Trip.com Group is reportedly bringing product, operations and engineering staff into project teams under a Directly Responsible Individual, or DRI, model. ChinaTravelNews reported that the company announced the approach at an all-hands meeting last week.
The structure combines product and operations employees with front-end and back-end developers, algorithm specialists and testers around a shared project. Each team has one accountable lead, with the aim of reducing handoffs between departments and speeding up development.
DRI leads can come from product, operations or technology roles. Reporting lines may therefore cross traditional boundaries: product managers could assess engineers’ performance, while engineers could report to operations leaders. The designated project lead retains final decision-making authority.
The reported approach also gives employees scope to propose and deliver work outside their usual roles. Developers can originate requirements, while product or operations staff may independently deliver ideas using AI tools, provided the DRI approves. Departments within travel, flights and content businesses have begun adopting the model.
Implementation remains uneven, with no single timetable mandated across teams and no comprehensive official guidelines published. Sina Technology, which covered the changes on November 11, said Trip.com had not responded to its request for comment at publication.
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