Context

A Tech Startup based in Japan, providing an online business platform, grew in the last 3 years to 450 employees (40% engineers) and was seeking to improve the company's speed.

  • Industry: Internet Services
  • Employees: 450
  • Location: Tokyo
  • Duration: 6 months @ 6h/week

Initial Situation

Problem

The initial situation described by the client:

  • The senior management feels that the product and engineering organization could be faster, that technological initiatives are intangible, and the business outcome is difficult to assess.
  • Engineers feel disconnected from the company.
  • The product team members use various data sources and tools to develop business hypotheses. That makes alignment and measuring the outcome laborious.

Approach

Solution

The following approach has been taken:

  • Use the DX Criteria (guidelines for Corporate Digitization and Software Utilization, supervised and compiled by the Japan CTO Association) to assess the current situation and visualize the company's strengths and weaknesses.
  • Related to the vision and strategy of the company, create a prioritized roadmap and working backlog of the findings of the DX Criteria.
  • Create a common language and understanding between the management of the different departments (i.e., sales, product, engineering).
  • Work hands-on with the management and key members to solve the identified improvement points.

Outcome

Result

At the end of the project, the following result were measured:

  • Common language and understanding of the priorities and current situation between the management of the different departments (i.e., sales, product, engineering). Proactive collaboration between engineers and sales members.
  • Proactive collaboration between engineers and sales members.
  • Release of a critical product milestone
  • Will of the senior management to systematize the usage of the DX Criteria and improve the company based on data.

Other case studies

For further case studies, check here.