felt and if everyone is still aligned on the vision. Yes - you can and should even iterate on your vision!

By the way, to help you even more in building and developing successful teams, you are welcome to have a look at our post on 4 approaches to agile transformation. And then of course ...

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FAQ about the online retrospective tool

No, you do not need to log in to Echometer or register to test the Retro Board and Retro Tool in Echometer.

You can try out Echometer's Retro Board via the following link without logging in: Try a Practice Round

First, simply register for free in Echometer. Then navigate to the workspace for which you would like to purchase the retro tool. If you haven't already done so, you can do so here: Create account in Echometer 1:1 tool

You can then manage your subscription (for both the retro tool and the 1:1 software) within the workspace settings.

You can choose from various payment methods when upgrading.

If you do not have access to your company's credit card yourself, you can simply add a buyer as a workspace admin in your Echometer workspace so that this admin can carry out the upgrade for you.

In Echometer there are two separate software solutions that are available within each workspace in Echometer:

  • 1:1 tool: Software for planning and conducting 1:1 meetings and tracking employee development
  • Retrospective tool: Software for planning and moderating retrospectives and tracking team development through team health checks

Both are independent software solutions, so they can be used separately from each other.

However, they work according to the same principles and aim to achieve the same added value: The continuous improvement of agile teams. In this respect, the simultaneous use of both software solutions is recommended.

Yes, you can assign administration rights to any number of users at both team level and workspace level. Please note the following:

  • Only workspace admins can take out and manage a Echometer subscription for a Echometer workspace.
  • Only workspace admins can create additional teams and name or remove additional workspace admins.
  • Team admins can appoint and remove additional team admins and team members for their team

If an agile team does not yet have much experience with retrospectives, a tool that effectively guides you through the retrospective and offers many templates is recommended:

  • Echometer is known not only for being an intuitive online retro board, but also for offering a very effective guided flow through the retrospective. At the same time, Echometer offers whiteboards that can be flexibly integrated into the retrospective. This makes Echometer very beginner-friendly.
  • Echometer also has extremely versatile and creative templates for retrospectives and team Health Checks that stimulate team reflection. Inexperienced teams in particular are very grateful for the food for thought in Echometer.

This makes Echometer the best software recommendation for beginners with agile retrospectives or Scrum beginners. By the way, you can try out Echometer for free without logging in: Echometer Try out the retro tool

Yes, you can collect and measure the eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) in Echometer's Health Checks and surveys for retrospectives.

The eNPS can be evaluated in Echometer both at team level and across teams. For example, you can use the heat map in the Workspace Health Dashboard for cross-team evaluation.

The Echometer Retrospective software is designed to guide teams through the retrospective process with maximum ease and effectiveness, following best practices.

The steps and their sequence can be customized using the navigation within the retro. By default, a retrospective in Echometer is structured in this way:

  • Icebreaker
  • Review of open measures from past retros
  • Collect feedback (first Health Checks, then open questions)
  • Prioritization of feedback
  • Deriving action items
  • Conclusion of the retrospective with the "ROTI score" (Return on Time Invested)

Additional whiteboards (e.g. for workshops, for analyzing problems or for brainstorming measures) can also be added spontaneously at any point using the Retrospective navigation.

Yes, the Echometer Retrospective Tool offers various export options for retrospectives.

The most popular method is to generate a PDF that contains the feedback, the votes from the prioritization and the measures of the retrospective. It is also possible to share the retrospective via a sharing link.

A summary of the retrospective is also automatically sent to other participants by email after the retrospective, provided they are registered as team members in the team.

Yes, the online retrospective tool Echometer is one of the few retrospective software tools that also optimally supports the recording and tracking of measures:

  • Integration: You can also record measures directly in Jira via an integration.
  • Automatic follow-up: All open measures from past retros appear automatically in the measure review of the next retrospective for tracking purposes. This gives the team an overview of which measures are currently still open and creates a commitment to implementing the agreed measures.
  • Reminders: Measures are assigned to a person responsible, who automatically receives a reminder email when the measure is created so that the measure is not forgotten. In addition, each participant can flexibly receive action reminders via email and manage the action status at any time in the Echometer Retro Tool.

This means that Echometer's tool for team retrospectives has extensive and well thought-out functions for action tracking.

Yes, Echometer allows grouping and prioritizing (voting on points) of feedback on the Retrospective Board.

All participants can simply drag and drop cards onto each other and group them together.

