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02 Client Context & Problem Analysis

Understanding the context

  1. What is this org and why does it exist?
  2. Where are they?
  3. What do they do?
  4. Who is involved?
  5. How do they communicate?
  6. What information do they manage?
  7. What IT do they use?
  8. Who keeps the IT running well?
  9. Who makes decisions?
  10. How do they manage core business functions?

Primacy of Mission

  • Every well-run business, organization, and project requires a shared imagination.
  • This is what allows people to make complex decisions when there are no simple rules.
  • It keeps the group moving in concert.
  • When we’re talking about a shared result, we call it a vision.
  • When we’re talking about a shared understanding of what the organization does to achieve a result, we call it a mission statement.
  • For you to be effective, you have to understand how technology can be used to support their mission.
  • Supporting their mission is the only reason for them to adopt any new technology.

Structuring Unstructured Problems

  • The client’s ask is likely to be very unstructured.
  • Your goal in the next couple weeks is to craft a proposal:
    • a) A thorough description & analysis of the client’s context
    • b) A detailed and clear Scope of Work. (I.e. What you are going to do.)
  • So you need to go
    • from Request == unstructured
    • to Scope of Work == structured

Buy vs. Build Analysis

Strategy & Competitive Advantage • Cost • Scale & Complexity • Maturity / Commoditization • Time • Internal resources (staff expertise) • Risks • Support structures