Customer Stories
Reaching 90 Percent GitHub Copilot Adoption
Across 10 Business Units
Capabilities:
Capabilities:
Introduction
A global data analytics and technology company wanted to accelerate software delivery, reduce defects, and create a more empowered developer community.
After introducing GitHub Copilot, initial adoption rose quickly, but then plateaued at
around 30 percent. Developers across ten international business units were
using the tool inconsistently, and leadership lacked clear visibility into its value.
That is when the company partnered with Xebia. Using Xebia’s GitHub Copilot Adoption
Framework, the team implemented a data-driven enablement strategy that combined
metrics, hands-on learning, and interactive training. In just four months, adoption
surged from 30 to 93 percent, and productivity increased by 30 percent, and defect
rates dropped by 10 percent.
At a Glance
Challenge
Low adoption and limited visibility into
Copilot usage across multiple global
business units
Solution
Xebia’s two-phase adoption program
featuring a real-time engagement dashboard, global training sessions, and
interactive learning formats such as the
Copilot Garage
Results
93% global adoption achieved within
4 months
30% increase in productivity and 10% defect reduction
Companywide visibility into AI-driven
development metrics
The Challenge
As one of the world’s largest data and analytics companies, the organization employs
tens of thousands of professionals across more than forty offices worldwide.
Leadership saw GitHub Copilot as a key enabler of speed, quality, and innovation, but scaling AI tools in a distributed environment proved difficult.
Technical challenges such as latency and authentication issues in specific regions caused frustration among developers. Others raised questions about data security and
privacy, while business unit leaders struggled to quantify Copilot’s return on investment.
Despite a global rollout plan, adoption stalled at 30 percent. Developers lacked
structured training, and enthusiasm waned. To reach its full potential, the initiative
needed a coordinated strategy that combined metrics, education, and engagement.
The Solution
Xebia partnered with the company to design and deliver a comprehensive enablement
strategy focused on data visibility and experiential learning. The approach was
structured in two phases;
Phase 1: Measurement and Insights
Xebia built a Copilot Engagement Dashboard that provided real-time analytics on usage rates, engagement by region, and
performance impact. The dashboard enabled leaders to identify
low-engagement areas and tailor interventions such as targeted
training or improved infrastructure to address local issues. For the first time, decision-makers could see the tangible value of
Copilot adoption at scale.
Phase 2: Enablement and Engagement
With new data-driven insights, Xebia designed a robust global
training program to transform developer behavior. The curriculum
included Inspiration Sessions, Copilot Fundamentals, Prompt
Engineering Workshops and Copilot Garage Sessions that
allowed teams to solve real challenges collaboratively.
To manage scale, Xebia co-taught sessions with internal champions, eventually
enabling the company to run its own Copilot enablement track independently.
The Outcome
Within four months, Copilot adoption skyrocketed to 93 percent across ten business units. Productivity increased by 30 percent, and software defects decreased by 10 percent globally. Developers reported saving an average of 2.5 hours per week,
citing faster coding, fewer bugs, and greater confidence in their work.
The introduction of the Copilot Dashboard reshaped how the organization measured
success. For the first time, business and technology leaders had unified insights
into both quantitative and qualitative metrics that measured productivity, collaboration,
and satisfaction.
The cultural impact was equally significant. Developers began sharing best practices, tips, and success stories across teams, building an internal network of Copilot
champions who continue to promote knowledge sharing and innovation.
Lessons Learned
- Keep training materials current to match rapidly evolving AI features
- Measure value creation, not only tool usage
- Encourage bottom-up adoption driven by developer enthusiasm
- Address local technical challenges early to remove friction.
Looking Ahead
Following the success of the Copilot rollout, Xebia continues to collaborate with the
company on its next major transformation, migrating all source code repositories
to GitHub Enterprise. This unifies the development environment and allows seamless
integration of Copilot, GitHub Actions, and GitHub Advanced Security, ensuring long-term scalability and efficiency.
"Interactive learning formats like the Copilot Garage were instrumental in identifying adoption barriers and providing immediate feedback loops." Michelle Welcks, Cloud Architect at Xebia
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