Project Management at Blur Product Development
Project Management is key for successfully transforming an innovative idea into a functional medical device. At Blur, we work on complex projects that require specific expertise in electrical and mechanical engineering. The success of these projects depends deeply on communication, trust, and a solid project management schema. Read on to discover how we keep projects continually moving forwards.
Breaking Down Complex Projects
The cutting-edge projects we tackle often feature new or unique technology. As a result, it’s impossible for us to know everything from day one. We make our best estimates for how long a project will take, but we keep reevaluating and pivoting as needed. This approach allows us to stay flexible and adapt to changing circumstances and technologies.
Communication is Key
When it comes to complex products, communication and trust are critical to the success of your project. At Blur, we evaluate our assumptions as we go and make sure to adjust the scope of the project as needed. We are always communicating with our clients, keeping them up-to-date on our progress, and making sure they are comfortable with any changes we need to make. We believe that by doing this, we can create a project that is both successful and meets the client’s needs.
Two-Week Agile Sprints
We modified a two-week Agile sprint, typically used in software development, to work with our product development approach. Instead of tracking specific code releases, we’re tracking granular tasks that flow into larger buckets that then make up the scope of the project. We’ve found sprints provide higher alignment on priorities, commitment, and accountability with our team. During each two-week period, we create clear expectations for what deliverables are due from each team member. When we sit down, we have a prioritized list of everything that needs to get accomplished on the project, which drives alignment and accountability within the team.
At the end of the two-week sprint, each team member presents demonstrable deliverables, allowing us to align with our clients on expectations and track progress towards success. The sprints help us capture quick wins and learnings along the way while avoiding getting caught up in the big picture. Understanding exactly what tasks our team needs to accomplish within two weeks makes sure that our short-term goals lead to long term success.