Agile onboarding that delivers value from day one

Some projects don’t wait for the team to catch up. They require immediate action, seamless integration, and a deep understanding of the technical and operational context — from day one.

In this case, the client was looking to evolve a key video communication platform used in high-security environments. The system had to support real-time interactions across multiple devices, function under constrained network conditions, and ensure seamless communication for on-field personnel. It was a mission-critical solution with very specific performance and reliability expectations.

Challenge

A leading company in the video communication space needed to evolve a critical platform under tight timelines and complex constraints. They weren’t just looking for engineering support — they needed a strategic technology partner who could integrate quickly, understand their context deeply, and start delivering value immediately.

Their internal teams had solid processes and domain expertise, but they were looking to extend their capabilities with an external team that could align quickly, reduce the management burden, and contribute meaningfully from the very beginning.

Process

Instead of starting with staffing, our Extended Team stepped in early — even before the full team was defined. We took time to understand their day-to-day workflows and technical environment at a detailed level, including how tickets moved and where the pain points were.

This early involvement allowed us to co-create a tailored plan, ensuring the new team would be well-matched to the technical stack and the actual challenges ahead. The result was a smooth onboarding experience with a clear structure for roles, responsibilities, and delivery cycles.

We seamlessly joined their agile ceremonies — daily standups, sprint planning, demos, retrospectives — and worked closely via slack for constant communication. Even when corporate policies limited access to production environments, we adapted by working through mirrored repositories, maintaining full compliance without slowing down delivery.

Solution

We provided technical leadership during the onboarding phase, handling task management, coordination, and backlog execution while the core team ramped up. This helped maintain project velocity and gave the client confidence in our ownership and alignment.

The team was selected not just for technical capability, but also for adaptability and fit. In some cases, we trained on specific tools or workflows unique to the client’s environment. And because we were empowered to contribute ideas — not just follow directions — our experience shaped key decisions, including recommendations on toolchains and third-party integrations.

Beyond onboarding, our involvement also contributed to several key improvements in the platform itself — from optimizing audio/video streams for unstable networks, to streamlining integration with ruggedized hardware. We helped implement scalable and maintainable solutions that ensured the product could evolve without compromising on performance or security.

Results

While speed wasn’t the only KPI, the impact of early involvement and agile alignment was clear. The client later shared that if we hadn’t implemented the solution when we did, the platform might have been deprioritized or even phased out from their internal objectives.

By stepping in early and leading with ownership, we helped reposition the platform as a viable, valuable asset — aligned with the client’s long-term strategy.

Extended Team

People Ops Manager: accompanies the team in retrospectives and internal team meetings. Assists in the preparation of feedback and encourages team building and cultural alignment.

Tech Manager: in charge of designing, describing and managing the engineering of solutions in relation to specific customer problems.

Delivery Manager: ensures value delivery together with the team, in addition to collaborating with continuous improvement processes.