Flex StaffingPlus: The Product Owner’s View
Flex StaffingPlus
As the only platform built from the ground up for the live events industry, Flex is in a unique position to feel the pulse of the industry. And while it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact moment we recognized that we needed to build Flex StaffingPlus, in late 2021, our CEO Chris started noticing an increased amount of customer feedback asking about staffing features. Whether via customer visits, calls, support emails, or submissions to our Customer Feedback form, Flex is constantly seeking input and feedback. This allows us to quickly recognize trends in that feedback, and set plans into motion. In this case to create Flex StaffingPlus.
Hello! This is Branden, Product Manager at Flex Rental Solutions.
Over the past year, my team has been working on several new features that will greatly improve your experience when staffing jobs and events in Flex. These features will be bundled into a new add-on we are calling Flex StaffingPlus. You can read all about them in our product announcement here.
Customer First
As part of the upcoming release of Flex StaffingPlus, I wanted to take a moment to explain how Flex goes about deciding what new features and functionality we build and how we take a “customer first” approach through the whole process.
First, we gather all the information and determine the main features our customers need and the main pain points they are solving. In the case of staffing functionality, we recognized that customers wanted the following:
- The ability to send job offers via Flex
- Improved views of relevant information
- Better call time management
- Easier communication with freelancers.
Next, we take the information and validate it through interviews with additional customers. During these interviews, our UX Designer, Rae, will guide the customer through a series of questions designed to help us understand their work flows. With dozens of quotes and insights from each interview, we brainstorm the best ways to implement functionality in Flex that will best meet our customers’ needs. This is where our Product Owner, Jordan, and our Business Analyst, Patrick, bring their expertise to the process.
Then we REALLY go to work. Developing the framework of a new product is an incredibly iterative process of prototyping, testing, prototyping, testing, prototyping, and testing. It’s a collaborative exercise that includes our internal team and customers. We’re constantly working together to make sure we’re getting it just right. And only when we know we’ve gotten it right do we begin writing requirements and planning a development schedule to get the new features and functionality released to our customers. After we build the product, we begin testing with a select group of customers.
The Result
And then we arrive at a day like today, where we’re ready to announce to the world what we’ve been building hand in hand with our customers, to help them achieve more success. In the months ahead we will provide early access to more customers (sign up here) and move on to a public launch in the first quarter of next year.
The Future
In the meantime we’re already utilizing this same approach to bring more valuable capabilities to your fingertips. Any guesses as to what they might be? We look forward to continuing to hear from you as we keep our finger on the pulse of the industry and how we can optimize Flex to help you maximize your success.
And for those interested in getting early access please sign up for the waiting list here.