The concept of a qualified customer in project management

Introduction

In the process of working as an analyst, I repeatedly had to analyze the reasons for failures in projects. As I gained experience, I developed a certain method of working with customers, which I would like to share.

I think that I was not the only one who had to deal with vague requirements for a product, project or service. Often the customer is “very busy”, “inaccessible for detailed discussion,” etc. Over time, I developed a criterion for dividing customers into “qualified” and “unqualified”, and, thanks to the methodology described below, each of you will be able to quickly audit the existing tasks (both received and delivered to someone)

“Unqualified” in this context is not negative. The meaning of this term is used to describe the lack of experience to perform the function of a customer. Of course, performers are also unqualified. But in this article, the problem of the contractor will not be considered.
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Below will be described the method that allows the customer to formulate a qualified order. I hope the method will reduce those situations when “not at all like that” rolls out on the “demo”.

Some theory

How, in principle, is cooperation organized in the process of solving problems?

• There is a customer who is experiencing difficulties in his work - he cannot independently get the desired result.
• This customer formulates the problem and is looking for an artist who can solve the problem.
• In order for the performer to produce the correct result, the parties agree on the criteria for acceptance of the result by the customer.
• Both the customer and the performer are reported to be qualified, i.e. the first is able to formulate the criteria for accepting the result, the second is to provide a result that meets the criteria.

If at least one of the conditions is not met, then the problem will not be solved.

We apply the theory in practice

As a rule, this model works, and does not cause difficulties, at the household level (to repair the current tap or change the engine oil), as well as in those specialties where the real product or service is produced (the result of the work of an engineer or analyst).

Imagine a case - one developer makes a database and he needs a frontend for visualization. He himself does not know how to do and is looking for an artist (service) who will solve his problem. When setting the task for the service, the customer (the base holder) describes the problem (he cannot visualize the information stored in the database), publishes the interface, and determines acceptance criteria (functional, cost, technological).

If there is at least one of these three items in the order, then we can assume that the customer himself does not fully understand what he wants to receive from the contractor. Such an order is unqualified, and the contractor should not be taken on such a task, since there is a risk of "not guessing".

A similar approach is valid and analysts. The analyst, speaking as a service, meets with the customer, identifies the problem, gets an interface to which the projected solution should “stick”, and fixes the acceptance criteria. If the customer says “you are smart, think up something,” the analyst, as a rule, thinks that it’s better not to take on such a task, because the customer is “unqualified” and there will be problems with the acceptance and delivery of results.

We apply the theory in practice -2

Developers and analysts have long learned to fix requirements for orders using TK, specifications ... but if we go to the management level, we find that everything changes. Yesterday’s engineer, who clearly formulated the order to another engineer, when he enters the category of managers, begins to formulate tasks very vaguely.

I have to meet examples of unqualified orders from a hundred side managers almost every day. Here are typical samples:

• “We have a problem with the number of bugs in the release. We need to test more thoroughly and work through all possible options for the user's work. ”
• “To increase the transparency of processes, we will use KPI. The head of each group needs to write applications, according to which indicators to evaluate the results of work from the group ”
• “In order to choose which of the two competing products to develop further, it is necessary to appoint a product-manager, which will analyze the market and write proposals on the basis of which it will be possible to make a choice”

Familiar?

What do you think, reader, how successful will each of these tasks be? When I worked as an analyst, I never managed to execute such orders either from the first or from the second time.

Over time, I myself have grown to a leader, and in my own practice I have repeatedly seen that the correct, qualified wording of an order (or task) repeatedly increases the probability of solving a problem in the first iteration.

How do we get a qualified customer manager? What should he learn to do and what methodology to follow in order to get exactly what he wants? By analogy with the method of engineers, the manager when formulating an order, the manager should decide on three points:

1. The formulation of the problem. We define the essence of the difficulty and describe it in 1-2 sentences (for a start).
2. Acceptance criteria Each criterion represents the answer to the question: “How do we understand that we have solved this problem? What should appear (or disappear as a result of solving the problem? ”Answers to this question will give both the customer and the contractor a clear idea of ​​how the result will be assessed at the finish. The wording of these answers will also allow you to determine the MVP solution if we prioritize the resulting list.
3. By analogy with the interfaces that engineers discuss, dependent areas should be defined. All areas that are interconnected with the solution of the problem should be informed about the changes, and perhaps they themselves should undergo changes.

If at least one question does not have a clear answer, then the order to the contractor will be unqualified, and you should not take it.

Take for example one of the above cases and begin to disassemble it according to the proposed scheme. Here is a typical manager problem: There are two competing designs in a company; need to decide - which one to choose?

Unqualified customer manager:

To select competing products, he invites the product owner and sets him the task of “developing a product strategy and providing information for choosing a product”. And the term gives - the first measurement - in a month.

In a month, as a rule, the best thing to see is a few slides in PP with common phrases. Usually, this is not what we wanted. And further the cycle of search of options in search of the decision for not formulated order is started. The performer is loaded and there are no complaints about the quality of the work. But there is no satisfaction from the result either. Gradually, the idea degenerates into endless discussions.

How does a qualified customer act?

The manager issues an order in an "engineering" format.

problem formulation: we can not decide which product to develop (or maybe both?)

Acceptance criteria: how do we understand what solved the problem? What should appear for a decision? (as an example):

• An assessment of the degree of readiness for industrial operation (high priority) will appear;
• The solution must meet the essential functional requirements of customers;
• Prospects and modernity of the stack of technologies used. Etc. Such a list can be long, but the more precisely we formulate the criteria, the easier it will be to make a decision; Most importantly, the decision will be justified.

Formulate dependent tasks that will change as a result of the decision

• Product concept: how will it change?
• The economic model: how will the decision affect the monetization model?
• Production component: how will the technology stack change after the decision is made?
• Personnel availability - can we develop a product with current staff qualifications?

Total

The manager, being a qualified customer, formulates the order (task) to the contractor as follows:

1. Identifies the problem (formulates a task, the solution of which is not yet known)
2. Defines acceptance criteria (describes the conditions under which the problem is solved)
3. Defines the dependent tasks that the agent must take into account when solving a problem.

If this topic turns out to be interesting, the next article will be devoted to the "unqualified" performer.