As the Technical Program Management Lead at Glatco, I get to see the good, the bad and the ugly of how tech teams work. One thing I know to be true is that what worked years ago for organizations might no longer be serving them. Given this,  it is a good idea to periodically take a look at your tech stack and team dynamics to make sure you’re firing on all cylinders.

From My Experience: Innovation Doesn’t Happen by Accident

Over the years, I’ve led cross-functional teams through platform redesigns, legacy system transitions, and AI implementation in industries like logistics, mapping, e-commerce, and government infrastructure. I’ve worked with both U.S.-based teams and distributed talent across Europe, blending structure and speed, strategy and execution.

But here’s the truth:
Most teams don’t fall behind because they lack intelligence or ambition. They fall behind because their systems no longer reflect how they actually work.

At one point, I was helping lead a platform modernization effort for a smart logistics solution, working with Serbian engineers and U.S.-based clients. The core backend was stable but outdated, solid for five years ago, but completely mismatched with the client’s current goals. They were hesitant to touch anything “that still technically worked.”

We started with an innovation audit, just like the one outlined below. Within three weeks, we identified four systems that were duplicating effort and two manual processes that could be fully automated with lightweight AI tools. In the end, we didn’t rebuild everything; we simply removed friction, refocused the roadmap, and replaced a few key components. The result? Shorter release cycles, lower overhead, and more time to innovate on actual product features.

Innovation doesn’t always mean introducing the latest shiny object. Sometimes it’s about having honest conversations with your team, asking the right questions, and working with partners who understand how real-world delivery actually happens.

Your Innovation Audit: 5 Questions to Ask Right Now

One of the things I do with tech teams is determine the right questions to ask so they can better drive innovation to get ahead and stay ahead of their competition. Five of the top questions I use when we’re trying to build their innovation muscle include:

  1. Where are we reinventing the wheel? Are we building custom solutions where mature platforms (or AI-based tools) would be faster?
  2. What part(s) of our stack would break if we had to scale traffic 10x, or even 100x, overnight?
  3. What part(s) would break if we doubled our team size?
  4. How often do we ship new features or improvements, and what’s getting in the way?
  5. Do we have the internal bandwidth to experiment with new tech without compromising delivery?

These questions have helped guide teams to uncover opportunities that move their innovation strategy forward.

AI as an Innovation Catalyst (Not Just a Buzzword)

Many companies we work with are asking, ‘how can we leverage AI to be more efficient,’ and ‘how can we make sure our team is trained on the latest and greatest AI so that we don’t fall behind’. Although AI has become a buzzword, it’s really about how to leverage data and machine learning where it makes sense alongside humans to create better outcomes for your customers. Three of the top areas where companies are focusing and experiencing real gains include:

  • Add AI-powered features to internal tools (think smart search, personalized dashboards, or task recommendations)
  • Integrate machine learning models into customer-facing platforms for dynamic personalization or intelligent automation
  • Adopt AI copilots in design, development, and project management to reduce decision fatigue and execution bottlenecks

These enhancements often require nimble, cross-functional execution, something many overextended internal teams struggle to deliver on their own.

A Smarter Path to Innovation

At Glatco, we work with forward-thinking companies that want more than just extra hands on a project—they want a lean, responsive team that can bring technical agility and AI-ready thinking to the table.

Whether you’re exploring how to modernize a legacy platform, incorporate AI into your next product, or simply free up your internal team to focus on the big picture, we can help.

Let’s talk about your innovation goals for the second half of 2025 and beyond.