There are 2 modes for prioritizing:

  • In "Live Voting" (the recommended mode), the moderator selects how many votes each participant should have and then starts the hidden voting. As soon as all votes have been cast, the moderator can close the live voting. During the voting, you can see how many votes are still to be awarded. After the voting is closed, the cards in the columns are automatically sorted in descending order so that the cards with the most votes are at the top.
  • In "Facilitated Voting" mode, the moderator simply selects how many votes are allocated to each topic. This mode is only necessary in exceptional cases.

Feedback can be optimally processed in the team using Echometer and the measures derived from it can also be easily recorded in Echometer in direct connection with the feedback.

Yes, with the online retrospective software Echometer you can collect asynchronous feedback on the retrospective in advance via a survey.

This means that obtaining feedback is asynchronous and you can make the most of the time spent together in retrospect.

Yes, absolutely: The online retrospective software Echometer is optimized for distributed teams working remotely and includes various options for interacting with each other in real time.

Both the retrospectives and the whiteboards are synchronized in real time for all participants and you can also optionally display your colleagues' cursors.

Yes, the online retrospective tool Echometer is a free tool that you can try out without logging in.

You can get started right away using this link: Echometer Retro Tool without login.

To invite other participants to your online retrospective in Echometer, you will need to register. Participants only need to enter their email address to join the retrospective, but do not need to log in.

After the retrospective, participants can optionally log in to access the summary even after the retrospective has ended.

Yes, Echometer offers many high-quality templates for retrospectives and the respective steps of a retrospective.

Echometer is the retrospective software tool with probably the most integrated retrospective template ideas and patterns:

  • The retro templates in Echometer contain sample questions for the retro board. These are often creatively based on specific topics in –, such as the "Kart racing retrospective" or the "Time travel retrospective".
  • Some retro templates also contain templates for Health Checks. For example, to measure the Spotify Health Check or psychological safety in the team.
  • When creating a team, you can choose from various team templates for management teams or scrum teams, for example. The team templates then put together a suitable team Health Check for the team.
  • For icebreakers in the retrospective, Echometer has over 50 ideas for sample questions that can be used spontaneously and randomly in a retrospective via a random generator.
  • And then there are whiteboard templates in Echometer, which contain ideas for check-ins, team building and the development of measures.

One of the greatest strengths of the Echometer Retro Tool are the various templates for retrospectives, which can be used as patterns for the creative design of your own retrospectives.

Here is a short list of the samples as an insight into the retrospective templates:

  • Happy, Wondering, Sad
  • Three Little Pigs
  • Team Morale Health Check
  • Easter and Christmas retrospective templates
  • DORA Retrospective
  • 5 agile values Health Check
  • Spotify Squad Health Check Radar
  • Psychological safety Health Check
  • DORA Retrospective
  • Unique retrospective templates such as the "7 Dwarfs Retrospective" or the "Football Retrospective"

If you are interested in the Retrospective Tools templates, take a quick look at the tool: Echometer Retro Templates & Templates

Yes, Echometer is an online tool for retrospectives that offers Jira integration.

With the Jira integration in Echometer, measures from Echometer can be created in Jira boards with a single click.

This makes Echometer a good retrospective software tool if your team is already using Jira.

Echometer is not available in the Atlassian Marketplace, but as separate software via my.echometerapp.com callable.

Yes, Echometer can be called a starfish retrospective tool, because with Echometer you can easily perform the starfish retrospective on an interactive online retrospective board.

Hot tip: If you are interested in the Starfish Retrospective, take a quick look at Echometer. Because the special thing about Echometer is that you can try out the starfish retrospective immediately (time-saving, without logging in) at this link: Echometer Starfish Retrospective Access without login

The Echometer Sprint Retrospective software has very extensive features, both for beginners and experts. The following features form the core of the tool:

  • Structured retrospective flow with integrated whiteboards for flexible brainstorming on individual focus topics
  • Retrospective board for brainstorming, presenting, grouping and voting with live collaboration
  • Moderator tools such as a timer, anonymity settings and control over the agenda step (focused for all participants)
  • Integrated tracking of measures from past retrospectives with automatic resubmission and incl. Jira integration
  • Unbiased brainstorming: Concealed cards on the retro board as well as on the integrated whiteboards prevent participants from influencing each other during the brainstorming session.
  • Simple, quick setup of the tool: Many users report that they were able to start their first retrospective in less than 10 minutes.

