Technology Strategy Guidance at Attomarker

Context

Attomarker produce cutting-edge biomarker detection technology, providing indicators of human and animal health that can be used by medical practitioners for rapid in-the-field diagnostics. Over a frustratingly long period of time, Attomarker had been experiencing what they described as a data emergency; they had no easy access to the data, and despite many months of trying had struggled to overcome an apparent roadblock. Their development efforts felt stuck.

Our Process

We spoke to management and delivery teams to understand the company’s direction and motivations, and why they had struggled so much to make progress. They were weighed down under competing goals: staff were struggling to balance short-term operational demands with their client’s longer-term strategic objectives.

We engaged with Attomarker in a process we describe as Radical Prioritisation: identifying the highest priority goals, then ensuring the whole company commits to resolving them before tackling lower priority objectives. This was followed by a similarly uncompromising process that we refer to as Radical Delivery, identifying sometimes-extreme measures we can take to ensure those highest priority objectives are delivered fast.

To ensure full buy-in across the company for the prioritisation and sacrifices needed, and to pre-emptively address objections, we added layers of rich communication through a range of regular documents, records and meetings. This helped to flag in advance the activities and impacts expected, but also provided opportunities for people to discuss or contest decisions, reducing the risk that other critical activities or impacts could be overlooked.

With the decks cleared for staff to focus entirely on those primary activities, we also brought in outside help from external agencies – recruiting additional staff and contractors, and enlisting external advice from leading industry experts.

The Outcome

With the primary logjam swiftly resolved, it cleared the way for staff to transfer attention to longer-term goals. With improved communication and decision-making structures remaining in place, and developer attention less divided, it meant that the pace of development could increase significantly, resulting in several major milestones met over following months.

Because the priorities we established were firmly anchored to Attomarker’s shifting strategic environment, it has positioned the company at the cusp of a very different financial outlook and put a number of their more ambitious goals firmly within reach.