Erasmus Helper — Agile Delivery for a Cross-Functional Team

Student mobility programmes involve a wide range of administrative and practical challenges. Students arriving in a new country must manage documentation requirements, secure accommodation, navigate unfamiliar surroundings, and stay informed about updates from their mobility coordinators.

These activities are often spread across multiple channels, including emails, standalone websites, social media groups, and informal recommendations from other students. The fragmented experience increases stress, creates uncertainty, and makes it difficult for students to access the right information at the right time.

The fragmented nature of the mobility experience created an opportunity to simplify and streamline the student journey. Bringing essential resources and communication into a single, trusted platform could reduce administrative burden and help students feel more confident as they adapt to a new environment.

A unified solution had the potential to improve access to important information, strengthen communication between students and mobility officers, and provide practical support during the transition period.

If students had access to a single platform combining the most critical aspects of their mobility experience, then they would rely on it as their primary source of information and support, resulting in reduced fragmentation and a smoother onboarding experience.

I considered the initiative successful if we achieved:

• Delivery of all agreed MVP functionality within the academic timeline
• Positive stakeholder evaluation during final product demonstrations
• Successful implementation of all four core user journeys
• Stakeholder approval that the solution addressed the most critical student pain points

I defined the MVP scope by prioritising functionality that directly addressed the most common challenges faced by incoming students. The product strategy centred around four key pillars:

• Mobility tracking
• Accommodation discovery
• Local points of interest
• Notification management

I facilitated the end-to-end delivery process by managing the backlog, prioritising user stories, coordinating sprint planning, and maintaining visibility through regular stakeholder reviews.

Sprint demonstrations created a continuous feedback loop with the product sponsor, enabling early identification of risks and ensuring alignment throughout the delivery lifecycle.

Midway through the project, differences in expectations around ownership and varying levels of commitment began affecting delivery predictability.

I addressed the issue through one-to-one conversations, clarification of responsibilities, and reinforcement of sprint expectations. These interventions restored alignment and allowed the team to successfully deliver the remaining roadmap items.

All predefined success criteria were achieved. The product was delivered within the academic timeline, passed stakeholder review, and demonstrated the feasibility of supporting multiple stages of the mobility journey through a single platform.

• Delivered on schedule
• Completed all agreed MVP functionality
• Successfully coordinated 960 engineering hours across a team of 6
• Maintained delivery momentum despite mid-project team challenges

The initiative validated the assumption that consolidating critical mobility resources into a single experience could effectively support the core needs of incoming students.

I underestimated how much ambiguity remained within seemingly well-defined user stories. Clearer acceptance criteria and earlier validation with stakeholders throughout development would have reduced rework and improved delivery confidence.