top of page
Image by Homa Appliances

XTIA Manufacturing SaaS

0→1 SaaS development for manufacturing inspection workflows

At XTIA, I worked on a new SaaS business development project for the manufacturing inspection industry, combining customer discovery, field research, UX design, MVP development, and early business strategy.

Status: MVP launched internally / early product development
Type: B2B SaaS / Manufacturing / 0→1 Product
Role: Product Manager
Focus: Field research, customer discovery, UX design, prototyping, MVP development

Image by TECNIC Bioprocess Solutions

Why this project matters

Manufacturing workflows cannot be understood from a desk

Manufacturing inspection work is deeply connected to real operational constraints: physical processes, paper-based records, quality requirements, worker habits, and existing tools.

To build a useful SaaS product in this space, it was necessary to understand how inspection work actually happened on-site, not only what stakeholders said in meetings.

What I discovered

The original idea needed to be grounded in field pain

Through on-site observations and customer interviews, I learned that the strongest opportunities were not always where the initial product hypothesis pointed.

The real value came from understanding inspection workflows, identifying friction in paper-based operations and data handling, and reframing the product direction around actual user pain.

Image by Remy Gieling
Image by ThisisEngineering

Product hypothesis

From field observations to a SaaS MVP

The product hypothesis was that a SaaS tool could help manufacturing teams improve inspection workflows by making inspection data easier to record, manage, and use.

Rather than starting from technology alone, the product direction was shaped by field insights, user workflows, and operational pain points observed in real customer environments.

What I delivered

User flows, prototypes, and MVP development

I translated customer insights into product concepts, user flows, feature priorities, and Figma prototypes.

Working with engineers and executives, I helped move the idea from discovery and prototype to a working MVP, while incorporating customer feedback into product iterations and early go-to-market discussions.

Image by Lala Azizli
Image by Kaleidico

Evidence of execution

From field discovery to working product

This project included on-site customer observation, user interviews, product concept development, UX design, Figma prototyping, feature prioritization, and MVP development.

It gave me practical experience in moving from ambiguous operational problems to a concrete SaaS product direction in a traditional industry.

What this demonstrates

Customer discovery, problem reframing, and 0→1 SaaS execution

This project demonstrates my ability to go into the field, understand real business workflows, reframe product hypotheses, and translate customer pain into a SaaS MVP.

It is evidence of customer discovery, field research, UX thinking, early product strategy, and 0→1 product execution in a complex operational domain.

Image by Brooke Cagle

© 2026 Yuriya Ishikawa

  • White LinkedIn Icon
bottom of page