How to make progress in the affairs of the company: the experience of Zappos

If you work in the IT-sphere, you are probably familiar words such as Scrum and sprints, and maybe you have your own experience with these techniques. You will be very curious to know how to optimize these techniques so that they are even more effective. If you never pros, then you, too, will be interested to read this article, as the scrum and sprint can be used not only in IT, but also in any other short-term or long-term projects.

Subdivision Zappos Labs online store Zappos launched innovative services for the development of a company's employees took only 12 weeks. So quickly to cope with quite challenging Zappos has helped project management methodology.

Zappos Labs has set an ambitious goal - to exceed their own standards and continually raise the bar for ourselves and the industry as a whole. According to a senior manager Adam Goldstein, it will happen, probably in the next few years, but not tomorrow.

However, some innovative projects Zappos Labs implemented now. For example, the project Ask Zappos ( «Ask Zappos»), which was launched in late June: a person can to photograph any favorite thing to him, for example, it may be a girl's shoes, you accidentally spotted on the street. Or take a picture of the billboard, which shows a model with a scarf you want to imagine. Send this photo to Zappos, and store employees will find you this thing on Zappos.com or on another site.

"We are developing a customer-oriented approach, even if it means we have to go beyond the Zappos product. If you see the thing that you like, take a picture of it and send us a photo, we'll find it for you for free. You can send the photo via MMS, e-mail or just put it in your Instagram with the hashtag #AskZappos », - commented Virginia Ruff, author of the project.

Remarkably, Ask Zappos entire project was set up for 12 weeks (from idea to start-up stage) using the sprint technique. Sprint - a kind of "short race", the duration of which is usually two to four weeks; after a sprint all the members of the project team evaluate the results to which they have come, and if necessary change the strategy, before starting a new sprint. Authors of the project Ask Zappos decided to reduce the duration of each sprint to one week, ie 12 weeks was conducted 12 sprints. Sprint is a part of the operational project management methodology Scrum (Scrum), which is well known pros. However, Scrum philosophy can be applied not only for the IT-tasks, but also for projects in any industry, if you want to optimize the work of the project team and achieve better results. According to the rules for the sprint no one has the right to change the list of requirements to the work, the brought in sprint reserve.

Once between the members of the team assigned functions and tasks, it begins daily pass 5–10-minute scrum. At the beginning of each day, each member of the team reported what he did yesterday, he plans to do for the project today, and describes the problem or question, if such occur. These desyatiminutki are tactical, and at the end of the week (or after two, four, and so on. D. weeks, depending on the duration of a sprint) goes "retrospective": the team discusses the results that it has achieved. This is very important because it helps to understand in which direction you are moving, determine what you are good at, and that is not very. It also helps to control the operation of each of the team members.

In the case of a project Ask Zappos using the opportunity to sprint properly distribute and manage the task of testing all the mechanics that were offered in the project. "Text messages, track photos in Instagram hashtag on, processing client requests - it was tested multiple times before the client was able to use this feature. We had to make sure that the client can send a request without feeling any discomfort. We also need to ensure that all necessary personnel, who were to respond to client requests. We had to be sure that they will be able to quickly assist the client even if the request is quite complex. How do I top-manager did not tell my staff: „You have to do it“. Team members must themselves be motivated to achieve the goals of the common cause. If not, coercion does not help ", - says Virginia Ruff.

"This is not the case, when a person A person dictates B - adds Virginia. - The team performs work together, and all the team members trust each other accountable to each other plays an important role here. "

In many companies that use this technique, each sprint lasts from two to four weeks. However, Virginia Ruff on personal experience convinced that the reduction of the sprint up to one week gives a much greater effect: "Members the team more focused on the project when they know that the results will be present already necessary in the next five days. "

"What I really like in the one-week sprints, it is the fact that they are sufficiently flexible and allow you to quickly change any part of your project. If we decide to make any adjustments, we will be able to do it as early as next Monday, at the beginning of a new sprint. There is one rule that we try to follow without deviation: we do not change direction, for example, on Wednesday, just because someone said something. More for two days before the next sprint. This rule helps us to avoid many serious mistakes, "- says Adam Goldstein.

"Ask Zappos project has been prepared for 12 weeks. Every day, when we come to customer requests, we understand how we can improve your service, and sometimes find flaws that must be addressed. Of course, 12 weeks is very difficult to create the perfect project, which does not require any adjustments. We have created an effective project, which, of course, the inevitable changes and amendments and which will improve in the long term. Important: Do not wait until create something that will absolutely come to thousands of buyers. First let 100 people take advantage of the service, and then, get some feedback, you will know where to go ", - adds Adam Goldstein.