Reflection – Visualization

Challenge

My current job as business consultant is to build a cloud-based customer self-service portal for a  music collecting society, in the field of live music. Through the portal solution, both venue managers,  concert promoters and bands as well as writers and performers should have the possibility to register    online which songs have been played easily. The aim of the project is to optimize the current process  (quick-wins), to reduce process interfaces and finally, to implement a new portal solution. The  project is divided into three phases. 1st phase: documenting the current process. This phase should  not exceed 6 business days. 2rd phase: developing and testing a portal solution and 3rd phase:  implementing the new portal solution. The last two phases are not planned and scheduled yet. The  project phases and project team members of the 1st phase are promoted by the executive board. My  job is to moderate, organize and control the whole (design) project. This paper focuses on the 1st  project phase in which we are currently.

Selection

For the 1st phase of the project, the recording of the current end-to-end process, from licensing until  royalty payments, I decided to use the visualization tool to get fast to a profound process  documentation. Visualization makes not only ideas but also descriptions in general more tangible and  concrete. For the visualization itself we used the brown paper method. Brown paper is a visual  display of a process, series of processes and IT-system, its strengths and opportunities. Brown papers  provide a picture of an entire process showing actual steps, decision points, documentation and  interfaces. The joint process recording by visualization enables the project team participants to  question the recorded process, the process steps and actively contribute their knowledge.

Application

The team and I decided to construct and document the end-to-end process flow though workshop  sessions. Before we started the first workshop session, we secured a conference room, where we  could hang the brown paper during the whole 1st phase. Then I scheduled the sessions with the  given three process experts of the organization. Based on existing standard procedures of the  company we prepared a rough draft of process steps. We used blue colored metaplan cards. As  presenter of the project I asked the team to define the activities, responsibilities, requirements and  interfaces for each process step. We documented the activities for each process step with white, the  responsibilities with black, requirements with yellow and the interfaces with red colored Post-its.  While the project team constructed the paper I always asked: what activities were missing or who  else is involved in the process? When the project team was unsecure about the concrete activities we  looked at the IT-systems for clarifying and printed out screenshots. During the next working session,  we created two fictional customer characters with different needs, a typical major concert promoter  and a concert venue manager. We wanted to check whether we had considered all relevant process  activities, differentiated according to customer segments. Missing process activities were added, and  incorrect ones revised. Finally, I asked the process expert to evaluate each single process step.  Therefore, the team identified and collected organizational pain points, which were listed on a flip

chart. Subsequently, the pain points were qualitative rated (high, medium and low). Finally, the high  and medium scored pain points were described/named on white metaplan cards and hung over the  process steps on the brown paper. During the next workshop session, we will present our brown  paper to a larger group of process participants of the organization to verify our findings.

Until now, we produced a document with a clear description of the current end-to-end workflow and  possible quick-wins.

Insight

To identify all pain points and important requirements of the organization, which have to be  considered, it is important to have more people involved in the project with detailed knowledge on  the process. The board has rather named non-critical employees in the project, as employees with a  comprehensive process understanding. The result was, that we had more feedback rounds as  planned in our sessions. Lessons learned: Make sure you have suitable representatives of functions  and levels on board.

Even, if one aim of the project was to realize quick wins by optimizing the current process, the focus  is the new portal solution. To use the gained results in the 2nd phase of the project, during the  design thinking, next time I would more focus on requirements of the organization and pain points  and less on process activities on the third or fourth process levels. Lessons learned: be more focused  by the visualization of the current process on issues, which are important (e.g. requirements of the  organization) for the design thinking phase (What if - phase).

Approach

To get fast to a comprehensive process recording, the visualization is an appropriate tool. The  knowledge of different process participants can be used simultaneously. You can communicate and  report the process documentation very easily, by showing the brown paper with all Post-its. It can be  easily used for effective cross-disciplinary collaboration (business and IT line).


Reflection – Visualization Challenge My current job as business consultant is to build a cloud - based customer self - service portal for a music collecting society , in the field of live music . Through the portal solution , both venue managers , concert promoters and bands as well as writers and performers should have the possibility to register online which songs have been played easily . The aim of the project is to optimize the current process ( quick - wins ) , to reduce process interfaces and finally , to implement a new portal solution . The project is divided into three phases . 1st phase : documenting the current process . This phase should not exceed 6 business days . 2rd phase : developing and testing a portal solution and 3rd phase : implementing the new portal solution . The last two phases are not planned and scheduled yet . The project phases and project team members of the 1st phase are promoted by the executive board . My job is to moderate , organize and control the whole ( design ) project . This paper focuses on the 1st project phase in which we are currently . Selection For the 1st phase of the project , the recording of the current end - to - end process , from licensing until royalty payments , I decided to use the visualization tool to get fast to a profound process documentation . Visualization makes not only ideas but also descriptions in general more tangible and concrete . For the visualization itself we used the brown paper method . Brown paper is a visual display of a process , series of processes and IT - system , its strengths and opportunities . Brown papers provide a picture of an entire process showing actual steps , decision points , documentation and interfaces . The joint process recording by visualization enables the project team participants to question the recorded process , the process steps and actively contribute their knowledge . Application The team and I decided to construct and document the end - to - end process flow though workshop sessions . Before we started the first workshop session , we secured a conference room , where we could hang the brown paper during the whole 1st phase . Then I scheduled the sessions with the given three process experts of the organization . Based on existing standard procedures of the company we prepared a rough draft of process steps . We used blue colored metaplan cards . As presenter of the project I asked the team to define the activities , responsibilities , requirements and interfaces for each process step . We documented the activities for each process step with white , the responsibilities with black , requirements with yellow and the interfaces with red colored Post - its . While the project team constructed the paper I always asked : what activities were missing or who else is involved in the process ? When the project team was unsecure about the concrete activities we looked at the IT - systems for clarifying and printed out screenshots . During the next working session , we created two fictional customer characters with different needs , a typical major concert promoter and a concert venue manager . We wanted to check whether we had considered all relevant process activities , differentiated according to customer segments . Missing process activities were added , and incorrect ones revised . Finally , I asked the process expert to evaluate each single process step . Therefore , the team identified and collected organizational pain points , which were listed on a flip chart . Subsequently , the pain points were qualitative rated ( high , medium and low ) . Finally , the high and medium scored pain points were described / named on white metaplan cards and hung over the process steps on the brown paper . During the next workshop session , we will present our brown paper to a larger group of process participants of the organization to verify our findings . Until now , we produced a document with a clear description of the current end - to - end workflow and possible quick - wins . Insight To identify all pain points and important requirements of the organization , which have to be considered , it is important to have more people involved in the project with detailed knowledge on the process . The board has rather named non - critical employees in the project , as employees with a comprehensive process understanding . The result was , that we had more feedback rounds as planned in our sessions . Lessons learned : Make sure you have suitable representatives of functions and levels on board . Even , if one aim of the project was to realize quick wins by optimizing the current process , the focus is the new portal solution . To use the gained results in the 2nd phase of the project , during the design thinking , next time I would more focus on requirements of the organization and pain points and less on process activities on the third or fourth process levels . Lessons learned : be more focused by the visualization of the current process on issues , which are important ( e.g. requirements of the organization ) for the design thinking phase ( What if - phase ) . Approach To get fast to a comprehensive process recording , the visualization is an appropriate tool . The knowledge of different process participants can be used simultaneously . You can communicate and report the process documentation very easily , by showing the brown paper with all Post - its . It can be easily used for effective cross - disciplinary collaboration ( business and IT line ) .