Recently, a client reaffirmed something we deeply value at Azumo.
We had a small team working on a critical solution for the customer. The client—let’s call him Miles—also had another outsourced vendor team working on a separate strategic project. Despite the other team’s visible activity, they were struggling to deliver their part of the solution.
Near the end of the project, Miles pulled me aside and shared his view on us. He said: "What sets Azumo apart is that you focus on outcomes over activity."
His observation validated what we strive for every day. We don’t just aim to stay busy. We focus on understanding ‘the why’ behind our customer’s projects. Then, we work toward achieving meaningful results.
In other words, it’s not about how much time we spend on the effort. For us, it’s about doing the right things. This approach is what I believe makes a big difference in how we deliver software development relative to others.
Learning from Experience
We’ve seen firsthand how this approach leads to great outcomes for our customers.
Another example comes to mind. A client once expressed concern that we weren’t billing enough hours on their project. They were used to seeing lots of activity, particularly in terms of hours logged by their other contractors. Naturally, they concluded that little to no progress was being made on our end.
In this case, we were training a machine learning model for them—a process that requires GPU time but not constant human intervention. Our developer monitored the training but didn’t need to log extra hours while the GPU did its work.
Fewer hours didn’t mean less work. In fact, our focus on the outcome—on achieving the desired result—led to a more efficient process.
We were still driving toward the outcome they needed, without wasting their money.
Understanding the ‘Why’ Behind Staffing Needs
Another area where we see the importance of focusing on outcomes is in how we approach staffing.
Often, clients come to us looking for help to fill a specific role or to add more hands on deck. And while we can certainly help them staff their team, we really want to understand "the why."
Why do they need this particular role filled? What is the reason for x number of years of experience in this particular front-end framework and knowledge of this particular cloud service? What are they hoping to achieve with this new team member?
By digging into these questions, we can do more than just provide a body. We can provide a solution. Once we understand the reason behind the staffing need, we can help our clients achieve better outcomes.
Outcomes First
An outcome-focused approach isn’t just a project management style. It’s a mindset. It’s about making sure that everything we do is aligned with our client’s goals. It’s about not just keeping busy for the sake of it or holding meetings to appear engaged.
Our focus on outcomes leads to better software, more strategic use of resources, and ultimately, a stronger partnership.
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