Empowering Organization through Project Management Practices: A Case Study of Youzan Efficiency Improvement Team

As the organization grows, the complexity of cross‑role collaboration increases dramatically, leading to an over‑reliance on project managers and limiting the self‑coordination ability of team members. The Youzan Efficiency Improvement team addresses this by transforming management methods and empowering the organization to create a learning‑oriented, collaborative environment.

1. Problem & Challenge

The proliferation of coordinators hampers the development of self‑collaboration skills, and project managers become trapped in repetitive coordination tasks, hindering their own growth.

2. Practices & Methods

2.1 PM Universalization – Product and technical staff are guided to act as “part‑time PMs,” taking ownership of key management actions. Workshops using “teach‑assist‑lead” methods cover PMP, Agile, user story mapping, and other fundamentals, reducing dependence on dedicated PMs.

Training materials illustrate how the team shifts from a dedicated PM model to a distributed PM model, while still maintaining oversight for large‑scale initiatives such as Double‑Eleven stability and annual events.

2.2 Dissemination of Best Practices – A unified “PM Handbook” defines role responsibilities, common issues, and recommended solutions. Physical handbooks are used to create a sense of ceremony and serve as reference checklists.

2.3 Process Management Productization – Scattered Excel sheets, documents, and scripts are consolidated into the Efficiency Platform, providing a unified toolset that eliminates duplicated effort and standardizes processes across business lines.

Monthly planning sessions on the platform increase transparency, coordinate cross‑department resources, and improve planning efficiency.

2.4 Regular Retrospective & Knowledge Capture – A strong retrospective culture encourages systematic review of project outcomes, collaboration, and process management, generating actionable improvements and personal growth for participants.

2.5 Diversified Incentives – Bi‑monthly “T‑Rex Awards” and monthly “Star of the Month” recognitions celebrate individuals and teams for innovation, efficiency, and alignment with company values.

2.6 Deep Organizational Training – Interactive workshops and “Minimum University” open courses spread project‑management knowledge to non‑product teams, embedding a management mindset throughout the organization.

3. Conclusion

The six methods described stem from human and task fundamentals and reflect the practice of three perspectives: customer demand, full‑lifecycle demand, and collaborative closed‑loop. By continuously iterating on these practices, the team builds a culture where all members actively participate in project management, driving both personal and organizational growth.

For those interested in joining the efficiency improvement effort, please send a résumé to [email protected] .