Our engineering principle, “shape the solution,” allows us to deliver better customer value and maintain a team of highly engaged, aligned, and motivated individuals. Shaping the solution means that we never blindly execute on requirements defined by others. We deeply understand the value of our work and help design solutions that efficiently deliver that value.

This is the sixth post in a series exploring our product principles. Here, Levent discusses our engineering principle “Shape the solution”.

Engineers are involved from the outset

In a lot of companies, the product development process is based around negotiation. A product owner, business analyst, or product manager articulates the customer’s requirements and passes them on to the engineering team. The engineers provide feedback, generally in the form of pushback, and the parties negotiate towards consensus.

“A truly high-performing, self-organizing team would never organize itself into silos”

Not only does this guarantee that, by design, only one person is empathetic towards the customer’s needs, but it’s the opposite of a culture of collaboration. A truly high-performing, self-organizing team would never organize itself into silos in this way.

At Interlock, our engineering team values marking out the qualities that we think make for great engineers. Engineers who shape the solution from beginning to end:

• Truly care about what they’re working on.

• Want a say in the outcomes they work towards.

• Understand the role collaboration plays in building great products.

The journey towards effective automation begins with a clear assessment of current workflows. Pinpointing the bottlenecks and time drains is essential. Companies that have embraced automation find that it's not about replacing the human element, but rather enhancing it, allowing staff to focus on strategic tasks that require a human touch — thus optimizing the overall workflow.

Implementing automation does not come without its challenges. It requires a thoughtful approach that considers the potential for disruption and the learning curve for employees. However, the payoff can be substantial. Businesses that successfully automate experience not only a boost in productivity but also often see an increase in employee satisfaction, as staff are relieved of mundane tasks and can engage in more meaningful work.

Many companies depend on strong cross-functional teamwork and relationships to build a product that delivers real value to their customers. Interlock is no exception.

What is cross-functional teamwork?

The phrase “cross-functional” is most commonly used to describe a team made up of people with different functions or skills.

At Interlock, for example, our product teams include designers, programmers, and product managers, unique roles working together as one. Or you might hear the term used when teams from different parts of a business work together on a big project, like the launch of a new product or release.

The phrase “cross-functional” is most commonly used to describe a team made up of people with different functions or skills.

“For organizations to be truly effective, every team needs to consider itself as working cross-functionally all the time, not just on a project by project basis”

In both of these situations, a program or product manager takes the lead, operating as a kind of conductor, making sure all the instruments are in harmony and ensuring everyone knows their role,  timing, and goal.