Gummy’s “Kitchens”: when understanding data becomes the secret ingredient for teamwork

Gummy is an independent creative agency founded in 2011 in Brescia. Over the years, the company has embraced increasingly flexible ways of working to manage the growth of a team that now includes over 60 people. They work across Italy, focusing primarily on brand identity and digital communication projects, while occasionally venturing into more traditional editorial channels like TV and billboard advertising campaigns.

Fabrizio Martire, the company’s CEO, is responsible for growth strategies and organizational structure. In recent years, Fabrizio has introduced the RenDanHeYi model to facilitate teamwork and foster the development of innovative products to bring to market.

The RenDanHeYi model originated in a Chinese appliance company in the early 2000s. When they realized bureaucracy was stalling processes and distancing them from the end customer, the CEO divided employees into more than 1,000 micro-enterprises, each responsible for its own organization and market performance, aiming to replicate the agility of a startup and reconnect with end users.

Implementing Wethod in 2021, Fabrizio adopted the multi-company model, grouping various teams into multiple micro-companies under a “parent company.” His primary goal was to create a new ecosystem that encourages individual and group development, promoting cross-functional collaboration and creative freedom.

Before Wethod, they used various tools tailored to each department’s needs: spreadsheets for administrative management, time tracking to monitor tasks, and so on. While functional, this approach lacked flexibility. As Gummy grew, they needed more adaptable workflows.

“wethod helped us implement the RenDanHeYi model: each Gummy team operates like a company with its own financial branch, able to manage costs, allocate bonuses, and even identify new products to bring to market.”

— Fabrizio Martire, Co-Founder and CEO of Gummy Industries

This innovative approach at Gummy has stimulated both creativity and accountability among team members, providing much more visibility into each group’s performance, which they call “kitchens.”

“With real-time visibility on our constantly updated P&L, thanks to Wethod’s data processing, we can make timely strategic decisions. Before, we had to piece everything together from invoices, calculating margins manually.”

- Fabrizio Martire, Co-Founder and CEO of Gummy Industries

For Fabrizio, the most valuable outcome from Wethod is access to precise, multi-level information, enhancing the team’s understanding of business performance.

“Today, data transparency has to be the baseline for work in digital agencies. The opposite is unimaginable, especially if you want to build companies where people feel genuinely engaged and accountable.”

- Fabrizio Martire, Co-Founder and CEO of Gummy Industries

Project managers also benefit from being able to easily track project financials in progress. Before Wethod, they had to cross-reference data from time-tracking tools and spreadsheets to determine whether projects were on track.

“Data integration is the most important aspect because everyone uses the same tool.”

- Fabrizio Martire, Co-Founder and CEO of Gummy Industries

Initially, Gummy found it challenging to adjust to Wethod, as the platform’s structured logic differs from tools like spreadsheets. Over time, however, data entry became a work habit, ensuring data quality and consistency.

“What initially feels like rigidity actually helps you understand how a team or company works and how you can work better together.”

- Fabrizio Martire, Co-Founder and CEO of Gummy Industries