The following features are Echometer's unique selling points that are relevant for experienced Scrum Masters and team leaders:

  • Dashboard with retrospective history, including duration of the retrospective, number of participants and ROTI score
  • PDF and Markdown export of the retrospective after completion
  • The retrospective can take place asynchronously (e.g. also via a survey that is sent out before the retro) or in real time
  • Anonymous feedback via survey or on the Retrospective Board
  • Anonymous voting and prioritization of feedback on the retrospective board by awarding points
  • Query or measurement of the "ROTI score" (i.e. Return on Time Invested) after the retrospective for continuous evaluation and improvement of the retrospective by team members
  • Creation of Health Check surveys or pulse surveys as a happiness check and mood barometer in order to recognize trends (e.g. increasing dissatisfaction) in the team at an early stage
  • Health Check KPIs and agile metrics in the analysis dashboard including history
  • Health Check Surveys or pulse surveys also possible across teams

The Echometer Retrospective Tool offers the following features for retrospective template ideas, questions and samples:

  • 50+ Retrospective Template Ideas including Keep Stop Start, Happy Wondering Sad and the Starfish Retrospective
  • 200+ Retrospective Health Check questions and templates
  • Retrospective Icebreaker Library with 50+ fun retrospective check-ins to promote psychological safety and team spirit etc.
  • Whiteboard templates for visual, interactive retrospective icebreakers (including seasonal highlights for e.g. Easter and Christmas)
  • Whiteboard templates to structure and facilitate the creation of measures

Yes, the retrospective software tool Echometer is easy to use even for beginners who are not yet familiar with retrospectives.

Many users report that they were able to carry out their first retrospective in Echometer in less than 10 minutes of preparation!

Thanks to the structured process in Echometer, carrying out the retrospective is also very easy.

On the testimonial page of Echometer you will find numerous confirmed user reviews: Echometer Testimonials

Echometer is the best software tool for retrospectives compared to alternative retrospective software tools such as Retrium, EasyRetro, Reetro, Neetro and TeamRetro for three reasons:

  1. Large selection of creative templates for retrospectives: Users of Echometer confirm that Echometer has a uniquely wide range of retro board ideas.
  2. Echometer has a simple and intuitive structure for retrospectives that guides teams through retrospectives using best practices. This also makes Echometer very beginner-friendly.
  3. Echometer offers a generous free version.

Users of Echometer particularly appreciate the unique function of Echometer to insert Health Checks into their agile retrospectives: These agile Health Checks make a massive contribution to stimulating team reflection and actively involving every team member in the retrospective.

To summarize, even alternative retrospective software tools such as Parabol do not have the unique features of the Echometer retrospective tool, which are both simple and effective. Therefore, it can be said that Echometer is the best software app for conducting agile sprint retrospective meetings.

Yes, in Echometer you can get anonymous feedback from the team.

Echometer is one of the few online retrospective tools that can be used to collect feedback anonymously.

In Echometer, feedback can even be collected anonymously before the retrospective via asynchronous surveys, which is unique among online retrospective tools and distinguishes Echometer positively from tools such as the retrospective software Parabol.

Yes, Echometer offers a generous free version of the online retro tool that can be used permanently free of charge for one team. This includes all functions for team retrospectives.

You only have to switch to a paid version for additional functions such as SSO, multiple teams or an unlimited number of retrospectives.

Further information on the variants of Echometer's retro tool can be found on the pricing page here: Retro-Tool Price List

The greatest strengths of the Echometer retrospective tool are its impact on time savings, participant engagement and productivity.

  • With hundreds of ideas for retrospective templates in combination with the integrated surveys, Echometer makes it very easy to prepare great retrospectives in just a few minutes.
  • Thanks to the guided steps and the playful and interactive retrospective board, implementation is child's play, focused and results-oriented at the same time.
  • The integrated tracking of measures and team health makes it easier to recognize trends in the team at an early stage and ensure that measures from retrospectives are not forgotten

Combined with the unique features of the agile Health Checks and flexible whiteboards, Echometer is one of the best, if not the best, retrospective tool on the market, even better than the better-known Parabol retrospective tool.

Yes, Echometer's retro tool is technically secure and GDPR-compliant.

Several European financial institutions and insurance companies have chosen to purchase Echometer's retrospective tools over other alternatives due to strict regulatory requirements.

The data is stored and securely processed in Germany. The contract for commissioned data processing with details on the technical and organizational security measures of Echometer's processing can be viewed here: https://echometerapp.com/gdpr-and-security/

Echometer's tool for retrospectives offers the following integrations:

  • Jira (for easy tracking of measures from retrospectives in Jira boards)
  • Google login
  • SSO (only in paid version)

Echometer are particularly positive about the increase in the effectiveness of retrospectives and the improved measurability of team development through Echometer.

