Visualization Tool for Green Field Technology Projects

Challenge & Selection :

Green field implementation technology projects are about creating a Software System that doesn't exist.  Such projects have stronger goals related to deeper process improvements and it demands a stronger  understanding of how the Software System should look and function. My clients always have trouble in  connecting the DOTS and for getting the full picture of the project outcome i.e. the new Software  System. I have used "Use Case" based visualization for making the diverse business teams of my  customer to think how the different Requirements are connected to form the desired functionality of  the Software System. I convert the Requirements are get from my client's business teams and change to  Visual Use Cases. Visual Use Cases has been the best Tool for visualizing the end solution Software  System, since linking requirements to Use Cases is very standard industry practice. So visually depicting  the Use Cases and connecting them makes life easier. I do this on a board or using Microsoft  Powerpoint, if the solution is very complex then Microsoft Visio or a tool like it would be used for  preparation of Visual Use Cases.

Application :

In almost all the green field projects I do record the requirements by scheduling the requirement  workshops. Once I get the requirements listed I typically convert one or more requirements into Use  Cases. After documenting the requirements and converting them to Use Cases, I do a presentation of  the To Be solution. I had tried traditional way of Visualizing using images and linking them, and display  using Visio or a PPT Slide. But they were nowhere close to giving a very clear picture like these Visual  Use Cases, since the essence of the requirements was not rightly represented in the traditional  Visualization. So, I convert my text-based Use Cases to Visual Use Cases and put them on Visio or MS  Power point based on the size and complexity of the Use Case representation. Visual Use Cases contains  images of humans, facilities and any other stakeholders. Visual User Cases helps to identify missed  requirements and any other gas during the To Be discussion thereby helping the project to get very less  defects mostly cosmetic defects during its Testing phase. Visual Use Cases can be applied even in  non-technology projects. The only pre-requisite is to understand the creation of Text based Use Cases  using the Requirements received.

Insight & Approach:

Whenever we think of using the concept of Design Thinking for Technology projects we can go for Visual  Thinking. Visualization as a Tool comes very handy during "What Is" and the "What if" phases. In the  "What Is" phase it helps in visualizing the situation and in the "What If" phase it helps during Brain  storming sessions for Ideation. Now in case of a Green Field technology project it helps during  Requirements discussion and during the To Be Finalization phases. Requirements Discussion is like the  "What Is" phase and in this phase generic Visualization approach using images can be used to get a clear  picture. To Be Finalization phase is like the "What If" phase were the captured requirements are

reviewed using the Visual Use Cases approach.

Visual Use Cases have improved decision making during me To Be discussions during the Technology  projects. I believe faster and unambiguous decision is a key to any kind of project, and Design Thinking  projects would also immensely benefit by using Visualization as an essential tool. When thinking of an  alternative to the Visualization Tool I couldn't think of any alternative one, I hope many of them would  agree to my point. Visualization is the key to innovation and people who Visualize in their minds i.e.  imagining are the ones who can come up with many new ideas. And this is not only my opinion, but this  point has also been found in the autobiographies of many innovators. "A picture is worth a thousand  words" goes a popular English phrase and this also emphasizes the point that the alternative to  Visualization is Visualization. And Visual Use Case a variant of the Visualization Tool should be used in a  green field project scenario.

