Reflection - Learning Launch

Challenge

I am one of three Program Analysts in my organization’s Public Works Business department. Our  challenge is to perform supporting financial actions in various systems to ultimately spend the Public  Works department $XM budget. We need to be able to answer any questions that come in with regard  to the status of budget vs actuals, to answer/advise on various options to modify execution plans as  emergent requirements pop up and to accurately project/inform if there will be sufficient funds to  execute their plan and stay under budget.

There are at least 15 different product-line and program managers in our department that we support  and additional data calls from our internal command and other commands that all ask us for different  data analysis. Questions and data calls come in at a rapid pace and with short turn around due dates.  Ideally, we would know what all the questions are in advance so we could prepare/setup to be able to  answer but since the financial systems and business rules have been changing for the past two+ years,  no one seems to know what they need or want. Our organization has been modifying financial structure  and organizational structure for the past couple of years with no end in sight. There is another  impending financial system and organizational transition planned in about nine months.

With only three of us performing this time critical work there is always the need for us to cover for each  other when we go on leave or go to training. I am currently finishing this class while I’m supposed to be  on leave because a critical data call came in when I planned to take this training. It’s extremely difficult  to maintain an even distribution of workload amongst the three analyst team members since we all have  varying degrees of experience/skills.

Selection

Since we needed to help our managers (“customers”) identify what reports/analysis they needed, within  our ability to successfully complete with our current resources I chose the Learning Launch tool. I  needed a WOW NOW! The learning launch tool was a systematic way to show our customers different  data reports and options as an experiment so they could visualize the possible given the new data  structures in the new financial systems. Since we were barely surviving each day we needed something  quick and this tool allowed us to quickly test an idea and prototype and get feedback from many sources  to ensure the reports would cover as many customers as possible since we need to be as efficient as we  can with our small staff.

Application

For our first learning launch, we divvied up the managers and each of us immersed ourselves into their  product-line/program data learning as much as we could for two weeks. At the same time we continued  to perform financial execution tasks and setup a shared spreadsheet where we could each enter in our  respective execution plans.

We met weekly to review our progress and generate ideas on how to present the combined information  to the stakeholders. We had to make assumptions on what/how they would want to see/use the  information we collected and created an experimental report. I reviewed the report with our immediate  manager and got feedback on improvements/changes. After integrating that feedback which was mostly

regarding the organization of the data, I met with a specific program manager and got additional  feedback on how to reorganize the data into programs. The feedback came in the form of questions. We  addressed each question and made changes. After two run throughs we did a combined presentation to  the two highest managers and determined that a dashboard tool would be the best to address all the  different unknown questions that the many different customers would likely have. We transitioned the  data into a Tableau dashboard which allowed an easier upload of the actual expenditures and different  slicers of the data so each customer would be able to see their respective budgets/actuals. We had to  table a few of the ideas due to lack of time but now have improvement plans should time allow in the  future.

Insight

The learning launch tool is a technique that I do naturally. In my past I have been involved in iterative  software development which uses the same flow chart to quickly define user requirements with users  that can’t articulate their requirements without seeing something. We thought we knew what they  would want but found that by listening to the diverse input of the team members and the customers we  were able to produce a much more agile product that would meet the needs of the future as well as  allow us to cover for each other if one of us was out. We have setup a process to incorporate ongoing  feedback and will continue to review as priorities and systems change. There is much value in having the  input from many diverse individuals. This collaborative tool also succeeded in pulling the entire  department together as a team vs. just the small analyst team since they all had some input into the  creation of the product.

Approach

We could have used the storytelling approach, but I think it would have taken longer. We did  incorporate storytelling techniques as well during the experiment reviews and when developing our  initial assumptions. I think combining the two approaches, if we had more time, would have given us an  even better product.


Reflection - Learning Launch Challenge I am one of three Program Analysts in my organization ’s Public Works Business department . Our challenge is to perform supporting financial actions in various systems to ultimately spend the Public Works department $ XM budget . We need to be able to answer any questions that come in with regard to the status of budget vs actuals , to answer / advise on various options to modify execution plans as emergent requirements pop up and to accurately project / inform if there will be sufficient funds to execute their plan and stay under budget . There are at least 15 different product - line and program managers in our department that we support and additional data calls from our internal command and other commands that all ask us for different data analysis . Questions and data calls come in at a rapid pace and with short turn around due dates . Ideally , we would know what all the questions are in advance so we could prepare / setup to be able to answer but since the financial systems and business rules have been changing for the past two+ years , no one seems to know what they need or want . Our organization has been modifying financial structure and organizational structure for the past couple of years with no end in sight . There is another impending financial system and organizational transition planned in about nine months . With only three of us performing this time critical work there is always the need for us to cover for each other when we go on leave or go to training . I am currently finishing this class while I ’m supposed to be on leave because a critical data call came in when I planned to take this training . It ’s extremely difficult to maintain an even distribution of workload amongst the three analyst team members since we all have varying degrees of experience / skills . Selection Since we needed to help our managers ( “ customers ” ) identify what reports / analysis they needed , within our ability to successfully complete with our current resources I chose the Learning Launch tool . I needed a WOW NOW ! The learning launch tool was a systematic way to show our customers different data reports and options as an experiment so they could visualize the possible given the new data structures in the new financial systems . Since we were barely surviving each day we needed something quick and this tool allowed us to quickly test an idea and prototype and get feedback from many sources to ensure the reports would cover as many customers as possible since we need to be as efficient as we can with our small staff . Application For our first learning launch , we divvied up the managers and each of us immersed ourselves into their product - line / program data learning as much as we could for two weeks . At the same time we continued to perform financial execution tasks and setup a shared spreadsheet where we could each enter in our respective execution plans . We met weekly to review our progress and generate ideas on how to present the combined information to the stakeholders . We had to make assumptions on what / how they would want to see / use the information we collected and created an experimental report . I reviewed the report with our immediate manager and got feedback on improvements / changes . After integrating that feedback which was mostly regarding the organization of the data , I met with a specific program manager and got additional feedback on how to reorganize the data into programs . The feedback came in the form of questions . We addressed each question and made changes . After two run throughs we did a combined presentation to the two highest managers and determined that a dashboard tool would be the best to address all the different unknown questions that the many different customers would likely have . We transitioned the data into a Tableau dashboard which allowed an easier upload of the actual expenditures and different slicers of the data so each customer would be able to see their respective budgets / actuals . We had to table a few of the ideas due to lack of time but now have improvement plans should time allow in the future . Insight The learning launch tool is a technique that I do naturally . In my past I have been involved in iterative software development which uses the same flow chart to quickly define user requirements with users that ca n’t articulate their requirements without seeing something . We thought we knew what they would want but found that by listening to the diverse input of the team members and the customers we were able to produce a much more agile product that would meet the needs of the future as well as allow us to cover for each other if one of us was out . We have setup a process to incorporate ongoing feedback and will continue to review as priorities and systems change . There is much value in having the input from many diverse individuals . This collaborative tool also succeeded in pulling the entire department together as a team vs. just the small analyst team since they all had some input into the creation of the product . Approach We could have used the storytelling approach , but I think it would have taken longer . We did incorporate storytelling techniques as well during the experiment reviews and when developing our initial assumptions . I think combining the two approaches , if we had more time , would have given us an even better product .