Here are some officially confirmed quotes from users and customers of the Echometer software tool, all of whom hold leadership positions in agile teams:

Duane Hill, Scrum Master Coach:

  • "Echometer is like a combination of Miro and a really smart retro board. It even provides metrics on the effectiveness of my coaching so I can easily spot trends in team development. I really love this tool – highly recommended for anyone who wants to make their retrospectives more effective!"

Lena Tölke, Agile Coach at Deutsche Bahn Sales:

  • "Thanks to the targeted questions in Echometer, we keep coming up with new insights for our further development in retrospectives and can make these transparent and measurable for all team members."

Clemens Schöne, Scrum Master at Communardo Products:

  • "Echometer is like the combination of Mural and EasyRetro – I am thrilled! With Echometer, remote retros can work much better and even be fun!"

Patrick Böttcher-Exner, management position at Relaxdays GmbH:

  • "One major advantage is that Echometer allows us to carry out and track both remote and on-site retrospectives in one tool."

Carina McLane, Senior Software Developer at Volvo:

  • "As a Scrum Master, it's not about the tools, but this one really makes the work a lot more enjoyable. After two years of experience with Echometer, I can recommend it to anyone who wants to enrich their retrospectives and understand their team better!"

Echometer is the perfect retrospective software tool for busy team managers, team leaders, engineering managers, but also scrum masters and Agile coaches in distributed or hybrid agile teams ("remote teams").

Users particularly appreciate how much time the tool saves for retrospective moderators and how it increases the engagement of participants in the retrospective. Therefore, people who value time savings, retrospective effectiveness and engagement benefit most from the functions of Echometer.

In addition, Echometer offers an easy, playful introduction to retrospectives and is therefore particularly suitable for teams that do not yet have much experience with retrospectives or are just starting out with agile working methods.

The Echometer retrospective software works as follows:

  • Simple preparation of retrospectives using templates for retro formats, surveys and whiteboards
  • Intuitive and step-by-step implementation of retrospectives. Possible both online and on-site. Simply use the QR code on site so that participants can take part via their smartphone with the Mobile Companion app.
  • Automatic follow-up through export functions and integrated tracking of developments and measures including retro archive.

The implementation of a retrospective in Echometer is as follows:

  • The retrospective board allows the agile team to start with a fun welcome screen where they can wait for the rest of the team while playing an interactive game.
  • Once all participants of the retrospective have arrived, continue with an icebreaker question. Echometer has several icebreaker question templates, including both open-ended questions and visual whiteboard templates with workshops and small games.
  • After the icebreaker, you reach the screen for tracking measures: Here, the team reviews the open actions from past retrospectives and decides whether to keep, close or discard the actions. This step is unique to Echometer and significantly improves the quality of the continuous improvement process of agile teams.
  • Then it's on to Team Health Check: all team members answer various questions, for example a question about satisfaction in the team or questions about psychological safety. This type of question increases engagement in the retrospective, even with introverted team members, as well as the creation of agile KPIs to track the mood in the team over time.
  • Then you continue with the retrospective board, where everyone can leave anonymous feedback on open questions – if this has not already been done in advance via a survey. There are hundreds of retrospective templates for different retrospectives on the Echometer retrospective board.
  • Feedback is first written face down on the retro board so that the participants do not influence each other. The moderator can then reveal the feedback column by column.
  • Once the feedback on the retro board has been uncovered, presented to the team and any queries about feedback have been clarified, the prioritization, i.e. the voting, can continue.
  • Voting in Echometer is anonymous. During the voting process, you can see how many votes have already been cast and how many are still open.
  • At on-site retrospectives, you can also vote using your smartphone.
  • As soon as the voting is complete, you can derive measures. To do this, you can either create a measure directly for the feedback or open the feedback on a new whiteboard to analyze the problem in more detail and brainstorm ideas for measures.
  • The brainstorming of measures on a separate whiteboard within the retro is a point of differentiation for Echometer compared to other tools for retrospectives such as Parabol. In Echometer, you can create a separate whiteboard for each topic within the retro and thus optimally control the focus of the discussion.
  • Finally, Echometer enables the retrospective to be concluded by anonymously asking the entire team about the ROTI score on a scale of 0 to 10 (i.e. the "Return on Time Invested"): This helps the team and in particular the retrospective moderator to continuously improve the quality of the retrospectives within the team itself.

Given this unique, structured and flexible retrospective process, combined with the range of functions, Echometer is often described as the best tool for agile retrospectives.

Further questions?

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