Summary

Due to the Covid19 pandemic and resulting remote work policies, the client’s of a major video conferencing tool had grown substantially, leading to an increased focus on both long-standing and new feature requirements. In the past, they had expressed frustration with the pace and responsiveness in addressing their immediate needs, and with the rise in usage, these requests became even more pressing. High-priority features included “QA Tools”,
”moderator controls”, various “security enhancements”, “tiled views”, “attendance tracking” improvements, “noise cancellation”, “calendar view controls”, and “migration tooling”.

Customer Challenge

The client was also engaged in hardware replacement activities scheduled for the end of the year. They consistently felt that the available out-of-box and third-party solutions did not meet their required audio quality standards, leaving them with an unsatisfactory choice between lower-quality devices or less stable, unsupported hardware—neither of which were ideal for their replacement needs. As a result, they sought expert recommendations on a series of high-quality peripheral hardware options that could meet their specifications.

Project Deliverables

Provided the client with regular updates on the status of their high-priority feature requests (P1/P0), indicating alignment with expectations and whether they could be added to the release schedule.

1. Previously, only a general quarterly business review (QBR) was conducted with the client. The project team initiated a new QBR process specific to productivity tools, which was highly appreciated and proved valuable, helping the client gain visibility with product leadership.

2. Held quarterly discussions on the video conferencing tool’s engineering plans, product designs, and additional feature roadmaps, to inform the client of upcoming features expected over the next quarter.

3. Organized meetings between client leadership and the product manager for video conferencing hardware to discuss a new hardware product line designed to address many of their audio hardware requirements and preferences.

Impact

Customer Impact

• The client expressed significant excitement over several new features launched by the product team throughout the year.

  • “Huge props for getting the Grid feature implemented. I’ve never received so many replies to an IT notification. People are genuinely excited and grateful. Thanks to you and the teams who made it happen. It’s really made a difference in their day-to-day.” – IT Communications Lead

• The client also showed great interest in the new meeting room hardware anticipated for release later in the year, which aligned with their hardware replacement needs.

• In response to feedback, steps were taken to enhance communication between the engineering team, account team, and the company’s leadership regarding upcoming feature releases.

Operational Excellence Impact

• Lessons from this engagement had the potential to improve engineering communication processes, increasing transparency around new product feature releases.

Influence on Wider Initiatives

• The client’s initial testing and adoption of new audio and voice hardware provided valuable feedback, supporting continued hardware development.