What is the discovery phase?
Although it may seem obvious, many seem to be underestimating the importance of conducting a discovery phase before initiating a project. The discovery phase is often used as a pre-project, to gain an initial understanding of the situation as-is today. Creating a consensus of what the reality of the organization’s challenges may be one way to ensure that a project and subsequent changes are successful. At times, the most apparent issue may not be the most important one to fix, or at least not the place to start.
It is far easier to know where the actual challenges lie if there has been a proper effort to unearth the challenges. Just as no carpenter would start a renovation project without a thorough review of a home and its core elements, neither should an organization start a project without a thorough review of the context as-is today.
Some may view it as somewhat of a waste of time, while others recognize its potential. The earlier an issue is unearthed, the easier it is to mitigate or make necessary changes to ensure success. If we go back to the carpenter remodeling a home – it is cheaper to make layout design changes before a wall has been knocked down, especially if that wall turned out to be load-bearing.
Why do we need a discovery phase?
There are many reasons for conducting a discovery phase, but I wish to highlight two reasons:
- Firstly, you need to create an alignment of expectations within the organization, and agree on goals and scope for the project lifetime.
- Secondly, the discovery phase should be used to gain understanding of the situation as it is today – know what is being used, how it’s being used, and what the issues and good aspects of the system and associated processes are.
Ensuring alignment among participants and clarifying both the starting point and path forward are crucial contemplations when conducting a discovery phase and project overall.
Key outcomes
There may be as many desired outcomes as there are discovery phase projects, but I would like to highlight two. In my opinion, a successful project can be significantly tougher to realize without these aspects being highlighted.
Firstly – aligning expectations and agreeing on goals and the scope of later stages of the project.
The bigger and more complex a project is, the more important it is to ensure common understanding early on. A clearly communicated common vision can decrease the chances of a later “oh, I thought we were doing this?”, derailing the progress. Another key is to involve stakeholders from all areas of the business, ensuring their concerns are voiced. Furthermore, it is crucial to have clear roles and responsibilities set within the project, making sure everyone knows what is expected of them and what their tasks are. If people are uncertain of what their priorities should be, you run the risk of people performing the same tasks, resulting in double work and confusion.
Just as important as aligning expectations and roles, and agreeing on scope and goals, it is important to discuss what is outside the scope of the project. If not, you run the risk of scope-creep, where along the way the scope continues to grow, until the project is either too big or loses its original scope.
While there are instances where a project makes necessary changes later in a project due to unforeseen circumstances, it is important that they are not the result of poor alignment of initial expectations. A key tip here is to never assume anything – always make sure to spell out in detail the scope and goals of a project.
Secondly – gaining a common understanding of the situation as-is today.
Knowing where you are now is key to getting to where you wish to be in the future. While all organizations are different, some things are the same for all – driving change successfully is complex and difficult, but in no way impossible. Especially when it comes to IT projects, the complexity increases as the work force is often heterogeneous. By looking into the situation as-is today, you could get information such as;
- What technologies are in use today and how are they used, in addition to what issues and challenges are people experiencing today, and what are good parts of the systems in use
- What processes exist today and what are common work habits and what are experienced issues with the processes
- How to communicate with different departments and diverse groups of people affected,
- How to plan for the most effective training possible,
- What the base level of digital competence is of the work force
This list is of course not exhaustive but may give you some inspiration for questions you can ask when initiating your own discovery phase.
Alignment reduces the chance of frustration among members of the team, and later employees when changes are to be communicated and implemented. A project is far more likely to be successful if differences in the work force are identified and properly handled, especially when it pertains to issues such as digital competency and technical familiarity. Simply put, ensure that everyone is represented so that the scope, expectations and responsibilities are ironed out.
Do you have a Microsoft 365 or information governance project in the works, and wish to get help from us? Feel free to reach out to us at contact@infotechtion.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
