TechTalk: Conduct process-centric discovery
In the sixth installment of our Business Process TechTalk series, we delve into the intricacies of conducting process-centric discovery. This crucial step helps make sure that the implementation project aligns with business objectives. It also helps make sure that the project delivers the expected outcomes while maintaining clear communication throughout the project lifecycle.
We based this article on a TechTalk that you can find online in the Dynamics 365 channel on YouTube.
Understand the discovery process
Process-centric discovery is a methodical approach that aims to clarify the solution's scope, align it with business goals, and ensure all stakeholders are on the same page. The process is vital across various stages of a project, from presales to continuous improvement, ensuring that every phase is built on a solid foundation of well-understood and clearly communicated requirements.
Discovery isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. Depending on the project's stage and complexity, discovery can take several forms:
Presales discovery
This is typically high-level and focuses on understanding the customer's business needs and how your solution can meet those needs. It's about telling a story—a full, end-to-end process that resonates with the customer's goals. However, it doesn't require detailed configurations or demonstrations of every component.
Phase zero or detailed estimation discovery
This phase dives deeper, often referred to as a "phase zero" discovery, where detailed estimates are created. It involves a thorough exploration of the project's scope, ensuring the solution architecture is well-defined before moving forward. This type of discovery is common in larger projects where scope definition is crucial to minimizing change orders later on.
Ongoing solution architecture development
This is the most common form of discovery, occurring iteratively as the project progresses. Whether using an agile or waterfall approach, ongoing discovery ensures that as the implementation unfolds, adjustments can be made based on newly gathered information.
The following image compares what the seller and the customer might care about during the process.
In this example, the seller's goals include business outcomes, stakeholder buy-in, revenue impact, and building a pipeline. The customer's concerns are business outcomes, business value, success for people and the business unit, serving customers, creating value over competition, understanding how technology helps them, and maximizing value from their technology investment. An arrow between the two sides shows the connection between the seller.
Each type of discovery serves a specific purpose but shares the common goal of aligning the project with business needs, reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings, and setting the stage for successful implementation.
Key goals of process-centric discovery
The ultimate goal of process-centric discovery is to capture and qualify business outcomes, define the solution's scope in business terms, and ensure clarity among all stakeholders. To achieve this goal, we target several key outcomes:
Well-defined goals
Articulate the goals in business language. It's essential that all stakeholders, especially people who are unfamiliar with the technology, understand what the project aims to achieve. This clarity prevents communication breakdowns and helps keep the project on track.
Identification of business process KPIs
By understanding the key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to the business, you can more accurately align the project's objectives with measurable outcomes. This ensures that the solution not only meets technical specifications but also delivers tangible business value.
Clear communication and solution alignment
Clear communication throughout the project ensures that everyone involved knows what to expect. This reduces the likelihood of change orders and helps maintain a focus on the agreed-upon objectives.
Accurate project estimation
By including both fits and gaps in the project's scope, a more accurate estimate can be created. This alignment of resources with project needs helps in managing expectations and delivering a successful outcome.
Change management integration
Starting the change management process at the beginning of the project helps identify potential challenges early on. By understanding where changes occur, the project team can better prepare for and manage these changes, ensuring smoother adoption and implementation.
Customer commitment and readiness
It's crucial that the customer understands their role in the project's success. The customer must be prepared to take ownership of the solution once the implementation team steps back. This understanding is key to ensuring long-term success and return on investment.
The role of storytelling in discovery
In the early stages of discovery, particularly during presales, storytelling plays a crucial role. By crafting a compelling narrative around the business process, you can help stakeholders visualize the end-to-end process and how the proposed solution fits into their operations. This narrative approach is less about demonstrating every technical detail and more about showing the solution's potential impact on the business.
The image shows a heat map example of a business process catalog status. It categorizes various business processes into stages, such as Design to retire, Hire to retire, Inventory to deliver, Order to cash, and Record to report. Each stage contains specific tasks, such as Define product catalog and strategy, Plan and recruit your workforce, and Maintain inventory levels. The illustration uses color-coded symbols to indicate the status:
The following table defines the icons we use in the sample heat map.
| Icon | Definition |
|---|---|
| Black circle with a line through it. | Blocking issue. |
| Red triangle with white X. | Risk without a solution. |
| Yellow triangle with white exclamation mark. | Risk with a potential solution. |
| Green checkmark. | Complete solution. |
| Blue hourglass. | Work in progress, on track. |
| Gray X in a box. | Out of scope. |
This visual representation helps track the status and risks associated with different business processes across various operational areas.
As the project progresses into more detailed phases, the storytelling becomes more refined. The narrative is enhanced with specific details that clarify the solution's role in achieving business goals. This progression from high-level storytelling to detailed planning ensures that all stakeholders remain engaged and informed throughout the project.
Estimating and planning in discovery
Creating accurate estimates during the discovery process is essential for setting realistic expectations and planning the project's timeline. Whether you're working with an RFP-based estimate or an ongoing solution model, the principles remain the same—aligning your estimates with business processes and ensuring that all components of the solution are accounted for.
In multi-phase or multi-solution rollouts, it's important to take a business process approach rather than a product-centric one. This means looking at end-to-end processes and creating a unified solution blueprint that aligns with the organization's overall goals. This approach ensures that the final implementation delivers a cohesive, integrated solution rather than a collection of disconnected products.
Tools and techniques for effective discovery
Various tools and techniques can aid in the discovery process, helping to visualize and map out business processes effectively. From simple tools like sticky notes and whiteboards to more sophisticated business process modeling tools, the choice of tools should match the project's complexity and the needs of the stakeholders.
Using standardized shapes, colors, and symbols in your process mapping can help create a clear and consistent visual representation of the process. This standardization is crucial for ensuring that all stakeholders can easily understand and contribute to the discussion.
Another important technique is to involve all relevant stakeholders in the process mapping. By including everyone who plays a role in the business process, you can ensure that all perspectives are considered, leading to a solution that's more comprehensive and effective.
Final thoughts on process-centric discovery
Process-centric discovery is a fundamental step in ensuring the success of any technology implementation. By aligning the project's goals with business objectives, maintaining clear communication, and using effective tools and techniques, you can create a solid foundation for a successful project.
Whether you're in the early stages of a presales discovery or refining the solution architecture in an ongoing project, the principles of process-centric discovery remain the same. Focus on understanding the business needs, aligning the solution with those needs, and maintaining clear communication throughout the project. With these principles in mind, you can ensure that your technology implementation delivers real business value and meets the expectations of all stakeholders.
Related resources
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