ACT AS A TEAM WITH CUSTOMER

HOW TO BUILD THE CUSTOMER TRUST&

LESSONS LEARNED

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Experience Analysis Result

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WHO WE ARE

• Eugene Bobovik | Software Testing Team Leader• Siarhei Kizer | Lead Software Engineer• Dzmitry Shyshko | Senior Software Testing

Engineer

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UNCLEAR / INVISIBLE WORK AND PROCESSES OF MAKING DECISIONS

• Hard to organize effective process project-wide• Huge informational lack• Hard to ensure appropriate quality• Hard to do planning and manage risks

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UNCLEAR / INVISIBLE WORK AND PROCESSES OF MAKING DECISIONS

Ways to deal with this:• Collaborate with other teams• Learn client’s business by yourself, suggest

ideas • Try brainstorming together• Create knowledge base, suggest or improve

processes• Keep entire team informed about everything*

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PRACTICE: INTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT APPROACH

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TOO FORMAL OR COLD RELATIONS WITH CUSTOMER

• Hard to propose anything• Even small mistake can grow into huge problem• Team is under pressure

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TOO FORMAL OR COLD RELATIONS WITH CUSTOMER

What can we do?• Be interested in client’s product• Never try to hide or justify your mistake • Accent on achievements and positive stuff• Make every team member closer to client• Do Demos

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INITIATIVE

• Do not wait – ACT!• Become an expert• Insist, but keep the

distance. Do not walk the line

• Solve customer problems, but do not create new

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QA vs DEV

EPAM vs CUSTOMER

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COMPETITION WITH NON-EPAM TEAMS

What makes us different:• Rank and positioning• Countries/Companies and

contracts• Social• Goals• Distance and timezones

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COMPETITION WITH NON-EPAM TEAMS

• Focus on competition, not on product

• No knowledge sharing• Pressure and rush• Much time on issues

resolving

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COMPETITION WITH NON-EPAM TEAMS

Let’s be mature:• Make process that is clear and comfortable for

everyone• Share information and discuss things with non-

EPAM teams• Discuss improvements and issues• Be positive!

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UNCLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF CUSTOMER’S BUSINESS

• Team doesn’t know what they are working on: the idea that can turn motivation and proactivity is out there.

• Too many obvious / annoying questions to client • Bad / No exploratory testing• Difficult or impossible to suggest improvements

or new ideas

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UNCLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF CUSTOMER’S BUSINESS

How to behave:• Gather info. Ask questions! Never stop

digging.• Explain to client why you need this

information. Represent examples of how it can make result better.

• Show achievements• Be persistent. Never give up!

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PRODUCTION ISSUES

How it happens:• We missed it• Customer team missed it• Customer has cancelled bug which reproduced

on the production• Another part of distributed team has missed it• Maintenance issues

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PRODUCTION ISSUES

Rules:• Do not blame anyone• Do not lie• Try to help• Find evidences• React quick

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DOCUMENTATION CHAOS

• Hard to track• Hard for newcomers• Customer dependent on EPAM• High risks

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DOCUMENTATION CHAOS

How to resolve:• Centralize information storage• Document environments and credentials• Document Installation steps• Have comments in code

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TRUST CUSTOMER BUT DOUBLE-CHECK…

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THE HUMAN FACTOR

Rules:• Be polite• Don’t blame anyone• Try not to hurt anyone• Use interrogative position

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CUSTOMER SHOULD KNOW HEROES!

• Team is motivated• Easy to propose new ideas and add members• Customer treats you as a partner

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LET’S SUM-UP MAIN POINTS

• Let customer know that we are interested in their success

• Show that we can react really fast and effective • Show why it is important to have us involved in their

business: do something yourself and show something extraordinary

• Propose effective process or improvements targeted to make work more collaborated and transparent

• Explain the necessity of proposals

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AS A RESULT YOU WILL GET

• Great collaboration of distributed teams• Deep involvement and confidence of every

member• Full picture of the project value, internal or

external limitations• Satisfied team and customer• Product development service instead of coding

and testing

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Keep the customer safeMake customer feel confident

Keep customer involved