Discover how QTalo tackles time zone challenges for project managers in global teams, revolutionizing synchronous meetings & simplifying workflows.
At QTalo we’re lucky to connect with project managers and professionals who share the pain points they face on the job when using the tools they currently work with. These insights help us to develop product solutions that can streamline the status update process for project managers. The project managers we have spoken to not only have significant expertise, but they are also trusted to design optimized solutions for their organizations – ones that showcase meaningful progress to reduce costs or improve profitability.
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Recently, I had the pleasure to speak with Sara*, a US-based Principal Technical Project Manager who works with remote global teams. The initial purpose of the call was to understand her most pressing pain points, and also share updates on what we’re building here at QTalo. However, within five minutes, it was clear to me that her challenges represented a new point of view for us at QTalo. (*not her real name)
Because Sara works with remote global teams working across different time zones, she often faces challenges getting real-time updates and feels like she is “always 24 hours late” on her projects. It became clear that a tool like QTalo could help fix some of her chronic time zone challenges that she - and everyone else - faces with remote global teams.
A little bit about QTalo. We’re building a solution to tackle the tedious tasks that project managers face by finding and analyzing vast amounts of disorganized information and summarizing it succinctly in a status update report. By synthesizing this data seamlessly, we can free up time for project managers to focus on more high-impact work.
Hearing Sara's experience was a lightbulb moment for me and I knew we had barely scratched the surface. Project managers who work across global remote teams across several time zones face struggles with communication, cross-functional productivity, and overall morale. It’s tough to ask questions and gather status updates when their team members are asleep. These issues are amplified among tech companies with international operations, where tasks that could be quickly addressed if teams were within the same time zone, are subject to delays as much as 48 hours.
48 hours may not seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things. But as an engineer, I reframed that in a communication speed perspective. A radio signal travels between the Earth and the Moon in 1.28 seconds. In 48 hours, a radio signal will travel over 32 billion miles, beyond our solar system and into interstellar space, where we, humans, cannot even identify the objects due to the vastness and the general lack of detailed mapping. But somehow, here on Earth, our project managers are routinely dealing with a potential 48-hour delay as a common best practice.
Once I realized the magnitude of this problem, I put my researcher hat on and dug deeper in my data search. I had no issues finding answers.
International expansion is a growing trend for US companies who are looking to expand their reach and achieve their growth targets. This trend is more pronounced than ever, underpinned by a plethora of benefits ranging from market diversification to innovation. Despite the challenges posed by different regulatory environments and cultural nuances, the consensus among business leaders is clear – embracing global expansion is not merely an option but a strategic imperative to thrive. The list of companies going global and getting involved in international project management expands every second, and no longer belongs to business giants such as AT&T or Verizon. The post-Covid world of expansion through global operations and partnerships now belongs to churches, bakeries, and startups paying with every means possible, including barter, profit share, and equity.
So how does this impact project manager productivity? While we haven’t solved for time zone differences, most businesses have deployed what they can to reduce the burden: use shared calendars, ensure consistent communication within a single time zone, and employ asynchronous tools like email and messaging. Businesses are also incorporating more tools, applications and services to help bridge the gaps. In some unique cases, businesses are adjusting working hours for synchronous communication among globally dispersed teams.
Is there anything else we can do? I believe we have a great chance to transform how we conduct our synchronous meetings. Currently, our meetings with our remote teams rely on data that might as well have been sourced from the far reaches of unexplored cosmos. I think it is time to pivot to emerging technologies, such as QTalo, which provide us with real-time insights.
These insights are not just timely but are also tailored specifically to meet our immediate requirements, exactly when we need them and especially early in the morning – wherever you may be. For us here in the US, Sara and I called this solution "Good Morning America!"
While Sara sleeps, her co-collaborators across the globe are updating their tickets and sharing their updates by email and Slack. When she wakes up, she can quickly generate QTalo status reports based on what transpired overnight, ensuring she always has a finger on the pulse of progress.
So, for the program managers reading this, I want to say: good luck to you and remember: in the realm of global business expansion, you are expected to be everywhere at once. Until project managers can soar above the skies, defying the constraints of geography and breaking the time barriers, we must turn to technology for solutions to the challenges of coordinating across time zones. Remote teams work while you sleep. Manual everyday tasks of Slack, email, and file discovery, collection, analysis, and summarization are the norm. No wonder the concept of a coffee break is a dying luxury. Get your coffee break back and let us show you how QTalo can simplify your work day.
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