Here at fjorge, one of our greatest values is collaboration. We use cross functional teams to problem solve and achieve our client’s goals. A cross functional team consists of members who bring a unique perspective to the table and all have expertise in different areas. 

The roles within a cross functional team vary from technical relationships, to user needs and more. Below are the integral roles necessary for a project to be successful. 

Account Director → owns the relationship 

Project Manager → oversees the project a whole from budget to timeline 

Solutions Architect → focuses on business goals and outcomes 

UX/UI Designer → makes design choices targeted at the users needs 

Developer → lends a technical perspective throughout the project using their technology-agnostic expertise to bring a digital product to life

The three main benefits to our cross functional teams are diversity in expertise, collaboration, and the ability to be self organizing. 

Benefit #1: Expertise Diversity

Diversity builds strength, and the diverse skill sets each person brings to the team could be the greatest benefit. When we approach a new project, our clients not only have access to technical expertise, but people who are looking to solve both business and user challenges from unique viewpoints. 

“When you have the resources and people to help you, you’re more likely to take chances and push yourself to learn new things. The nice thing is there’s always somebody on a team that has expertise about it and is willing to help. It is a great culture in that way.”  – Kendra Kyndberg, Frontend Developer at fjorge 

Benefit #2: Collaboration

A network of support stems from cross collaborative teams. It allows people from all departments and teams to get to know each other and learn from one another. This helps to create the awesome work environment we have at fjorge. Our ability to collaborate goes beyond our teams and helps us to serve our clients better. We work closely with our clients in order to make the best project we can for them and go above and beyond their expectations. 

Benefit #3: Self Organizing

Another pro of our cross functional teams is that they are largely self-organizing. Scrum teams are self-organizing and choose how best to accomplish their work, rather than being directed by others outside of the team. This fosters a spirit of independence within teams and allows each team to have their own working style that’s most effective for the client.

“Fjorge is a great place for people who have an entrepreneurial mindset and can own their work.” – Taylor Graupmann, Senior Project Manager 

The structure of our cross functional teams allows everyone to be accountable for themselves and exhibit leadership skills. Our teams are successful because we hold accountability as a core value. This makes us work more efficiently and the work that we produce is more successful. 

Interested in cross functional teams? We’d love to talk more about why we believe this is the best way to accomplish custom software development.

Contact Mary Cooke: mary.cooke@fjorgedigital.com