How to Build a Self‑Running R&D Organization with a Structured Mainline Task Framework

Background

In 2023 the company strengthened management of mainline tasks and added similar requirements to the PMO. The previous ad‑hoc approach revealed three major problems: scattered management, lack of transparent process control, and severe resource conflicts across multiple agile teams.

Goal Orientation – Making Priorities Clear

Goals must follow the SMART principle and be distinct from scope. Instead of vague statements like “improve X capability,” a measurable goal such as “increase user satisfaction by X%” should be set, while the specific feature work becomes the scope.

Goal Decomposition – Breaking Down the Yearly Target

The annual goal is split into two semi‑annual targets, each further divided into quarterly plans. This provides concrete, monitorable milestones without creating excessive overhead.

Mainline Owner – Empowering Key Contributors

Each mainline task is assigned an Owner (typically a developer) who leads the team in planning, daily progress, risk handling, and reporting. This role enhances leadership skills, promotes ownership, and prevents blame‑shifting.

Process Tracking – Making Risks Visible

Each mainline is treated as a virtual team with clearly defined members and effort. Bi‑weekly meetings and dedicated communication channels keep progress transparent. Additionally, monthly status updates are collected from Owners to surface risks early and adjust plans.

Establishing a Self‑Running Mechanism

The 2024 plan defines nine mainlines (three high‑priority, six secondary) with inter‑dependencies. The mechanism addresses six key questions: how to embed the mainline concept, allocate resources, resolve dependencies, lower management cost, ensure goal completion, and quickly identify and mitigate risks.

How to make everyone understand and adopt the mainline concept?

How to allocate resources for each mainline?

How to handle dependencies between mainlines?

How to reduce management overhead and enable self‑operation?

How to guarantee goal achievement?

How to swiftly identify and resolve risks?

After three months of operation, all nine mainlines are progressing in a regulated, orderly manner, demonstrating effective self‑running of the organization.

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