In response to a growing need for CIOs and chief technology officers to not only retain scarce skills but to create optimal working environments, software development house Global Kinetic has launched its TeamFirst platform.

TeamFirst’s bespoke algorithms have been tested and refined over six years. The cloud-based solution makes use of anonymised data from the people and teams themselves about their experiences, relationships and outputs, combined with project KPI information, which is then analysed by the software.

“By making use of the terabytes of data produced by an organisation, TeamFirst is able to isolate areas of potential conflict before they escalate,” says Global Kinetic CEO Martin Dippenaar.

“The outputs of the product, while certainly useful to HR departments, are devised specifically for team leads and project managers who are involved in the day-to-day team management. After all, these are the individuals who are ultimately responsible for ensuring delivery,” he says.

“By pinpointing niggles before they even become issues, companies save hundreds of hours that would otherwise have been spent on conciliation. More importantly, maintaining harmonious working conditions is the most effective way of nurturing high-performing teams without the disruption and cost of high staff turnover.”

A new way to measure and manage team performance

Dippenaar explains that when teams experience conflict, they lose focus. Individuals find it difficult to work in non-harmonious environments and companies can spend hundreds of thousands of rand replacing team members that quit due to conflict.

In addition to the direct costs, the management time and focus required to deal with interpersonal issues quickly stacks up and can have very real consequences for companies working on tight delivery deadlines.

While quantifying the cost of disputes is not an exact science, the UK public body that helps companies with conciliation and arbitration, Acas, published a report last year in which it estimates that workplace conflict costs UK employers £28.5-billion/year. This amounts to an average of just over £1 000 for every employee, every year.

The TeamFirst algorithms can detect points of potential conflict in real time, and between six weeks to two months before a human would. Dippenaar says the early intervention offered by TeamFirst slashed the software developer’s own staff turnover by 50% in the first year.

Companies can choose from three levels: a free-for-60-days trial version; a per-seat subscription-based model; or a TeamFirst Enterprise offering. The company is also working on several exciting artificial intelligence additions that will be released in coming months.

“Most companies have implemented some form of performance metrics or measurements for individuals. However, most companies do not have insight into how their people work together in a team. Even the best people put together in a team will have conflict, and insight into team dynamics is imperative for consistent, high-quality output, as well as a clear view of the current work reality. Post-pandemic businesses, especially those using hybrid or remote working, are dependent on outcome measurements based on how well our teams are performing. Using tools that are geared to optimise the efficacies of those teams will help businesses meet targets and hold onto to their critical skills – which, in this economy, will hold the key to growth,” Dippenaar says.

About Global Kinetic
Global Kinetic is a software business with extensive experience and expertise in delivering enterprise-grade software engineering and digital transformation projects. Trusted across multiple global industries and with deep expertise in banking and fintech, Global Kinetic has pioneered innovative solutions to complex enterprise projects for almost 20 years. A matured and perfected managed team approach guarantees high quality and predictability, augmented by unique strategic technology consulting services and software delivery accelerators. With just over 120 permanent employees in Cape Town, Palo Alto and Cypress – and in other interesting remote places around the world – Global Kinetic is a proponent of agile, cloud, mobile and enterprise software engineering.