3 min read
How Produxity Transformed Product Management at Companial, the World's Largest Microsoft Dynamics Distributor
1,100
Partners across 75+ countries
60,000+
Indirect customers
600,000+
End users
€180M
Annual revenue (est. 2024)
200
Employees incl. 30 engineers
The Challenge
A Services Giant Struggling to Become a Product Company
Companial is the world's largest Microsoft Dynamics distributor, operating across 7 country offices. Despite their success in distribution and services, they faced significant challenges transitioning toward product development. They had launched a product 18 months prior that failed to gain traction.
"Before starting to work with Produxity, we did not have product management capability. We can write perfect code that is working and matching expectations but there's a lot of movement from customizing each solution differently into building products."
"Going into the market didn't bring the desired sales. Some of the features might not have been relevant to the partners. Maybe we had not good enough documentation, or our approach into the go-to-market was maybe not as it should have been. We didn't have success."
Core Issues Identified
Lack of product management capability
No organizational alignment
Unclear team structure
Absence of methodology
Our Approach
Five Phases to Product Capability
Building a Shared Foundation
We ran workshops to create a common language across the organisation, ensuring everyone shared the same understanding of product development concepts and terminology.
"It helped quite a lot to have a common base from when we start talking and aligning with other people because each of us seemed to have a different understanding of what product development and product organization is."
Developing a Target Operating Model
We designed a comprehensive organisational structure for product development, defining roles, responsibilities, decision-making processes, and how teams would interact across the company.
Creating a Methodology
We established a clear, repeatable approach for building, validating, and launching products -- giving the team a structured framework they could follow independently.
Designing a Practical Transition Plan
Rather than presenting an idealised end-state, we created a pragmatic roadmap for moving from the current organisation to the target model, respecting constraints and timelines.
"Now we have not only the target operating model, which is maybe the best composition, what we as a company can have but as well a way how to move into it from where we are today."
Flexible Implementation Support
We adapted to the realities of a large organisation, accommodating board decision cycles and internal timelines while maintaining momentum on the transformation.
"Produxity was very flexible in accepting that. Explaining to the board where we are, what decisions we need and then waiting for a couple of months until we managed to get the decision. And then continuing with the project forward."
The Results
From Zero Capability to a Clear Path Forward
Organizational Clarity
Clear structure and roles for the product development function, enabling effective collaboration across teams.
Methodological Framework
A repeatable approach for building, validating, and launching products that the team can follow independently.
Leadership Alignment
Common language and shared understanding of product development across the leadership team.
Transition Roadmap
A practical, phased plan for moving from the current state to the target operating model.
Knowledge Transfer
The team is equipped with the knowledge and tools to continue evolving independently, without ongoing dependency on external consultants.
"For me now is clear how I need to structure the team today so that we can perform in many years when the impact of the products will grow in the company."
"It was really an eye-opener for me on what actually the product development and model is. For companies who, as we were, are struggling with how best to implement product development in the company as a traditional services company, I would advise working with Produxity. They could help to better understand how the products are built and how a team can be structured to perform best in product development."
Ready to Build Product Capability?
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