Outerloop

Outerloop provides visual representation of the survey results based on customer feedback, which makes it easier to identify areas for improvement and track progress over time. Survey results are being collected from QuestionPro  and displayed in the form of graphics, where you can also see the dynamics of the root cause, which is the least selected answer. 

To deal with these survey results, Outerloop gives all the necessary tools to create action plans, as well as manage the implementation of these plans. It offers a variety of board views with “drag and drop” and configurable lanes, including a “List view” that allows you to see last updates or lack thereof in yellow or red colors as warning signs set by you. Besides,  It presents data on completed projects, their solutions and ROI, that is, the expenses and generated revenue. Moreover, It has a task management feature, where you can create tasks and assign them to members, set up checkpoints and milestones, and hold huddles with text editor. The tool also tracks key performance indicators (KPIs) on a monthly and daily basis, and allows you to sort them. 

Finally, there is a feature for creating backlogs, or project drafts for brainstorming. These ideas can be discussed and liked by others, and then selected ones can be turned into formal initiatives to be worked on.

One potential challenge has been coordinating with the team members responsible for various product APIs, who are located in other time zones. Sometimes, this makes it difficult to ensure timely communication and collaboration, which causes delays and miscommunication, which, in turn, hinder progress. 

The abovementioned challenge can only be overcome by strong project management. We schedule regular meetings at specific times that work for everyone. We have also got overlap times , where all the team members are online and able to collaborate. Asynchronous communication via chat, email and Shortcut comes in useful as well.

We have built Outerloop from scratch using the Kanban methodology and the Shortcut tool. The development is still ongoing with new features being added and maintenance being performed.

We have a beta version of Outerloop that is currently being used internally by the users of QuestionPro, but the plan is to expand the user base and make it available for everyone to use.