This checklist is a summary of the initial business analysis in Understanding Project Context. This is an excellent tool to on-board new team members and consultants like myself.
One way I can be useful to clients is by helping them to define a problem and explore the solution space for the right one. The right solution is one that will give my client the edge over competitors and provide users what they really need, even when often it is not what they are asking for. The business analysis conducted in the first phase of a project “Understanding Project Context” is critical to clients making the best decisions to move their products in the right direction. This work is done at the beginning of the project before a solution is explored and a course of action is set.
For a PDF and print version use this link: Checklist for Understanding Project Context
For more detail in each area, visit previous posts where I discuss each one.
What is the problem? |
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| Clarify the problem | |
| Determine what clients/users have the problem | |
| Write down where in the business this problem occurs | |
| Identify the event or time periods when the problem occurs | |
| Describe why the problem happens | |
| List the business outcomes desired for solving the problem | |
| Identify how the business outcomes will be measured | |
Who are the players? |
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| Identify the people on the project team | ||
| Identify the executive leadership responsible for the project | ||
| Identify the project champions | ||
| Identify the naysayers | ||
| Identify who is going to be impacted by the project | ||
| Describe how all the people and roles relate to each other | ||
What business are you in? |
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| Describe what business are you in | |
| Describe your products, the market, your competitors | |
| Describe where the problem we are trying to address fits into the overall business | |
| Describe the focus of the work we will be doing as it relates to the business | |
What are the current technologies used? |
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| List the technologies used to create your product and services | |
| Describe why the technology was chosen | |
| Categorize the skills of the employees you have | |
| Diagram an introduction to the architecture | |
| Document the technology road map | |
What are your current products? |
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| List the current products | |
| Describe the business, users, and technology and how they interact with your products | |
| Screenshot the typical pathways through the products and services | |
| Highlight some of the challenges users encounter in the product and services | |
Who is your competition? |
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| List the companies you regularly encounter when selling your current products | |
| Describe how this may change when you have a solution for the problem you are addressing | |
| List some of the current offerings in this space | |
| Describe what customers think of the current offerings | |
| List the aspects of the offerings customers like and do not like | |
Who are your clients & users? |
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| Describe your clients | |
| Describe what part of their organization uses the products | |
| List who in the organization is targeted by the current products | |
| Identify who has the problem you are looking to fix | |
How is your product sold? |
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| Describe the buyers, influencers, veto holders, end users, and superusers | |
| Describe the sales cycle | |
| Describe how long it takes to sell and how long it takes to install | |
| Describe the channels where the product is sold: online, through 3rd party vendors, handshakes in a bar, or through long relationship-building | |
| Describe what your sales people think of the products they sell | |
What is your software development process? |
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| Describe the development process | |
| Describe what the team manager is responsible for | |
| Describe how the teams are built | |
| Describe how the teams are measured | |
| Describe how they see their role in the organization | |
| Describe the technologists’ understanding about the business and users of the target clients | |
| Describe how much control developers have over the design process | |
What is your product management process? |
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| Describe where product management resides in the organization | |
| Describe the responsibility of product managers across the whole offering from beginning through delivery and usage | |
| Describe product managers responsibility around design | |
| Describe how product management works with business owners, marketing, engineering, sales, customers, service, and release | |
What are your Tools of Engagement? |
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| Select a tool to do desktop sharing | |
| Select a tool to store and share files | |
| Provide access to tools for collaborative work | |
| Describe how you work together in a distributed manner | |
| Describe your team / company standards and policies | |
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