Product toolchain optimisation

Strategic tooling assessment and integration

Project overview

Based on informal feedback from across the company, leadership suspected that the organisation had overlapping tools and lacked structure in critical parts of the solution development process of the R&D department. In addition, delivery teams struggled to understand and participate in strategy formulation and prioritisation decisions.

I collaborated with the product ops specialist on this project, with the goal of using human-centred methods to understand and resolve this challenge (instead of approaching it from a primarily technical or tooling perspective). Initially, we explored the problem we were given, to tactically identify opportunities for visibility, transparency, and sharing. However, after assessing our current state, we recognised the need for a more strategic review of our entire toolchain.

We conducted a comprehensive analysis of our existing tools and processes. This led us to focus on the discovery and strategy definition stages of solution development, and defining success criteria for tooling in these stages. Using this understanding we selected and piloted a set of tools. We shortlisted Dovetail and ProductBoard, and worked with teams who volunteered to pilot these tools in their work. We negotiated favourable pricing for these tools and developed an integration plan with our existing systems. Throughout the process, we engaged stakeholders from various teams to ensure their concerns were addressed, particularly around integration, cost-effectiveness, and fit with other initiatives to improve business processes.

Our work resulted in better integrations between existing tools and the successful adoption of Dovetail and ProductBoard. We validated their value not only to our toolchain but also to broader product metrics. This strategic overhaul improved transparency in our product development process and fostered better alignment between our delivery teams and strategic decision-making.

Process

This project plan outlines the approach I took to optimising the product development toolchain. I structured it to begin with a thorough assessment of our current state, recognizing that our initial understanding might evolve. Indeed, after the first phase, we adjusted our focus to address strategic toolchain improvements, particularly in the discovery and strategy definition stages.

The plan is designed to be adaptable, allowing us to refine our approach as we gather more insights. The final phases are intentionally flexible, acknowledging that our recommendations might have led to various implementation paths, from minor adjustments to significant tool adoptions.

Sample work: Phase 1, 1.2 Map tools to process stages

Visualise the toolchain

This activity was part of the Current State Assessment phase in the project. I created this value chain map to visualise how different tools are applied to the process of delivering solutions by the R&D department. To gather the data, I conducted interviews with team members from various teams and reviewed existing documentation on tool usage. This visual mapping helped us identify patterns, overlaps, and gaps in our current toolset.

Product lifecycle stages:
The five main stages provide a clear structure for analysis, allowing us to detect which stages of the product lifecycle need attention.

Tool categories (colour-coded):

The distinction between generic, specialised, and shared tools helps evaluate if we're using the right type of tool for each activity.

Basis for evaluation:
Later in the project, this map is layered with an evaluation of tooling at each sub-stage, using selected criteria from the assessment checklist.

Sample work: Phase 2 - 2.4 Define Evaluation Criteria

Evaluating the toolchain

In phase 2 of the project, I developed a set of assessment criteria to evaluate our existing and potential new tools. These criteria were designed to be practical and easy to apply, while still covering the essential aspects of tool effectiveness in our product development process. Based on insights from Phase 1, I focused on seven key areas that address functionality, user experience, data management, collaboration, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and security.

These criteria were overlaid on the toolchain journey map to detect patterns and opportunities.

Functionality and fit

Does the tool provide the specific features required for the process stage?
Is the tool appropriately specialised or generic for this stage of the process?
How well does the tool integrate with tools used in adjacent process stages?

User experience and adoption

How intuitive is the tool for its primary users?
What is the learning curve for new team members?
Is there high user satisfaction and engagement with the tool?

Data management and insights

Does the tool effectively capture and manage necessary data?
How easily can team members access and share relevant data?
Does the tool provide useful analytics and reporting capabilities?

Collaboration and communication

How well does the tool support team collaboration?
Does it facilitate effective communication with stakeholders?
For shared tools, does it meet the needs of all departments using it?

Scalability and future-proofing

Can the tool handle current workload and scale as the team/project grows?
Does the tool's development roadmap align with future organisational needs?
Is there flexibility to customise or extend the tool's functionality?

Cost-effectiveness and ROI

Is the pricing model appropriate for the tool's usage in the process?
What is the total cost of ownership (including hidden costs like training)?
How does the cost compare to the value delivered in the process?

Security and compliance

Does the tool meet the organisation's security requirements?
Can it provide necessary audit trails or documentation?
Does it help in meeting relevant industry standards or regulations?

Layering criteria on the toolchain map

I added the six key criteria identified above to the toolchain map, with the scores represented as coloured dots beneath each lifecycle stage, with green indicating high performance, yellow moderate, and red low.

This visual overlay provides a quick, comprehensive view of how the current tools perform across different aspects of our product development process. It effectively highlights areas where our toolchain excels and where there are opportunities for improvement. For instance, we can easily spot stages with multiple red or yellow dots, indicating potential weak points in our current setup.

Integration levels analysis

In this followup activity, I created a variation of the toolchain diagram to map out the integrations between our tools. I classified each integration as manual, via a third-party service like Zapier, or natively built into the product. This exercise gave me a clear picture of our data flow and helped identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies in our process.

Understanding integrations is important because it reveals where we might be losing time or risking data integrity through manual transfers. It also shows where we're relying on third-party services, which could be points of vulnerability and added cost. Native integrations, on the other hand, often indicate smoother workflows and more reliable data transfer.

Phase 6 - 6.4 Gather feedback and data

Running the pilot

In the pilot phase of our toolchain optimisation project, we put our selected tools, Dovetail and ProductBoard, to the test. A group of volunteer teams integrated these tools into their daily workflows, giving us real-world insights into their effectiveness. Over six weeks, we closely tracked how these tools performed in our specific context, gathering both quantitative data and qualitative feedback. This hands-on approach allowed us to see beyond feature lists and sales pitches, revealing how these tools actually enhanced our product development process. The pilot served as a proving ground, helping us make informed decisions about our toolchain's future.

Iterative feedback loop

Weekly check-ins with pilot teams
Collect qualitative feedback and resolve issues
Showcase work done in the new tools
Gather quantitative scores against assessment criteria

Knowledge building and demonstration

Create demo projects in Dovetail and ProductBoard
Develop and share best practices for tool usage
Support pilot teams in maximising tool features

Stakeholder communication and alignment

Fortnightly read-outs to leadership and stakeholders
Present progress, insights, and emerging challenges
Gather input on strategic alignment and next steps

Security and compliance assurance

Support IT team in detailed security assessment
Information exchange between vendors and IT
Address security concerns and implement safeguards