“It’s the end customers that matter the most, not our clients.” This bold statement comes from Keni Barwick, the Delivery Director of Bluebik.
Keni does not neglect our clients’ briefs. On the contrary, the Delivery Director is on a quest to go above and beyond in our services – ensuring that we deliver the most valuable solutions that the end customers truly need, not just want.
“Sometimes, you need to find the strength to speak to the clients and say, ‘Sorry, you’re wrong. We found this data from your customer, and this is what they need.’”
This approach, he believes, ultimately establishes success for our clients.
Rest assured that he is not making things up. Starting as a developer, Keni always employed the agile concept in his work process. Once he realized that the way of work he had been doing had a name, he became an scrum master and worked his magic for renowned companies, such as Sky, Cognizant, and Discover Finance Services. In 2024, Keni marked his 20th anniversary in the field of delivery.
Maximizing Value
Keni emphasizes a value-driven approach within the established principles of Agile. “It is about ensuring that every aspect of the project contributes to the end goal of delivering maximum value to the customer – the end-user – and the business, rather than just completing tasks or adhering rigidly to a plan.”
This concept of value-focused delivery emerged during one of the most pivotal moments in his career. At one point, he worked on a proof of concept (POC) for what is now well-known in the medical world as the MRI linear accelerator, a fascinating combination of the MRI, which captures images of cancer, and the linear accelerator, which kills cancer cells with targeted radiation.
Before saving millions of lives, the machine changed the life of one man. “Before I hopped on the project, the team spent a whole month making sure the time connector was correct. I understand that it is the most valuable thing for the machine so that the two machines align on time and can deliver precise treatment, but it’s a POC. We knew it worked, and that was what mattered most in that iteration. This is where value-driven development came across for me.”
“Finding what the customers need and trimming that down and providing that value quickly to get a quicker return of investment.” – this is the conclusion Keni came to.
Delivering Value
As the Delivery Director at Bluebik, Keni’s day-to-day tasks vary, but one thing remains consistent: aligning everyone on the same value-driven process and pushing them towards the goal of each iteration.
“During the onboarding process, I explain all the terms and the team mindset. This includes getting everyone aligned on being value-driven, and establishing our agreement, for example, to always overshare”
By oversharing, Keni means keeping every stakeholder updated on what is happening as real-time as possible. For clients, it helps manage their expectations. For the team, it fosters a culture where everyone feels a sense of teamwork and that they can contribute.
“I don’t know everything, and someone might know something that might help with whatever hiccups we are experiencing. Everyone in the community can help drive value-focused delivery.”
Besides oversharing, having regular meetings with the delivery team and doing a retrospective for each iteration are ways of work that help keep everyone aligned and focused on delivering value.
“I want to get to the point where we go to a client and immediately provide value and make a difference,” Keni concludes.
Offering the Bluebik Value to the Global Market
After working as an agile coach or scrum master for many leading companies around the world, the UK-based Delivery Director is now ready to apply his expertise to Bluebik’s clientele. And to say he has high hopes for the company is an understatement.
“For me, it’s time to focus on my home market, the UK and Europe. We have a fantastic product and service to offer, but here in the UK, the market is highly competitive and established. There are players here that are well-known in Thailand, which we beat on the regular, so I am confident in the team’s plan to bring our clients the value they deserve.
“But don’t think for one minute we have lost sight of the East. We have our eyes firmly set on strengthening our role as a leader in digital transformation, both in the Southeast region and globally. This includes expanding our innovative services in key areas like generative AI, digital ecosystems, cybersecurity, and sustainability technologies.”
Keni is confident that we will get there with the right team and the right mindset. “Here at Bluebik, I appreciate the open mindset and the commitment to excellence in digital transformation. The skills and enthusiasm of the Bluebik team when delivering a solution, especially when doing it with the value intention are unmatched. With this, I will keep on fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation, deepening partnerships, and exploring new markets of UK and Europe.”
The A-Team
Together with the Management Consultant and Digital Excellence teams based in Thailand and Vietnam, Keni is working on a mega project for a client in the financial industry. This is an example of how Bluebik brings together the best of the best, no matter where they are in the world.
“The system we’re putting together is a massive change into their current system. Once done, the system will be capable of handling a significantly increased number of customers, as expected in the next few years. We’re not being hyperbolic. We’re telling the truth here. We’ve done this before and we will do it again.”
In addition, Keni believes multiculturalism boosts the team’s overall capability. “Working at Bluebik offers a unique environment where meeting and collaborating with people from different backgrounds is a daily experience. This exposure to varied cultures not only enriches our professional interactions but also enhances our creativity and problem-solving skills, which I believe are fundamental in shaping innovative and impactful digital solutions in today’s interconnected world.”
