This guide will walk you through the process of seamlessly onboarding and integrating your new, on-demand software product engineering team into your company’s workflow. 4Geeks Teams provides you with a shared, agile team of experts in cutting-edge technologies, available through a predictable monthly subscription. By following these steps, you can ensure a smooth transition and start building great products faster.
Prerequisites
Before you begin the onboarding process, please ensure you have the following:
- A 4Geeks Teams Subscription: You should have an active subscription to one of the 4Geeks Teams plans (e.g., a shared agile team with one or more full-stack developers, a UX/UI designer, a QA engineer, and a project manager).
- Primary Point of Contact: Identify a primary contact person within your organization who will be responsible for communicating with the 4Geeks Project Manager.
- Project Management Tool Access: Provide your 4Geeks Team with access to your project management tool (e.g., Jira, Trello, Asana). This will enable seamless collaboration and tracking of progress.
- Communication Channels: Set up and provide access to your preferred communication channels (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams) for daily interactions with your new team members.
- Code Repositories and Development Environments: Ensure that access to your code repositories (e.g., GitHub, GitLab) and any necessary development, staging, or production environments is ready to be securely shared with the team.
How to Use 4Geeks Teams
Step 1: The Kick-off Meeting
Once your 4Geeks Teams subscription is active, the process begins with a kick-off meeting. This meeting is crucial for setting expectations and aligning on goals.
- Introductions: You will meet your dedicated 4Geeks Project Manager and the members of your shared agile team.
- Project Overview: Your primary contact should present a detailed overview of the project, including its goals, current status, and any relevant background information.
- Defining Success: Collaboratively define what success looks like for the project. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and initial milestones.
- Review of Tools and Access: Confirm that the 4Geeks Team has the necessary access to all your systems, as listed in the prerequisites.
Step 2: Setting Up the Workflow
Your 4Geeks Project Manager will work with you to establish an efficient and transparent workflow.
- Agile Methodology: 4Geeks Teams operate with agile methodologies to ensure fast iterations and adaptability. Your Project Manager will establish a rhythm for sprints, stand-ups, and retrospectives.
- Project Management Board: Your project’s tasks and progress will be managed on a shared project management board. This provides a single source of truth for all ongoing work.
- Regular Check-ins: Bi-weekly meetings will be scheduled between your primary contact and the 4Geeks Project Manager to review progress, discuss goals, and analyze KPIs.
Step 3: Regular Communication and Reporting
Maintaining open and consistent communication is key to a successful partnership.
- Daily Stand-ups: Participate in brief daily stand-up meetings to sync on progress, and address any immediate blockers.
- Velocity Reports: Your Project Manager will provide you with regular velocity reports. These reports show the weekly throughput of your team and help in forecasting future work.
- Real-time Dashboards: You will have access to real-time dashboards to monitor the progress of your project.
Common Use Cases
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Scenario 1: Accelerating Product Development for a Startup
A tech startup needs to build and launch its MVP quickly but lacks a full in-house development team. By subscribing to 4Geeks Teams, they get a cost-effective, experienced team that can start working immediately. The startup’s CTO acts as the primary contact, and the 4Geeks team integrates into their existing Slack and Jira, delivering a high-quality product in record time. -
Scenario 2: Scaling an Existing Team for a New Project
An established company wants to develop a new feature for their existing software but their internal team is at full capacity. Instead of going through a lengthy hiring process, they augment their team with a 4Geeks Team. This flexible solution allows them to scale up for the duration of the project and scale back down once the feature is launched, without the commitment of hiring full-time employees.
Troubleshooting
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Issue 1: Communication Gaps
- Solution: If you feel there’s a lack of clarity or communication, reach out to your 4Geeks Project Manager immediately. They are your primary point of contact and are responsible for ensuring seamless communication. Schedule additional ad-hoc meetings if necessary.
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Issue 2: Misaligned Priorities
- Solution: If you notice that the team is working on tasks that are not your highest priority, address this during the next daily stand-up or in your dedicated communication channel. The agile methodology is designed to be flexible, and priorities can be adjusted at the beginning of each sprint.
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Issue 3: Access Problems
- Solution: If a team member is having trouble accessing your systems, ensure that the credentials and permissions are correctly configured. If the issue persists, your primary contact should work with your IT department and the 4Geeks Project Manager to resolve it promptly to avoid blocking progress.
FAQs
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Question 1: How are the 80 hours per month distributed among the team members?
- Answer: The 80 hours are a collective effort of the entire shared agile team, including developers, designers, and QA engineers, all managed by the Project Manager. The allocation of these hours to specific tasks is determined by the project’s needs during each sprint.
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Question 2: Can I change my subscription plan if my needs change?
- Answer: Yes, 4Geeks Teams is designed to be flexible. You can scale your team up or down as your project requires. Contact your Project Manager or the 4Geeks sales team to discuss adjusting your subscription.
Conclusion
By following these guidelines, you can effectively onboard and integrate your 4Geeks Team, fostering a collaborative and productive environment. This partnership will allow you to leverage top-tier talent and a proven agile process to scale your product development efficiently.