The Problem

# System Support to Product First Revenue-Generating Product

After closing a series A funding round, a top Bay Area robotics and fleet automation startup needed to rapidly create value for investors by scaling up to deliver an enterprise solution to their first customer. The challenges were to mobilize existing resources and ramp up hiring in software and hardware engineering. Within three months the business had grown to three different product lines with five key programs. To support product delivery, the software engineering team more than doubled in size to over 25 scrum teams across three geographies. Propeller was brought on to help the organization produce its first revenue-generating product through the execution of core programs and process framework setup.

Three automated nozzles dispense tomato sauce onto a plain, uncooked pizza crust on a food-safe conveyor belt.
A food worker places shredded cheese onto an uncooked pizza crust with sauce on a food-safe conveyor belt.

The Approach

# Process and program frameworks for rapid scaling

Propeller followed a data-driven, structured approach to ensure that the process and program frameworks could handle rapid scaling. We created a cloud-based capacity planning and resource allocation model to distribute work across multiple teams and balance workloads. In addition, Propeller developed company-wide metrics and provided visibility to executives through dashboards. This provided leadership instant access to current resource allocation information.

# Services Provided

  • Product & Program Management
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Metrics, Data Modeling, and Dashboards
  • Bug Management
  • Product Management
  • Agile Transformation
  • SAFe Enterprise Agile

With Propeller’s newly developed planning and allocation model and dashboard, the startup was able to successfully deliver a cloud-enabled fleet system for its first customer in a record-breaking sub-two-month development process.

Value Delivered

# Planning and allocation models enable quick delivery and decision-making

With Propeller’s newly developed planning and allocation model and dashboard, the startup was able to successfully deliver a cloud-enabled fleet system for its first customer in a record-breaking sub-two-month development process. The fleet system was launched in the nation’s top cities. To align efforts between software and hardware development cycles, Propeller deployed analytical frameworks across the engineering organization. Last, the insights into cost and resources allowed executives to make key decisions on potential growth opportunities — enabling sustainable scaling.