Distributed team that works well in both normal and extraordinary situations, like the covid-19 pandemic

With a primary focus on sales of digital services, it has been vital for Ratsit.se to ensure that the IT department is optimized. Under extraordinary circumstances, like the covid-19 pandemic, this places particularly high requirements of flexibility on the distributed IT team.

The challenge

Ratsit is an internet-based company that provides business data and credit histories, aimed at both companies and private individuals. Ratsit.se has more than 1 million unique visitors each week, and around 150 million searches are performed on the platform annually. As one of Sweden’s 100 largest websites, where the main operations consist of sales of digital services, it is vital that the IT department is optimized. Choouo was enlisted to provide a team that functions as the company’s IT and market department.
The team consists of around ten people, distributed across three locations in Sweden. Most of the developers are in Sundsvall and Östersund, with a product owner in Göteborg. The need for development and competence is coordinated and prioritized on a running basis, in consultation with the client located in Mölndal outside Göteborg.
How can work run smoothly in a distributed team?

Solution under normal circumstances

Keeping such a distributed organization running requires good communication between all parties. Daily briefings in the team, with direct and honest communication, means that it is always possible to get help, despite the long distances between coworkers – either through videocalls or in chats.
Daily communications with the client and weekly reviews mean that the work moves along smoothly, with a self-organizing team.

Solution during the covid-19 pandemic

Changes to the team
The most noticeable change in the team was that all coworkers were recommended to work from home, because of the covid-19 situation. As many had already been working from home occasionally, there were routines and processes for this, so the team’s deliveries to the client were not affected.
Changes for the client
Within a short period of time, the virus has had an impact on many companies. The focus needs to be on optimizing the sales flow. To secure future revenue streams, the team has worked with the client to prioritize the company’s roadmap for the future, so the focus is primarily on activities that increase business, in both the short and long term.
A major deployment has been pushed forward to free up resources in the team. The focus is now on optimization of customer conversion, development of revenue-adding functionality, and active marketing efforts to maintain and drive the client’s sales. Through daily contact with the client and continual, daily follow-ups, the team works to quickly change and adapt the various development efforts.
Results
Ratsit could after just a week see positive effects of the efforts made and the team is continuing to work with a lot of flexibility, keeping a watchful eye on the developing situation.