Introduction
UCCyber is an organization operating in the cybersecurity area whose flagship product is UCEduSecure. UCEduSecure is an antivirus software specifically aimed at addressing the cybersecurity issues of educational institutions. The release of the software is scheduled for the end of 2021, while in May 2021, the product is still in development. The main feature of UCEduSecure is the ability not only to identify and isolate viruses but also to simulate its effect in real-time. Proof of concept (PoC) was successfully presented at the Project Expo in November 2019.
Positive feedback from industry experts and colleagues motivated the development team to create their own startup, which also received investment. However, due to problems that arose during the development of the product, the organization was unable to provide a full-fledged commercial product on time, which threatens the present position of the company. One of the managers abandoned the project, leaving the founders with existing challenges; the investor can also terminate the partnership. Thus, UCCyber currently needs an IT and management consultancy to analyze the problem, risk, and ethical issues and find solutions.
Problem description
First of all, during the development process, the team faced an unforeseen difficulty in the form of the COVID-19 epidemic and the worldwide lockdown. This circumstance forced the entire team to work remotely, which does not provide opportunities for sufficient communication. Moreover, the team was created recently, and the specialists did not yet have strong bonds with each other. The transition to virtual and remote communication made it impossible to collaborate and track the progress of application development effectively. The impossibility of cooperation among the young team in the face of the pandemic has led to many disagreements about the product. The described problem led to the fact that startup employees had different views not only on development but also on the approach to overcoming difficulties. As a result, the team wasted time, which could be used to finalize the project, on discussions and debates about the future strategy.
Team disagreements over the next steps appear to be a key issue for the company at this time. The team plans to launch a product to market with 94% virus detection accuracy, while they lack the technical skills to develop a simulation module. Another significant problem for the company is the motivation of participants who work as freelancers or leave the project. These difficulties must be addressed first of all in order not to lose investments.
Proposed Solution(s)
A key feature of the product, which has been presented as a major advantage over competitors, is the software’s ability to simulate the effects of viruses. However, the team intends to release a product without this feature, which makes it uncompetitive. This circumstance is the most dangerous of the risks for the company. Additionally, the investor is interested in this particular function and stakes on the uniqueness of the software. Thus, the most appropriate solution for the team would be to postpone the commercial release of the product until all the announced features are enabled. The premature launch of the software will not allow the team to make enough profit, as there are many more efficient solutions on the market. Currently, the Australian market demand for antivirus software for various institutions is increasing, which allows UCCyber to take a dominant position in the event of a successful release. Moreover, the ability to perform simulation will be an added advantage over other products on the market.
The fulfillment of this task requires the founders to search for a specialist in this field. However, alternative solutions and other technologies can also be considered to allocate resources more efficiently. For example, Research and Markets reports that cloud security is currently on the rise in the Australian market. Thus, the company should consider what skills the team already has and what features the company can offer instead of simulation. This decision, however, is temporary, as the simulation is a key feature, and additional functions can help keep investors interested.
Continuing development, as well as the possible inclusion of new functions in the project, requires established communication. Currently, the team cannot adapt to the new conditions in order to coordinate efforts. Since the team was in lockdown for a long time, virtual communication became normal, which led to a disruption in communication. However, with face-to-face contact, the situation has not improved, so the company should consider the decision to adopt a virtual model of team communication and make it effective. Collaboration in a team requires “constant feedback; trust and task clarity; clear directions and reliability; and personal characteristics”. Founders should position themselves as team leaders and focus more on team and project management than on technical aspects.
The most important point is to clearly articulate the roles and responsibilities of team members before engaging them in the work process. Employees must understand that decision-making rests with the team leaders and startup founders. However, it is important to regularly consult with team members so that they can feel their involvement in the project. Moving to a fully virtualized model will reduce costs and improve communication efficiency. An alternative solution in this situation may be training the team in communication skills, as well as hiring managers, which will entail additional costs.
Analysis of risks and ethical issues
One of the most significant risks presented in the scenario is the involvement of UCCyber team members in outside work, as well as the sudden departure of employees from key positions. The additional activities of the startup participants do not allow them to focus on the development goal to a sufficient extent. In turn, the sudden departure of team members is critical to overall productivity, as few people are involved. To address this risk, the company needs to motivate its participants by providing a share in the startup, which can make all members responsible for the success. Another significant risk is the insufficient quality of the product offered for commercial distribution. This aspect can be mitigated by the development of a control system within the team. UCCyber should adopt strategies for planning and resource allocation. One of the risks associated with the proposed solutions is the termination of the partnership with the investor due to the shifted deadlines. This problem can be mitigated by attracting other investors to optimize financing.
The ethical issue associated with the scenario is, first of all, deceiving the investor’s expectations. Although the teams were confident in their success ahead of the pandemic, UCCyber was unable to adapt to the changes, which reduced its effectiveness. However, the investor still expects a return on his investment to continue the partnership. In this situation, the company needs to present the investor with a new precise development plan, taking into account the decisions made, in order to regain his confidence. In relation to the proposed solutions, there is an ethical problem of data protection in case the team chooses to work with cloud software. To overcome this issue, the team must also pay attention to the implementation of protective systems, which require additional technical resources.
Conclusion
The analysis of the problems presented in the scene made it possible to identify possible solutions. UCCyber can lose competitive advantage when releasing a completely unfinished product and also has communication problems in the team. The report recommends that the company postpone the release of the product and focus on developing the main feature, as well as proposing additional functions to retain the investor. Additionally, UCCyber should pay attention to building effective virtual communication, as well as improving the leadership skills of the founders. Thus, the company needs to achieve effective collaboration and organization within the team in order to allocate resources effectively.
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