Transforming Projects into Corporate Assets: JINS Implements Backlog for Team Management

In the rapidly evolving consumer landscape, the eyewear brand JINS has embraced a strategy to enhance project management through innovative solutions. This journey began with the integration of a project and task management tool, Backlog, developed by Nulab, headquartered in Fukuoka, Japan. This implementation has significantly transformed how JINS operates, supporting diverse projects ranging from system development to the establishment of new stores and the expansion of international operations.

The Vision Behind Backlog's Implementation

JINS has articulated a clear vision with its slogan, "Magnify Life – Illuminate the Unseen". This vision drives the company's mission to create new experiences through eyewear. As the organization aimed to improve customer experiences via digital enhancements, it became essential to collaborate across various departments, including development, sales, and retail operations. To facilitate this, JINS adopted Backlog, providing a unified platform for both internal and external stakeholders to share and visualize project information.

The utilization of this tool has helped the company mitigate the complexities of project management, allowing for precise tracking of progress.

Benefits Realized with Backlog

Establishing a Collaborative Foundation Across the Organization

JINS has successfully established a collaborative framework where members from different departments, including the IT department, work collectively on shared projects using Backlog. Approximately 1,700 accounts, including domestic and international offices and partner organizations, are now sharing project challenges within the same environment. This initiative has effectively eliminated information silos, enabling employees to access the latest updates easily. With progress tracking streamlined in Backlog, time-consuming checks and reporting are substantially reduced, leading to improved communication among teams.

Preventing Knowledge Silos through Structured Information Management

JINS employs a systematic approach to distinguish between flow and stock information. Short-term discussions happen on chat platforms, while critical references are archived in Backlog. This clear delineation ensures that essential information isn’t lost in everyday communications, allowing projects to progress without oversight. Additionally, the IT department has designated members, known as "Backlog Sweepers," to regularly check task statuses, organize comments, and fine-tune tasks. This ongoing maintenance ensures that the project environment remains healthy and efficient.

Leveraging Project History as Knowledge Asset

The data accumulated through Backlog is now regarded as a valuable knowledge asset for JINS. When new team members take over projects, they can immediately refer to past challenges and communications, dramatically improving operational efficiency and speed. The vast repository of data also opens avenues for employing AI-driven insights for risk detection and further operational improvements.

Voices from JINS

In a statement from JINS' digital transformation team, representatives expressed that Backlog has become an integral part of the company's core systems. By enabling all employees and partners to work in a harmonious environment, they have minimized the efforts related to progress tracking and reporting. The result is a decade's worth of project data that is now embedded as knowledge within the organization. This historical data is not only available for reuse, enhancing operational efficiency, but also supports JINS’ new challenges. Looking ahead, the company envisions using AI to analyze and harness this extensive data further, fostering advanced operational improvements and informed decision-making.

As the labor force experiences demographic shifts leading to diversified team compositions and employment structures, Nulab anticipates an increasing need for effective teamwork management. They believe that diverse teams, irrespective of their backgrounds, must collaborate efficiently towards common goals. Nulab continues to evolve Backlog and its other services to cater to a variety of customer needs in this dynamic environment.

Nulab’s Commitment to Teamwork Management

Nulab promotes "teamwork management" that encourages collaboration among teams with varied roles and divisions to enhance overall organizational productivity. Their comprehensive services are designed to facilitate smoother PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycles. As Backlog approaches its 20th anniversary on June 20, 2025, Nulab will showcase its journey and future endeavors on a special anniversary site.

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About Nulab

Nulab is headquartered in Fukuoka, Japan, with additional offices in Tokyo and Kyoto. Founded under the leadership of Masanori Hashimoto, Nulab is committed to enhancing organizational productivity through innovative teamwork solutions. To learn more about Nulab, visit their website or explore careers at Nulab.