Cross-functional teams solve challenging problems faster by employing multi-disciplinary approach and delivering business value early and often. The fact that multi-disciplinary team members work on the same problem at the same time brings a number of advantages, of which speed of delivery and product quality are most important. The ability to listen and consider other viewpoints is a key to understanding tough problems and when applied properly, the results can be spectacular! In this 60-minute session, we’re going to explore the benefits of cross-functional teams and look at how Product Managers can employ cross-functional teams to drive business value. We will look at key aspects of successful cross-functional teams such as: How cross-functional teams maximize business value * Alignment of business goals and return on investment * How to assemble a cross-functional team * Technology and the stack – no need to be an expert, but an understanding of the stack can help balance the business with the technical stories * Driving user experience – here again, the PM is not a UI/UX designer, but someone who has the final say of the overall direction or “feel” of the product * Diving the work among the x-functional team * Epic and story definition when working with cross-functional teams * Tracking progress * How to prioritize features based on a technology stack We’re going to look at ways to recruit and retain cross-functional talent and some of the organizational challenges that can arise as a result of this new team structure. The audience of product managers, product owners, executives, technical managers and recruiting managers will learn what makes cross-functional teams successful, look at industry best practices and apply these strategies in their own organizations.

1. Cross-Functional
Teams: A Product
Manager's Nirvana
Levent Gurses, President, Movel
@gursesl
MVP Conference
2015

2. Levent Gurses
@gursesl
Developer, speaker, and entrepreneur, Levent is the
founder Movel, an enterprise mobility company. He’s
engaged in tech communities on mobile and full-stack
development across the Mid-Atlantic. Levent holds a
BS in Computer Engineering and is a Certified
ScrumMaster and Certified Product Owner.

3. Imagine

4. Functional Teams
50 days
Business
& Market
Research
60 days
Marketing
User
Research
(Focus
Groups)
40 days
Business
Requirem
ents
30 days
Developm
ent
90 days 40 days
Testing
Release
20 days
330 days

5. Too long.

6. Cross-Functional Teams
Business
& Market
Research
Marketing
User
Research
(Focus
Groups)
Business
Requirem
ents
Developm
ent
Testing
Release
Goal: 60 days

7. Jack Welch
Assume there is a multifunctional business
consisting of engineering, marketing, and
manufacturing. The business has the best
manufacturing person it has ever had – someone
with excellent numbers, who produces high-quality
goods on time:
"But this person won't talk with people in
engineering and manufacturing. He won't share
ideas with them, and won't behave in a
boundaryless way with them. Now, let's replace
this person with someone who may not be quite
perfect, but who is a good team player and lifts
the team's overall performance. Maybe the
predecessor was working at 100%, but he didn't
talk with team members, didn't swap ideas. As a
result, the whole team was operating at 65%.
The new manager now is getting 90% or 100%
from the whole total. That was a discovery."

8. Functional
Teams:
Welcome
to the
Matrix

9. Cross
Functional
Teams:
Centered
Around the
Product

10. Something missing?
● Security
● Compliance and assurance
● Performance testing
● Third-party integrations
● Device management
● Other specialized roles

11. Cross
Functional
Teams:
Ver. 2.0.0

12. Key Benefits
● Improved speed of delivery
● Reduction in cycle times
● Increase in speed of feedback
● Improved product stability
● Risk reduction

13. Other Benefits
● More accurate estimates
● Avoiding the “last mile”
● Mainline dev puts product managers in charge
● Better release planning
● True agility
● Expand team skillsets
● Reduce the “bus factor”

14. In a single word...
Cross-Functional
Teams = True Agility

15. But.
Like
anything
else in
life...

16. There are
some
drawbacks.
● More time required for budgeting
● Distractions
● Some team members dislike
working in x-functional teams
● Calculating and balancing the
time needed for advisors
● Political and departmental
resistance

17. Cross-functional teams do
not work in all domains
and for all projects.

18. Success Factors

19. ● Design and development of new
products
● Choosing and implementing new
technologies throughout an
organization
● Improving the service-profit chain
● Control product costs
● Tiger teams (Emergencies)
1
IDENTIFY THE
RIGHT PROJECT

20. ● Product Management
● UX
● Engineering
● Project Management
● Development Management
● Quality Assurance
● Product Design
● Customer Support
● Technical writers
● Production / Shipping
● Design
● Marketing
● Advertising
● Product Marketing
● Marketing Communications
● Field Sales
● Inside Sales
● Sales Engineering
● Professional Services
● Legal
● Accounting
2
ASSEMBLE THE
RIGHT TEAM

21. ● Team members must be open-minded and highly motivated to learn and teach
● Team members must come from the all needed functional areas
● A strong team leader with communication skills and a position of authority is needed
● The team must have the authority and the accountability to accomplish the mission
● Management must provide resources and support for the team, both moral and
financial
● Greater level of communication across all team members is needed
3
EMPOWER THE
TEAM

22. ● Create real metrics such as estimates vs. real data
● Gather real user feedback and pass on to the entire team
● Improve processes for faster, better customer experience
4
MEASURE [FOR]
SUCCESS

23. In closing...
● Cross-functional teams are product-centered
● Not all teams and projects are fit for cross-functional teams
● Communication is key for success
● True agility is the main outcome of cross-functional teams

24. Thank you
@gursesl

25. Resources
● http://www.movel.co
● http://www.movel.co/events
● http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-functional_team
● http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/cross-functional-team.htm
● http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_30.htm