iwow led an investigation and improvement initiative to streamline a manual work process and eliminate a rapidly growing backlog of incoming data at a construction data company.
The client struggled with a continuously growing backlog of data that required manual importing, despite several earlier attempts at resolving the issue.
The core challenge was the lack of clarity around the existing work process, limited visibility into bottlenecks, and insufficient communication between operational teams and development.
Started with a structured investigation of the client’s work process to understand the root causes behind the growing backlog. This included running full-day workshops with the team to review current processes, systems, issues, and ways of working. Through interviews and direct observation, we mapped the end-to-end workflow and built an issue tree that clearly highlighted all bottlenecks.
Based on these insights, a transformation plan was designed and implemented, including:
- Defining new and improved work processes
- Introducing additional automations to remove manual effort
- Establishing a structured issue-reporting process between the team and the developers
- Aligning responsibilities and routines to ensure smoother collaboration
- Supporting the team through implementation, education, and follow-up
Within two months, the backlog of 6,000 delayed projects was completely eliminated.
Additional outcomes included:
- A 50% reduction in lead time per project
- 100% increase in delivery capacity for weekly incoming data
- Improved collaboration and communication between operational and development teams
- Clearer processes and sustainable ways of working, preventing future backlog buildup