Consolidating Brands and Integrating Development Teams with KanBo
Global Studio Unification
To drive sustainable growth and innovation across its gaming franchises, a leading gaming enterprise launched a €4 billion subsidiary focused on unifying global development operations. The initiative brings together cross-regional studios, aligns product lifecycles, and strengthens IP governance. To orchestrate this large-scale transformation, the company adopted KanBo as its centralized work coordination platform.
Company’s Overview
Industry:
Global Gaming & Entertainment
Key Focus Areas:
Unified subsidiary for flagship IPs
Size:
Franchise growth, cross-studio alignment, operational transparency
Challenges:
Managing distributed teams and synchronized execution at scale
Stakeholder Perspective
CChief Technology Officer (CTO)
We needed more than a basic project management tool—what we required was an integrated digital framework that could serve as the operational backbone of our organization. KanBo provided us with a centralized, live view of initiatives and dependencies, and it fostered consistent accountability across all teams.
How the Organization Uses KanBo
KanBo serves as a global coordination platform—integrating development teams, aligning product delivery, and supporting franchise lifecycle governance.
I. Franchise-Centric Organizational Workspaces
- Workspaces: Grouped by franchise and department (e.g., QA, Engineering, Creative).
- Spaces: Tailored to product roadmapping, sprint planning, asset pipelines, and localization.
- Templates: Standardize workflows across games and regions.
II. Task Management and Agile Execution
- Cards: Used for bug tracking, new feature implementation, and regional content adaptation.
- Card Relations: Map out interdependencies across studios and functions.
- Mirror Cards: Ensure task updates are reflected across regions for synchronization.
III. Resource Planning Across Borders
- Resource Management: Assign roles and schedule engineers, artists, and QA across time zones.
- Availability Sync: Integrated with HR systems for up-to-date personnel data.
- MySpace Dashboards: Help leads balance assignments across multiple initiatives.
IV. Sprint Planning and Timeline Control
- Time & Forecast Charts: Visualize sprint health, backlog velocity, and delivery forecasts.
- Gantt Views: Align roadmap timelines with engineering and creative execution.
- Card Blockers: Flag bottlenecks due to delays or unresolved issues.
V. Cross-Team Collaboration & Asset Governance
- Comments & Presence Indicators: Enable instant feedback and team visibility.
- In-Card Document Editing: Allows inline updates to specs, designs, and QA protocols.
- SharePoint Integration: Centralized version-controlled asset management.
VI. Real-Time Oversight and Performance Visibility
- Program Dashboards: Provide the PMO and CTO with high-level performance insights.
- Localization Tracking: Spaces monitor translations and compliance by region.
- QA Reporting: Dedicated Spaces for bug status, fix rate, and compliance checklists.
Roadmap for Implementation
Planning and Setup
Pilot Phase
Pilot Evaluation
Full Rollout
Project Highlights
Full Rollout:
Completed in 6 months
System Integration:
Microsoft 365, SharePoint, HR Systems
Efficiency Gains:
30% fewer communication delays, 20% faster sprint cycles
Real-World Applications in KanBo
Localization Workflow
Region-specific Spaces tracked translation workflows and ensured compliance with local publishing standards.
Asset Management
Design documents and builds were hosted in SharePoint-linked Cards, maintaining global access and version control.
Sprint Standardization
Space templates unified sprint planning across franchises, creating a consistent release cadence.
Benefits of Using KanBo for Global Studio Integration
Unified Global Project Visibility
Real-time status across studios, functions, and geographies
Strategy-to-Execution Synchronization
All teams operate from centralized roadmaps
Cross-Regional Resource Optimization
Assign the right talent at the right time, globally
IP Governance & Delivery Acceleration
Standardized sprint cycles and faster time-to-market
Security and Installation Options
On-Premises & Government Cloud Deployment
Ensures compliance with national security regulations.
Role-Based Access Controls
Restrict sensitive investment data to authorized personnel.
Data Encryption & Audit Logging
Protects against cyber threats and ensures transparency.
KanBo – Work Coordination Platform
KanBo is a work coordination software designed to help self-organizing teams work smarter and faster. You can see KanBo in action by accessing our demonstration environment.