MTN Group , Africa's largest mobile network operator, has successfully partnered with UAE-based consultancy Agility Arabia to deliver one of the telecom industry's most ambitious Agile transformations in procurement to date. The initiative, rolled out across MTN's Global Sourcing and Supply Chain GSSC division, has set a new benchmark in procurement agility, transparency, and operational effectiveness.
A Region-Spanning Transformation Rooted in Agile PrinciplesOperating across 16 African markets and serving over 291 million customers, MTN sought to address growing business complexity, reduce time to market, and unlock higher value from its procurement operations. Its GSSC division-responsible for sourcing, supply chain and vendor management across 17 operating companies-was identified as a critical lever for strategic transformation.
Agility Arabia was selected as the partner for this journey due to its pioneering work in Agile procurement, regional presence, and status as the UAE's first Scrum.org Professional Training Network member. The collaboration focused on introducing a Lean Agile Procurement LAP framework that moved MTN away from traditional waterfall processes towards adaptive, iterative delivery.
Key Results in Less Than 6 Months The phased rollout, beginning in Q1 2023, delivered remarkable outcomes within six months:- Strategic RFP timelines reduced by up to 55, resulting in significant annual savings
- 84 of GSSC staff were actively participating in Agile projects
- Agile Net Promoter Score NPS doubled within three months
- 13 high-performing Agile teams became self-managing and mature in LAP delivery
- 80 of employees reported strong confidence in the new framework
- Anonymous surveys showed 74 felt it helped them do their jobs better
The transformation included deep capability-building, live coaching, and restructuring of roles around Agile squads. Maturity was tracked using Agility Arabia's proprietary 23-point Agile performance assessment.
