Accelerating Fiber Transformation for a Leading UK Operator

🧭 Background & Challenges
Amid the UK’s rapid fiber broadband rollout, a leading fixed network operator launched an initiative to build a microservices-based platform to support Homepass growth and service activation. The platform was a key enabler for the client's market expansion strategy, with the goal of accelerating subscriber reach while maintaining operational stability and delivering measurable commercial value.

However, the project came with several inherent challenges:

Tight delivery timelines driven by competitive market pressures

Distributed teams across three countries (users, IT, and development), spanning multiple time zones

Client’s first large-scale DevOps project, requiring cultural and procedural shifts

The need for continuous operations, jointly managed with a third-country NOC for 24/7 support

Lack of alignment between formal requirements and actual user needs

🔧 Delivery Approach
After initial workshops, we adopted an innovative DevOps delivery model, balancing speed with reliability. A key part of our strategy involved introducing a quantitative complexity assessment of requirements, which allowed the team to:

Prioritize high-impact features

Sequence releases effectively

Maximize early business value

In parallel, we worked closely with the client’s NOC partner to set up real-time monitoring and 24/7 operational coverage, ensuring platform stability from day one.

👥 My Role & Contributions
As project manager, I focused on bridging gaps — across teams, cultures, and delivery phases. My key contributions included:

Unifying the delivery and operations teams, creating a seamless DevOps pipeline

Embedding test engineers in the requirement phase, enabling early validation and “shift-left” testing

Facilitating deep-dive workshops to clarify hidden business intent behind high-level requirements

Defining a quantitative quality acceptance model tied to the complexity of each requirement, replacing vague KPIs with measurable, outcome-driven metrics

Creating a cross-time-zone communication rhythm that kept all stakeholders aligned and engaged

📈 Project Outcomes
Successful delivery of a stable, scalable microservices platform

On-time launch of core capabilities, supporting Homepass and service activation growth

Operational model scaled across time zones, enabling 24/7 support and live monitoring

Improved trust and collaboration through transparent quality tracking and visible progress

The client’s internal team adopted several of our practices as templates for future projects

This project reinforced the importance of cultural awareness, structured coordination, and measurable quality, especially in high-stakes, cross-border digital programs.