“We pull our socks up and handle the chaos”: Alexey Spas on a new project delivery methodology

One day Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph got a different perspective on television and set up Netflix. Steve Jobs saw the capacity hidden in smartphones and created the iPhone. A lot of great things appeared because someone has enough courage to think: what if… Following the examples of the best ones, we have broadened our horizons and come up with the idea of the Delivery-as-a-Service (DaaS) approach.

DaaS is not only about the implementation of the solution, it means the ability to figure out what solution is required. It’s about being on the same page with the customer and diving deep into their needs. It’s also about… Wait. No one can describe it better than an inspirer of this idea, *instinctools CEO, Alexey Spas.

What encouraged the emergence of DaaS? And what is the essence of it?

That’s a methodology and philosophy aimed at dealing with the customer’s problems from a completely different position. We have transformed from a mere performer to the partner, standing right by the customer. And being by the customer’s side means being able to see where exactly they want to move and move with them. It naturally and inevitably leads to far better results. So we have structured the vast experience of ours and turned it into a methodology, which answers the main question: how to solve the customer’s problem.

What is the difference of DaaS-methodology in comparison to conventional methods of leading projects?

The main one, actually, overlaps the gist of DaaS: we look in the same direction with our customers, and consequently, take their goals as ours. This approach results in a lot of advantages.

First of all, technology, per se, does not become an aim but the means of achieving this aim. We will never impose features which can impede the business.

Secondly, we build up a partnership with our customers, which guarantees that the solution will be delivered faster and in a more qualitative way. And getting closer to the customer, we understand the context of their business better and, thus, can fulfill their business tasks, with the help of technical ones. Of course, nobody knows your business better than you do. But, quite often, an inside view limits your vision. We help to look at it from a different perspective. Our team consists of not only technologists who perform the tasks but also methodists who choose the right instruments for doing it and business consultants who advise on what should be done.

Speaking of the team, are there particular people who specialize in DaaS?

Well, I’d like to refer to DaaS as a client-oriented philosophy which is penetrating our company on all levels. We do our best for the customer to feel that these are not mere words but real support we can provide them with. Service consists not just of a solution but also of people who work on this solution. A lot, indeed, depends on how all the parties feel working with each other, on the atmosphere and pace of work. It should be a win-win. In this respect, compromises are not acceptable. So answering the question: almost all the employees are involved in DaaS in some way. But, of course, there’s a “Daas-squad”, who are always on the frontline.

And what about the structure of the project based on DaaS methodology? Is it the same as that in an ordinary project?

No, it’s not. There are several specific phases here:

• Clarification Call — a free, non-commitment activity which helps to make a preliminary diagnosis,
• Pre-Discovery Workshop, during which we rebuild and clarify the task, using our expertise, and
• Discovery Phase when we develop a strategy on solution delivery.

Delivery and Implementation phases are also designed to address the customer’s focus more. They all are crucial activities. Each phase paves the way for the next one, making the project more solid, and, at the same time, is valuable in itself as it provides the customer with a real, visible result of our work. Moreover, our cooperation with the customer does not end after the implementation of the solution. We always provide them with subsequent support.

Do the customers appreciate this approach?

What our customers appreciate most is that we pull our socks up and help them handle the chaos. We are experienced enough to specify and fulfill the tasks set even on a very basic level. Though this would unlikely be achieved if it wasn’t for the close cooperation with the customer, the teamwork, the group’s dynamic and the ability set it on the right track. It’s hardly possible that there is one person out there, who is confident and qualified enough to embrace all the functions. The capacity of the team is way bigger than that of one person and it often leads to new insights. You may first swamp into the stuff, but we believe that, eventually, the discrepancies, just as it was said in “Alice in Wonderland”, “…will fall into place and rank a single beautiful scheme.”

So feedback is positive, right?

My favorite kind of feedback is when the customer says: “That’s amazing! We would have never done it without you!”.

The article is originally posted on instinctools.com.