Virtusa - Conceive. Transform. Optimize
   
Client Insight
 Derek Bell
 Contact Us
 Home
 
Client Insight:
 
Derek Bell, Programme Director, Collaboration Program, British Telecommunications plc (BT)
 

Derek Bell shares his experiences in heading BT’s Beta Programme that delivers beta applications in very short iterations, while maintaining 100% client satisfaction. The Beta Programme is BT’s "idea accelerator," delivering live applications from concept to marketing in 2-3 week timeframes. Virtusa is an integral partner to the Beta Programme since inception, and we are very proud to be BT’s strategic partner in this initiative.

Derek BellDerek is an experienced IT Programme Director in BT Design.  His past experience spans a wide range of business roles, including portfolio strategy, business planning, sales, marketing, venturing and operations.  This diverse range of experiences enables Derek to ensure a strong business focus within his programme: in particular, a deep understanding of the importance of speed-to-market as a source of competitive advantage.
Note: The below streaming video links will open in a new window
Introducing the BT.com Beta Programme
  • Can you describe the objectives of the Beta Program and why BT decided to engage on a different approach to application development?
  • Can you share a few examples of the types of projects within the Beta Programme?
  • Your team recently won several internal BT development awards, what were they?
     
    Reducing cycle-time using agile practices
  • What's the typical cycle time for a project – do you work in weekly cycles?
  • Can you describe how the team is organized and what sort of work is done offshore?
  • How do you work with a services provider when requirements are finalized late in to the cycle, which is common when following agile practices?
     

    Emphasis on reuse and common capability

  • Do you place a lot of emphasis on reuse? How do you approach this when building new products?

  • Can you share some examples where you were able to dramatically reduce delivery time?
     
    Challenges when adopting agile practices
  • What challenges did you face in adopting agile practices and how did the internal stakeholders respond?
  • How did you address these?
     
     
       Home |  Contact Us |  Site Map  
    "Virtusa" is a trademark of the company and is a registered trademark in the US, European Union (EU) and in India.
    "Productization" is a service mark of the company and a registered service mark in the United States.