CoderSchool improves task-tracking by as much as 70%
Hear more from our customers and their experiences with Backlog here.
CoderSchool is a leading school in Vietnam that provides courses in full-stack web development and data science/machine learning. Recently, they partnered with Facebook Developers Circle to launch a training and competition program called Developer Circles Vietnam Innovation Challenge.
Our interviewee: Natalie Hang Pham, Project Manager at CoderSchool.
Key Solutions used:
Executive Summary
CoderSchool was using spreadsheets and other tools to manage their projects and communicate about work. But the tools were ineffective on larger projects. After switching to Backlog, they experienced up to 70% improvement in task-tracking, as well as increased efficiency in managing their projects.
Challenges
Before using Backlog, CoderSchool project manager Natalie Hang Pham and her team used spreadsheets and other project management tools. They were working on relatively simpler and shorter-term projects, so the setup was adequate for their needs.
However, things changed when they started taking on larger projects like the Developer Circles Vietnam Innovation Challenge. Because the project had more phases (enrollment, training, etc), more tasks, and involved cross-functional members — handling different functions from marketing, student administration, teaching, to student success, etc. — it became harder to manage work effectively.
“We had thousands of issues to handle. If we used a kanban tool, we couldn’t manage the timeline and organize project information, like our project charter. Other tools were also inefficient for our project.” — Natalie Hang Pham, Project Manager at CoderSchool.
They needed a project management tool that could perform at scale when their workload and tasks increased.
Launch of the Facebook Developers Circle Vietnam Innovation Challenge with CoderSchool
How Backlog helped
While using Backlog on a trial basis, Natalie found that it was easy to use and did a great job keeping track of their work. She thought the user interface was simple to understand and appreciated the variety of features for project management and team collaboration. So she recommended that her company start using the tool, and the rest is history.
When implementing new projects in Backlog, they simply create a new project and invite members to join it. They follow up by adding project milestones and work tasks that are split into parent issues and child issues (a.k.a. subtasks).
An example of Backlog’s subtasking feature.
Subtasking is particularly useful for helping them parse out larger goals into smaller, manageable chunks of work. It also helps align members’ individual work and help them understand how they are contributing to those larger goals. By assigning issues and making work transparent, responsibilities are clearer, and it’s easier for everyone, including managers, to keep track of due dates and work progress.
“It’s very convenient because we can assign deadlines and Backlog will remind us when the deadline is here. And it also sends us weekly reminders, so we can easily keep track of our progress.” — Natalie Hang Pham, Project Manager at CoderSchool.
Backlog also serves as a platform for CoderSchool members to discuss, share info on, and update each other about their work. Whenever an issue is updated or new comments added, members can receive targeted notifications via email and Backlog’s global menu. This enables team collaboration in a smooth and timely manner.
Results
After using Backlog, Natalie estimates that they have experienced as much as a 70% improvement in keeping track of their work.
Overall, she feels that their work efficiency has increased, and it’s easier to manage team resources as well as track progress and timelines.
CoderSchool students having their lessons.