Challenge:

The case to share here is an IT POS vendor to implement a POS application for a luxury  retailer. The project is International POS implementation, but the legacy POS system is a local  one and did many customizations, almost like a ERP to support a lot of back office operations.

POS vendor organized a lot of requirement workshops to collect requirement but every time the  users gave new requirements or incomplete requirement. The users complained that “we told  the vendor already but they may miss or don’t understand that”

In workshops, the vendor collected requirement by ONLY asking questions to users but the  users were not too organized or presentable. Users only gave some requirements when they  recall that during the workshop. And the customer doesn’t have SOP for vendor to know their  process.

The vendor failed in UAT, in each UAT, users found that the system cannot fulfill their needs or  support existing operations, then the vendor needed to re-arrange requirement workshop again  to collect missing requirement and modify system to meet users’ need. Unluckily, redo  requirement workshop->development->UAT repeated 3 times but still failed in 3rd UAT. The  vendor complained to customer’s top management that the users were very bad to give  incomplete requirement and the users also complained that the vendor missed and  misunderstood their requirement. The vendor was very frustrated and want to stop the project.

Selection:

The above challenge is the issue to collect and analyze the user requirement during workshop.  The vendor failed to lead user think requirement systematically and holistically. Visualization,  Co-Creation & prototype are selected to solve this challenge.

Application:

I worked in this vendor and finally was assigned to join this project to lead this project and solve  the requirement gathering issues. I firstly arrange re-kick off meeting and gathering meal with  the users to break the ice and conflict situation and build a trust and good atmosphere with  users otherwise we cannot collaborate well to improve requirement gathering with hatred  situation. It is related to the mind preparation mentioned by Isabel.

I invited more users from different departments to join requirement workshop as co-creation  because more different views and requirements can be collected and analyzed so that the  requirement collected should be more comprehensive and will not miss some views from some  departments.

A series of new requirement workshop were then run. I used mind mapping, draw business  process diagram, use case diagram immediately when I discussed and collected ideas from  users in the workshops. With the visualization aids, users can easily think more

comprehensively and can find out which part is missing. And the ideas organized in mind  mapping can also stimulate users’ thinking about the requirements and related considerations.

After workshop, we constructed prototyping of POS application based on the requirement  collected. This prototype was important for users to feel and visualize the application. Then  some missing requirement appeared, and we add back into the solution design

Finally, the solution can meet the user’s needs and UAT was successfully passed and the  project went live.

Insights and Approach:

In this case study, we can learn that the user always cannot give out comprehensive and  complete requirement. They give requirement piece by piece and not in a structural and  organized way. It causes many issues and failure of transformation project.  Visualization is very  useful to guide users to think requirement in a holistic way.

Some requirements are vague and difficult to describe in words easily and clearly. Prototyping  can visualize the product and let users to feel and see the products and then tell what exactly  they want.

Finally, co-creation is very important concepts to ensure uses needs are collected from enough  large representative stakeholders so that the product will meet the needs of all relevant  stakeholders and deliver more value to the company. And also co-creation is kind of change  management to engage stakeholders’ effort and input so that the resistance to change will be  minimized.

In conclusion, the tools of design thinking is highly useful in the product development and it is  one of the critical success factor.


Challenge : The case to share here is an IT POS vendor to implement a POS application for a luxury retailer . The project is International POS implementation , but the legacy POS system is a local one and did many customizations , almost like a ERP to support a lot of back office operations . POS vendor organized a lot of requirement workshops to collect requirement but every time the users gave new requirements or incomplete requirement . The users complained that “ we told the vendor already but they may miss or do n’t understand that ” In workshops , the vendor collected requirement by ONLY asking questions to users but the users were not too organized or presentable . Users only gave some requirements when they recall that during the workshop . And the customer does n’t have SOP for vendor to know their process . The vendor failed in UAT , in each UAT , users found that the system can not fulfill their needs or support existing operations , then the vendor needed to re - arrange requirement workshop again to collect missing requirement and modify system to meet users ’ need . Unluckily , redo requirement workshop->development->UAT repeated 3 times but still failed in 3rd UAT . The vendor complained to customer ’s top management that the users were very bad to give incomplete requirement and the users also complained that the vendor missed and misunderstood their requirement . The vendor was very frustrated and want to stop the project . Selection : The above challenge is the issue to collect and analyze the user requirement during workshop . The vendor failed to lead user think requirement systematically and holistically . Visualization , Co - Creation & prototype are selected to solve this challenge . Application : I worked in this vendor and finally was assigned to join this project to lead this project and solve the requirement gathering issues . I firstly arrange re - kick off meeting and gathering meal with the users to break the ice and conflict situation and build a trust and good atmosphere with users otherwise we can not collaborate well to improve requirement gathering with hatred situation . It is related to the mind preparation mentioned by Isabel . I invited more users from different departments to join requirement workshop as co - creation because more different views and requirements can be collected and analyzed so that the requirement collected should be more comprehensive and will not miss some views from some departments . A series of new requirement workshop were then run . I used mind mapping , draw business process diagram , use case diagram immediately when I discussed and collected ideas from users in the workshops . With the visualization aids , users can easily think more comprehensively and can find out which part is missing . And the ideas organized in mind mapping can also stimulate users ’ thinking about the requirements and related considerations . After workshop , we constructed prototyping of POS application based on the requirement collected . This prototype was important for users to feel and visualize the application . Then some missing requirement appeared , and we add back into the solution design Finally , the solution can meet the user ’s needs and UAT was successfully passed and the project went live . Insights and Approach : In this case study , we can learn that the user always can not give out comprehensive and complete requirement . They give requirement piece by piece and not in a structural and organized way . It causes many issues and failure of transformation project . Visualization is very useful to guide users to think requirement in a holistic way . Some requirements are vague and difficult to describe in words easily and clearly . Prototyping can visualize the product and let users to feel and see the products and then tell what exactly they want . Finally , co - creation is very important concepts to ensure uses needs are collected from enough large representative stakeholders so that the product will meet the needs of all relevant stakeholders and deliver more value to the company . And also co - creation is kind of change management to engage stakeholders ’ effort and input so that the resistance to change will be minimized . In conclusion , the tools of design thinking is highly useful in the product development and it is one of the critical success factor .