Approval Management Software and Navigating Cross-Functional Teams

A Brief History of Cross-Functionality

Cross-functionality may be all the rage for agile software development teams, but the inventor of this unique structure wasn’t a coder. The pioneer of cross-functionality was the CEO of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance.

In the 1950s, business owners like him were uncertain of how computers would impact the world, so he assembled the first documented cross-functional team to find out. His innovation paid off: the team of financial, actuarial, and investment professionals soon became the first information systems department in history—bringing Northwestern Mutual Life a massive competitive edge.

What Is a Cross-Functional Team?

A cross-functional team is one comprised of individuals with different skill sets, often from separate departments and levels within a company, working together toward a common goal.

With the right people, the right setup, and the right approval management software to streamline the workflow, cross-functional teams can produce incredibly innovative results.

This structure is common in software development companies, where many applications require input from a range of specialists. Gaining expertise in every area would be an impossible feat for one person—or even one department.

Benefits of Cross-Functional Teams

When diverse minds come together, they can accomplish extraordinary things. While challenges exist, the benefits far outweigh the costs—especially with approval management software to keep the process smooth.

Boosts Innovation

Cross-functional teams are the opposite of work silos, where departments function independently without sharing information or best practices. Silos often result in mishandled resources, poor communication, and an “us vs. them” mentality.

By bringing different departments together, teams can:

Share resources efficiently
Communicate diverse perspectives
Create a culture of collaboration

Diverse perspectives encourage creativity and innovation. The lessons learned often carry over into the rest of the company, improving collaboration across the board.

Grows Individual Skills

Working with people outside of one’s specialty provides opportunities to learn new skills. Small, agile teams also build leadership capacity, as each member owns their part of the project and serves as the primary decision-maker for their domain.

Exposure to different perspectives fosters empathy and better teamwork.

Fosters Productivity and Flexibility

Engagement rises when every team member has a personal stake in the project. According to Gallup, engaged workforces increase profitability by 21%.

Cross-functional teams also:

Combine the best practices from multiple departments
Reduce coordination headaches common in traditional teams
Bring innovations to market faster through streamlined collaboration

Drawbacks of Cross-Functional Teams

Without proper resources and alignment, cross-functional teams risk losing the very advantages they were designed to deliver.

Misaligned Goals

Employees prioritize what impacts their performance reviews. If cross-functional projects aren’t recognized in evaluations, motivation suffers.

Loyalty to one’s home department can also lead to decisions that favor a single sector rather than the company as a whole.

Miscommunications

Trust takes time to build—especially among team members who’ve never worked together.

Different departments often use different communication styles and platforms, which can create friction unless addressed.

Building Successful Cross-Functional Teams With Approval Management Software

Building a cross-functional team is like organizing a group of new hires: there’s little precedent, a fresh hierarchy, and unfamiliar faces. Approval management software can help overcome these challenges.

Assign Roles

Choose highly skilled, motivated, and collaborative team members.

Unlike traditional teams with a single decision-maker, cross-functional teams designate primary decision-makers for each domain. However, appointing a group leader can still help resolve conflicts.

With tools like Ashore, you can clearly define roles—assigning senders, approvers, and non-approvers to each workflow stage.

Specify Goals

Set the primary project goal at the outset, along with a timeline and milestones. Clarify who owns each part of the process.

Best practice: involve the entire team in goal-setting. This creates ownership, surfaces potential issues early, and ensures the goals are realistic.

Use approval management software to:

Align checklist items with the project’s end goal
Reassess progress regularly
Keep work moving toward the desired outcome

Use Project Management Tools

Upper management buy-in is essential. Support your team by removing unnecessary administrative work like manual reminders, document organization, and vague feedback clarification.

Look for software that:

Provides a project dashboard for real-time status updates
Tracks deadlines and sends reminders
Offers clear version control and approval tracking

Navigating Cross-Functional Teams With Ashore

Whether your team spans one department or twelve, Ashore offers the tools to keep collaborative projects on track.

With:

Assigned roles
Intuitive project management tools
Automated workflows

…creatives on Ashore get their proofs approved 50% faster.