SAAI Project

Project Info

Client

Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.

Service

SAAI Wonder Working

Community

Sun* Team

Project Manager

Project Leader (BrSE)

Lead Server-side Engineer

Server-side Engineer

Lead iOS Engineer

iOS Engineer

Lead Android Engineer

Android Engineer

Lead QA

QA

Infrastructure Engineer

Solution

Requirement definition

Implement

Operation

We would like to introduce a product that we have developed in conjunction with Mitsubishi company (in Yurakucho and Mitsubishi company – where diverse individuals are concentrated) which is the communication application called “SAAI”.

“SAAI” is a place which people meet in , connect, incubate new ideas, go beyond the existing framework of the company, position, age, main business, side business, etc..

Customer problem

SAAI- where want to increase the flexibility of communication

SAAI lies in a very accessible location, requiring just a 1-minute walk from Yurakucho Station. However, unlike conventional co-working spaces, it not only provides a place for people to gather, but also signifies the communication that occurs at that location. Yurakucho is an area where many large companies are concentrated and SAAI’s main customers are also the people who work there. Business ideas that cannot be realized in the core business can be realized by collaborating with the people gathering at SAAI. To demonstrate that idea, in this project we have developed a native SAAI application with SNS function that allows SAAI visitors to communicate on a digital platform.

Recommendation from Sun*

Build a tight schedule, be flexible in changing the scale

Since we had a clear concept of the application that the customers wanted to create and the value to deliver, the project started with the help of requirement definitions. Because of the very tight schedule, the Japanese PMs assisted in requirements definition and project management. As soon as the exchange was done, we sorted out the requirements and priorities, and two weeks later, the development scope and release schedule was completed. The development rapidly began.

In addition to Japanese PM, the development system also has a team of more than 10 people, including 1 Project leader (BrSE), 2 iOS engineers and 2 Android engineers, 4 Infra engineers and 2 QA. With more than 1200 engineers at Sun* working abroad, we are able to quickly prepare quite significant development teams, which is a great advantage for projects in which the release date cannot be changed and the development speed is important.

Additionally, when we start the development process, the development of highly difficult functions will have to use Beacon (guides), however, it does not exist in the initial development budget, engineers with that knowledge will be supplemented internally, depended on the situation. Being able to manage the development team is also a factor contributing to achieving a quick release.

Project Topic

The quantity and quality of communication determines the success of the project

Meetings are held weekly after the start of development. The customers, PM and Vietnamese development team have communicated closely and proceeded with rapid development. In case of offshore development with the development team working in Vietnam, even if there is a Japanese PM and a Japanese project leader (BRSE), it is different from the usual work among Japanese people, which means communication- and design-related problems still arise.

The important thing to avoid trouble is to write a design document that acts as a deterrent to misunderstandings. During offshore development in general, the so-called screen switching diagrams are sometimes used as design documents, and there are many problems that arise such as different system behaviors and low source code accuracy. The Japanese PM has collected the flow of data as well as the proper design, hence engineers can start development without a hitch, delivering products with high quality.

In addition, in terms of communication, initially the Mitsubishi Estate side seemed to find it difficult, but Mr. Taniguchi shared “Although there were times when a communication loss occured at the beginning of development, it has been fixed and improved quickly. The more the project is in progress, the more secure we feel.”

In order to bring a sense of security, we also have to work very carefully. For example, in preparation for an online meeting, to avoid any distortion in perception with the Vietnamese team, they prepared a whiteboard at home, instead of presenting verbally only, making every attempt to convey by visualizing text and figures. In addition, apparently we shared the meeting agenda in advance, focusing on quality communication. The more intense the schedule of a project becomes, the easier it is for information sharing and meeting management to be overlooked due to the busyness, which is a hotbed of trouble. How the PM can arrange the correct level of communication is an important factor determining the success of a project.

Finally, the SAAI application was successfully released in July 2020, 7 months since the start of development. In the comments section, the number of exchanges among members has been increasing gradually, creating separate exchanges for the application.

Client Voice

“We want to use technology to create more and more products – projects for the customers. However, there is still more to learn, so we would highly appreciate if we receive sincere instruction through the business ideas’ proposals and the use of technology”.