Experian, a global consumer credit reporting leader with 3,000 product and engineering employees, moved away from coordinated big-bang releases that were stressful and hindered cross-timezone collaboration. Harness Feature Management enabled controlled rollouts and safe experimentation with real consumer data, significantly reducing deployment risk. The platform transformation was cultural—feature flags became a quality and efficiency tool embedded into the daily workflows of all engineering teams.
Challenge
Overcoming "big bang" releases
Experian embarked on a multi-year mission to improve consumer financial health worldwide. With 3,000 employees in product management and software engineering, the organization faced challenges in coordinating large, simultaneous feature releases. These big bang releases were stressful and inefficient, often scheduled at the end of the day, hindering effective cross-time-zone collaboration. Experian aimed to shift towards smaller, continuous releases throughout the workday, requiring a solution to facilitate this transition.
Solution
Accelerating releases with feature management at the center
By adopting Split, Experian transformed its release process. The platform allowed engineers to conduct controlled rollouts, securing new features behind feature flags. With Split, Experian was able to introduce features to a limited user base, facilitating experimentation with real consumer data without overwhelming systems. The controlled rollout capability significantly reduced the risk associated with new deployments.
Today, Experian is able to release new features more frequently and with little risk. Engineers are continuously releasing and protecting their rollouts behind feature flags. And, they’re dipping their toes into experimentation with real-time consumer data that doesn’t slow them down.
"Split provides so much more than just a tool set change in that respect. You know, it sounds simple, feature toggles, but it’s transformative in nature. It’s transformative in terms of the teams, in terms of the culture that we adopt."- Mirza Baig, Senior VP of Engineering
Results
Going from 2 to 100 deployments per month
Before Split, the Experian team was experiencing slow deployments, because releases were coordinated and happened as a big bang. Since implementing the tool, Experian's deployment frequency skyrocketed from two to 100 releases per month. This dramatic increase alleviated stress for engineers, who could now release features confidently, knowing that feature flags safeguarded individual rollouts. The ease of toggling features on and off ensured a seamless user experience, enhancing both developer efficiency and consumer satisfaction.
“Split became my culture hack.” - Will Soper, Head of Development
Future
Not just a toggle, a cultural shift
Although a relatively small percentage of Experian developers actively use Split, its impact is widespread and deeply integrated into the company's culture. The platform has become synonymous with quality and efficiency, earning a place in the everyday vocabulary of Experian's teams. As Mirza Baig, Senior VP of Engineering, noted, "Split is transformative, not just in terms of tools, but in shaping team culture." This cultural shift, championed by leaders like Will Soper, Head of Development, has cemented the platform's role as a critical component of Experian's operational success.
