Vidushi Chauhan

Through this project, I uncovered that Odessa had overpromised delivery timelines, with nonexistent foundation reports also being sold off. Initial requirements were vague and needed refinement through collaboration with the client. I led the assembly of a 60-person team, including training new hires unfamiliar with Odessa's data suite technology.

As a result, we delivered the required complete set of reports within nine months despite inheriting an unrealistic timeline and resource constraints. We also ensured all reports met client expectations and delivered the promised value, successfully navigating multiple changes in client requirements, delivery processes, and team dynamics through ongoing discussions and retrospectives.

This project tackled the existing report builder tool's low user adoption and performance issues. Customers deemed the tool unusable due to performance and usability problems.

I inherited a team with limited report builder knowledge, which required a detailed training plan to achieve the phased upgrade rollout. I successfully trained and developed a new team, empowering them to contribute to the project's success. We successfully revamped the report builder tool with user-centric design principles, leading to a more robust and efficient solution. In addition, I established a phased rollout plan with senior leadership and stakeholders for seamless implementation and adoption of the updated tool.

This project started when I joined a newly formed unit with limited internal resources. I managed a team composed primarily of five contractor PMs and two internal project managers, with a short completion timeline of four months. I grew a dedicated team of over 60 employees and contractors focused on Microsoft Power Platform development, implementing continuous delivery pipelines for efficient project execution.

In a single quarter, I led the creation of 40 new applications and 37 reusable components, saving 29,000 hours of manual effort. I also streamlined operations by consolidating Microsoft Power Platform requests from 20 product owners into a single intake channel, ensuring efficient processing and resource allocation. In addition, team efficiency was also enhanced by streamlining intake and build processes. This enabled high-volume delivery of MVPs within short timeframes.

This project involved implementing Microsoft Power Platform solutions to overcome edit attribute issues in the workbench and create an identical app for end-users, addressing client expectations and technical limitations. We faced the initial challenge of delivering a project without formal requirements, documentation, or testing, requiring quick identification and resolution of bugs to meet client expectations.

I addressed discrepancies between client expectations and platform capabilities through sessions with the UI designer and clients, resulting in 175+ identified discrepancies and scope adjustments. In addition, I ensured focused development and alignment with client requirements. I also implemented a phased approach to project delivery, focusing on critical items and subsequent iterations, providing a high customer experience throughout the project lifecycle. The product successfully went live, with plans for additional drops to further enhance the customer experience and address any remaining issues.

The senior architect left the project on short notice, leading to an incomplete handover and undisclosed assumptions and constraints. The initial demos also disappointed the client, who thought the task was impossible due to Microsoft Power BI limitations.

Faced with these challenges, the team demonstrated resilience, innovation, and teamwork in overcoming obstacles and delivering value to the client. We iteratively refined the reports based on client feedback and technology advancements. In addition, we conducted multiple demos for the client, showcasing Microsoft Power BI and alternative solutions, gathering feedback, and iterating on improvements.