Thinking about how we work at Beyond

thank you for your hard work.
This is Matsuyama from the System Development Department.

What is my role (job type) at Beyond?
I used to spend my days creating games as an engineer, but
now I'm a project manager (PM). Maybe, definitely.

For that reason (what kind of reason?), I would like to think a little about how to proceed with business this time.
For some reason, I googled the term "how to proceed with business," and the following item came up first.

8 points

1. Understand the purpose of work
2. Determine tasks and priorities
3. Plan and schedule
4. Be sure to look back and reflect after completion
5. Leave some leeway in your schedule
6. Manage your daily time
Always communicate with those around you
8. Rely on team members

I see, it's a convincing lineup.
I will consider each item in conjunction with Beyond's work, as it matches what I am careful about.

Understanding the purpose of work

The word ``work'' seems to be a misnomer, so I will replace it with ``project.''
By understanding what the purpose of the project is to achieve,
I think we can propose better plans (implementations) for the services, apps, games, etc. we create.
I believe this is the most important element of the "creating together" part of our corporate philosophy.

Also, by understanding what each function is for,
I think it will be possible to avoid discrepancies between requirements and implementation.

Identification of tasks and determination of priorities

First, when thinking from a project perspective, we identify functions with large granularity.
Consider the priority (implementation order) of these major features.
This is also related to the next schedule, but we will set milestones towards completion and
distribute the functions to be included in each milestone.
(Isn't it common to divide the base functions into α and the whole into β?)

Also, when considering sprints,
the functions to be implemented that week are divided into smaller tasks to
clarify the work content and check the progress status.
In the development department, sprints are considered in terms of one week, and task granularity is defined as a maximum of three hours. (Mainly Yokohama office)

plan and schedule

This overlaps with the above, but the schedule generally has milestones, and
depending on the project, there may be intermediate goals that divide the milestones into several parts. (M1, M2, etc.)
Toward this goal, we will break down sprints into weekly sprints and subdivide them into daily tasks, which
will lead to progress management.
It is important to clarify (visualize) what needs to be done and when, and to make the entire team aware of it.

After completion, be sure to look back and reflect.

The development department holds an evening meeting every day to share information about daily work and progress within the team.
The main task is to check the progress, and if there is a delay, we will quickly follow up on the cause and solution.

In addition, when a project is completed, we conduct a review with the entire team.
He has held postmortem meetings in the past, but lately it seems like he often uses the KPT method.
From each member's perspective, we identify what should be continued (what went well) and what problems we have (what didn't go well), and
the team decides what to try next.
KPT may be conducted on a weekly basis depending on the project.

Leave some leeway in your schedule

As a project progresses, things that were not originally planned may occur, such as adding features or making improvements.
Additionally, implementation may simply take longer than expected, or there may be other work to be done outside of the project.

we make adjustments to the
schedule by allowing for a certain amount of buffer from the estimation stage, 6 hours has the following meanings:
・People cannot stay focused for 8 hours
・Expect to respond to interruptions for about 2 hours

By properly managing scheduling, tasks, and progress,
it is possible to reduce excessive overtime and holiday work, and to meet delivery deadlines.

Thoroughly manage daily time

As mentioned above,
it is assumed that time management can be done with some degree of strictness by setting up sprints and dividing tasks into fine-grained tasks.
Until you get used to it, there may be a discrepancy between the plan and the actual result, but as you gain experience, you can narrow the gap between the plan and the actual result.

also think that being aware of the core value of "speed"
is an important mindset in order to complete tasks on time.

Don't forget to communicate with those around you

Basically, projects are developed by teams.
Of course, you can check on progress and consult at the morning and evening meetings, but it is also important to talk as needed.
I also believe that communication is an important element, as I have many opportunities to talk with people outside the company, such as when coordinating with clients.
"Communication" is also listed in our core values.

rely on team members

I think there are two ways of thinking about this idea.
① Relying on other members to do things that you don't know (or can't)

you can learn tasks and techniques more efficiently
by having the cooperation of members who already have knowledge. I think you can. Additionally, for infrastructure-related requirements, we believe that we should seek the cooperation of our specialist system solutions department.
There's no shame in asking about things you don't know. (It's embarrassing to hear the same thing over and over again)

② You can handle this yourself, but leave it to other members
This is an idea that I would like people in leadership positions and above to be especially aware of.
When I'm overwhelmed with tasks, thoughts like ``It would be faster and more reliable if I implement it myself'' sometimes cross my mind.
I think the situation can be resolved, but if you think about the future, you will be missing out on growth opportunities for the members (younger members).

I think it's better to spread out tasks as much as possible to prevent
tasks from being concentrated on one person and from the perspective of improving work efficiency in the future I understand that you are worried about leaving things in charge, but I would like to think about the growth of the team and proactively leave things to them.
By the way, leaving things up to you and leaving things to chance are completely different, so it's important to understand that correctly.

summary

Now, I have written about each item from Beyond's perspective.
the key points are...
to have a sense of purpose
, to thoroughly manage schedules
, and to communicate
while proceeding while being as conscious of these areas as possible.
What you need to keep in mind is that the things mentioned above are a means to making your work (project) successful,
not the goal.
I hope that I always keep the project in mind as I work
so that this does not become my goal It is also a good idea to use tools for schedule management and information sharing.
I hope to talk about this on another occasion.

Well, that's all for now.