Vestforbrænding: Strengthening collaboration, learning, and transparency through agile working methods
The Context
Vestforbrænding is Denmark’s largest municipally owned waste and energy company, owned by 19 municipalities in Greater Copenhagen and North Zealand. The company’s primary operation is a large waste-to-energy plant in Ejby near Glostrup, which functions as a combined heat and power plant and produces electricity equivalent to the consumption of approximately 80,000 households, as well as district heating for about 75,000 households.
Vestforbrænding recognized a need for more agile ways of working to strengthen collaboration, learning, and transparency across the organization. The goal was to work in a more adaptive manner and gradually implement agile methods in various departments.
The overall goal was to build a more agile culture in which teams could collaborate more effectively and respond to changing requirements and conditions.
The Process
The approach was based on simplicity and flexibility—with an understanding that Vestforbrænding’s teams work in different contexts with different needs.
The work included, among other things:
Needs assessment: Close collaboration with managers in each department to understand specific challenges and opportunities and ensure solutions that made sense locally.
Training and workshops: Delivery of seminars and training programs for key functions, including HR, Communications, the Learning Center, Occupational Health and Safety, Sustainability, and Emergency Preparedness. The programs provided participants with a common foundation in agile principles, tools, and working methods.
Customized implementation: Teams were supported in testing agile practices within their own workflows and determining what worked best in their day-to-day operations.
Ongoing guidance and support: During the implementation, teams were supported through guidance and coaching to address challenges and adjust their approach as needed.
The results
The use of agile methods contributed, among other things, to:
Stronger collaboration: Better communication and collaboration across teams and disciplines.
Continuous learning: A stronger culture of feedback, learning, and continuous improvement.
Increased transparency: Greater transparency in workflows and progress, which provided a better overview and a solid basis for decision-making.