Incredible Technologies Saves Hundreds of Hours a Year with Clarizen

Incredible Technologies, Inc (IT), located in Arlington Heights, Illinois, specializes in the design and development of hardware and software for the entertainment industry. IT is currently the largest US designer and manufacturer of coin-operated video games, as well as various consumer-based console video games. Soon IT will be releasing a line of gaming machines for the casino market.

IT’s products are played by millions of players in tens of thousands of locations around the world. The company employs over 120 designers, programmers, artists, animators, sound engineers, service technicians, sales and service reps, and production personnel, with development projects taking upwards of three years to complete.

In February 2009, the company decided it needed an online work management solution that improves the efficiency of the entire company by providing insight into the short and long term successes and downfalls of a project. Given the number of projects going on at any given time, it was critical that IT be able to view the status, at various levels of detail, and communicate strategy and next steps to any or all employees involved. Specifically, it was important that IT find a solution that places ownership of a project’s progress in the hands of any employee, not just management.

Prior to discovering Clarizen, each project manager had a homegrown method to managing projects. The company needed a consistent, standard process. IT researched various solutions, from Microsoft Project to AtTask, as well as less comprehensive open source solutions. IT chose Clarizen because it blends comprehensive detail with a simple and user-friendly interface, keeping company-wide deployment relatively easy.

“For many years I have wanted a centralized solution such as Clarizen that easily helps me see the interrelationships between staff, projects and time,” said Elaine Hodgson, president and CEO of Incredible Technologies. “It allows me to make better business decisions.”

Clarizen’s intuitive interface eliminates individual and group excuses for not utilizing the solution, relieving management of having to chase updates and ensuring team alignment for the entire duration of a project. Because of its ease of use, adoption of the solution was quick and users did not complain about an extra step in their already busy days.

Clarizen saves project managers and directors over 100 hours a year by reducing the need for paper schedules, documents and emails that are inherent in Clarizen’s online work management solution. Meetings are more efficient due to the use of Clarizen as the hub of tasks and schedules. Updating and executing projects is seamless, allowing management to make more strategic and impactful decisions on individual projects, as well as overall business processes.

With over 50 licenses, IT needed an easily deployable solution with a user-friendly interface so management would not need to invest extra time training the team. The availability of online demos and tutorials was an added bonus for IT, which can get a new team member completely up to speed rapidly.

IT’s business leaders are pleased with the responsiveness and support from the Clarizen team, which removes any internal bottlenecks or project hiccups that prevent team adoption or strays a project off course. If there is a technical problem or if a question arises about the solution, customer service is consistently reactive and helpful.

In just nine months, Clarizen positively impacted IT’s long term business success by allowing management to better forecast by referring to previous development cycles, project timelines and budget comparisons. Project directors and management receive reports at the end of the month, indicating where team members are spending their time, and therefore, where IT is spending the most money.

IT frequently develops one video game and simultaneously launches into a sister project. Clarizen reduces the downtime between projects by at least five percent, making the transition and ramp up more efficient by ensuring all employees continue working. This ongoing insight enables better decision making and a consistent view of the least costly development paths.

“IT needed a solution that keeps our impressive roster of creative talent on-task and focused,”said Larry Hodgson, vice president of product development at Incredible Technologies. “By keeping all levels of our company involved and invested in every project, Clarizen helps us to execute a flat business model for success which encourages our employees to be more creative, inspired and productive. The business benefits go beyond hours or money saved.”