Fiserv

Background

In 2018, Fiserv — one of the world’s largest providers of financial services technology and payments solutions — reached out to me for help with one of their key internal divisions. The team was struggling with chaotic processes, unpredictable project delivery, and mounting frustration from both internal stakeholders and external clients. Despite having talented people, the organization could only see that “the numbers weren’t adding up” — delays were frequent, quality was inconsistent, and customer satisfaction was slipping. They needed clarity on what was truly broken and a practical path forward.Challenges

• Lack of visibility into root causes — teams were focused on symptoms (missed deadlines, budget overruns) rather than systemic issues

• Overloaded portfolio: too many simultaneous projects, too little focus on true product value

• Traditional project management approach that no longer scaled in a fast-moving fintech environment

• Inconsistent delivery predictability and quality

• Declining client satisfaction due to unreliable timelines and outcomes

  
  

My Approach

I joined Fiserv to diagnose the problems deeply and implement a structured, modern transformation. My work focused on shifting mindset, simplifying complexity, and building sustainable execution capability:

• Conducted a thorough process and delivery diagnosis — went beyond surface-level metrics to uncover structural bottlenecks, misaligned priorities, and cultural blockers.

• Recommended and helped implement a strategic pivot: dramatically reduce the number of parallel projects and shift focus toward building fewer, high-impact products instead of fragmented initiatives.

• Introduced Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) principles and ceremonies tailored to Fiserv’s scale and regulatory context — creating alignment across large teams.

• Personally trained and coached product managers, delivery leads, engineering squads, and senior executives on agile, lean, and product thinking.

• Established lightweight governance to improve predictability, transparency, and focus on customer value.

  
  

Results

• Quality improved noticeably — fewer defects, higher internal and external satisfaction scores

• Delivery predictability increased significantly — teams started reliably hitting commitments and forecasts

• Visible business impact — faster time-to-market for key features and products, better alignment with client needs

• Client satisfaction rose — measurable improvement in feedback from Fiserv’s banking and merchant customers

• The division adopted a more focused, product-centric operating model that continued delivering value long after my engagement

  
  

Conclusion

In 2018, I helped Fiserv move from a reactive, project-heavy way of working to a more intentional, product-oriented, and predictable model. By diagnosing root causes, reducing overload, introducing SAFe at scale, and coaching teams and leaders, we achieved tangible improvements in quality, predictability, delivery speed, and client satisfaction. This transformation proved that even in a large, complex, highly regulated organization, modern management practices can unlock significant performance gains.