5. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
A LEAN PROGRESSION
It pays
It’s easy to scale
Consultants naturally do customer discovery
CONSULTING
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
6. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
A LEAN PROGRESSION
It’s easier to sell
It’s easier to staff
It’s easier to manage
CONSULTING
‘PRODUCTIZED’
CONSULTING
Customer empathy-
more scope, detail on
problem scenarios
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
7. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
A LEAN PROGRESSION
‘PRODUCTIZED’
CONSULTING
CONSULTING
Customer empathy-
more scope, detail on
problem scenarios
PRODUCTS
Validated problem
scenarios with
substantial detail
8. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
UNDERSTANDING THE MARKET
50-70% of
Enterprise
Software
Implementations
Fail ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
9. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
CASE 1
Help me integrate and
standardize the
infrastructure. And show
my people how to use it.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
10. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
PROBLEM SCENARIO: VOIP NETWORKS
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
11. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
CASE 1
Help me integrate and
standardize the
infrastructure. And show
my people how to use it.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
12. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
CASE 1
NETWORK
PRINCIPALS
OF OPERATION
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
13. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
CASE 2
Creating accounts is
taking a lot of time/
money. And there are a
lot of mistakes.
NETWORK
PRINCIPALS
OF OPERATION
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
14. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
SHIFTS IN SERVICES PROVISIONING
Transport
Number of Lines
Bit Rate
Hosted
Applications
userID
password
passcode
messaging
email messaging
username
messaging
password
SIP URI
BLF URI
First Name
Last Name
CLID First
Name
CLID Last
Name
passcode
phone number
extension
email
department
trunk group
service
packs(s)
service(s)
device name
device MAC
device
username
device
password
15. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
SOLUTIONS IN SERVICES PROVISIONING
PERSONA PROBLEM SCENARIO IMPLEMENTATION
Oscar the
Operations
Executive
‘Services provisioning is labor
intensive and error prone’
Text
processing
scripts
Paola
the
Provisioner
‘We need more guard rails for
less experienced staff’
MVP GUI
Itzhak
the
IT Developer
‘IT doesn't like it because it
doesn't integrate well’
API +
Integration Client
16. How do we improve
service quality? How
do we verify that?
Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
SERVICE
STANDARDIZATION
& WORKFLOW
NETWORK
PRINCIPALS
OF OPERATION
CASE 3
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
17. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
DESIGN THINKING- WHAT IS
DESIGN
THINKING
CUSTOMER
DISCOVERY
CUSTOMER
VALIDATION
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
19. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
DESIGN THINKING- WHAT IS
GOOGLE TRENDS:
DESIGN THINKING
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
20. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
Self-Love
And Then
Design
Thinking
And Now
Survival
Back Then
DESIGN THINKING- WHAT IS
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
21. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
IDEATION
Personas
User
Stories
Problem
Scenarios
?
23. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
[First name]
the
[Role]
ex: Mary
the
Mom ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
24. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
[First name]
the
[Role]
ex: Mary
the
Mom
(write down 3 personas)
25. How do we improve
service quality? How
do we verify that?
Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
SERVICE
STANDARDIZATION
& WORKFLOW
NETWORK
PRINCIPALS
OF OPERATION
CASE 3
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
26. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
END USER PERSONAS
Rita
the Reseller
Orson
the Office Mgr.
Ignatius
the IT Guy
Rhonda
the Receptionist
Susan the
Small Bus. Owner
Keith
the Key System User
Amy
the Assistant
Simone
the Standard User
Chuck
the Call Center Agent
Esteban
the Executive
Mikuko
the Mobile User
Cindy
the Call Center Manager
27. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
ENTERPRISE PERSONAS
Nietzsche
the Network Eng.
Paola
the Provisioner
Sidney
the Sys. Admin.
Percival the
Product Manager
Sven
the Salesperson
Anthony
the Applications Eng.
Itzhak
the IT Developer
Frank
the Field Eng.
Sam
the Support Eng.
Saul
the Site Developer
Fritz
the Field Eng. Manager
Bruce
the Business Owner
28. X: No description X: Generic set up X: Wrong checklist X: Trouble tickets
X: Wrong
hardware ordered
Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
Weak Product >> Broken Processes
Customer Sales Project Mgr./
Systems Designer
Field Service Support
Customer
“Looks good.
I’ll take 10.”
“They’ll take 10.” “I’ve provisioned
10. Time to
install them.”
“Here you are- 10
phones a-ringing.”
“This isn’t what
I want!”
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
29. Descriptive
inputs Directed set up Right checklists Few tickets
Right hardware
ordered
Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
Weak Product >> Broken Processes
Customer Sales Project Mgr./
Systems Designer
Field Service Support
Customer
“I’ll take [1 admin,
1 mobile. . .].”
“They’ll take
[1 admin, 1
mobile. . .].”
“I’ve provisioned ...
Time to install
them.”
“Here you are- 10
phones configured.”
“Works good,
looks good.”
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
30. How do we improve
service quality? How
do we verify that?
Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
CASE 3
SERVICE
STANDARDIZATION
& WORKFLOW
NETWORK
PRINCIPALS
OF OPERATION
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
31. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
CASE 3
SERVICE
STANDARDIZATION
& WORKFLOW
SERVICE
DESIGN
NETWORK
PRINCIPALS
OF OPERATION
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
32. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
ONLINE SELF-CARE
PERSONA PROBLEM SCENARIO
‘We our own scope, look and
feel. And we need an easy way
to do that. And SSO’
Template Driven
HTML-CSS-JS Layer
SAML SSO
Percival
the
Product Mgr.
Saul
the
Site Developer
&
‘This thing should increase
satisfaction & involvement;
and reduce support calls.’
Bruce
the
Business Owner
Percival
the
Product Mgr.
&
IMPLEMENTATION
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
33. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
Priority Key Assumption Needs Proving? Experimentation
1
End users want to log in
and do self-care
Yes!
Instrument adequate reporting,
create awareness,
see if they nibble
1
Reducing the portals
clicks to destination
from 4-6 to 2-3 is good
enough
Yes
- Log and analyze navigation
- Do support calls go down?
ASSUMPTIONS ON SELF-CARE
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
34. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
Priority Key Assumption Needs Proving? Experimentation
1
End users want to log in
and do self-care
Yes!
Instrument adequate reporting,
create awareness,
see if they nibble
1
Reducing the portals
clicks to destination
from 4-6 to 2-3 is good
enough
Yes
- Log and analyze navigation
- Do support calls go down?
ASSUMPTIONS ON SELF-CARE
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
35. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
PERSONA PROBLEM SCENARIO
‘We our own scope, look and
feel. And we need an easy way
to do that. And SSO’
Percival
the
Product Mgr.
Saul
the
Site Developer
&
‘This thing should increase
satisfaction & involvement;
and reduce support calls.’
Focus on
customer admin
experience
Bruce
the
Business Owner
Percival
the
Product Mgr.
&
ONLINE SELF-CARE
Template Driven
HTML-CSS-JS Layer
SAML SSO
IMPLEMENTATION
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
36. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
Take II- DASHBOARDS
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
37. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
PERSONA PROBLEM SCENARIO
‘We our own scope, look and
feel. And we need an easy way
to do that. And SSO’
Percival
the
Product Mgr.
Saul
the
Site Developer
&
Orson the
Office Manager
‘I still don’t get it.’
‘This thing should increase
satisfaction & involvement;
and reduce support calls.’
Bruce
the
Business Owner
Percival
the
Product Mgr.
&
ONLINE SELF-CARE
Focus on
customer admin
experience
Template Driven
HTML-CSS-JS Layer
SAML SSO
IMPLEMENTATION
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
38. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
Priority Key Assumption Needs Proving? Experimentation
1
Customer admin’s will
do self-care with training
and awareness
Yes!
Focus on training customer
admin’s,
see if they nibble
1
Presenting all the users
of interest on the 1st
page will engage these
admin’s
Yes
- Log and analyze navigation
- Do support calls go down?
ASSUMPTIONS ON SELF-CARE
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
39. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
DASHBOARD
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
40. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
PERSONA PROBLEM SCENARIO
Percival
the
Product Mgr.
‘We our own scope, look and
feel. And we need an easy way
to do that. And SSO’
Orson the
Office Manager
Rhonda
the
Receptionist
‘I want a good out-of-the-box
experience.
And to change the display on
my phone.’
Visual Device
Management
Saul
the
Site Developer
&
‘I still don’t get it.’
‘This thing should increase
satisfaction & involvement;
and reduce support calls.’
Bruce
the
Business Owner
Percival
the
Product Mgr.
&
ONLINE SELF-CARE
One click access
via ‘Dashboard’
Focus on
customer admin
experience
Template Driven
HTML-CSS-JS Layer
SAML SSO
IMPLEMENTATION
41. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
USER STORIES
“As a receptionist, I want to receive an out
of the box set up that’s created against
best practices so I don’t have to set it all
up by myself.”
“As a receptionist, I want to change the
buttons on my phone so they do what I
want.”
PROBLEM SCENARIO
‘I want a good out-of-the-box experience.
And to change the display on my phone.’
PERSONA
Rhonda the Receptionist
SOLUTIONS IN ONLINE SELF-CARE
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
42. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
PLANNING
PRIORITY KEY ASSUMPTIONS
NEEDS
PROVING?
EXPERIMENTATION
1
End users at large want a visual
tool to manage their phones
No
- Already proven by prototypes from
partner
1
Giving the capability to end user
admin’s will do more good than
harm
Yes - Beta testing with customers
1
The design and architecture are
supportable in current customer
environments
Yes
- Lab testing with customers...but
really...
- Field testing at scale
1
The target price point is
bearable by the market
Yes
- Initial sales negotiations
- Mainline (post beta) sales
2
The capability makes sense with
end users (vs. admin’s)
Yes
- Some proxy data on overall activity
by user type
- Customer interviews
- Beta testing
2 (Various makes and models of
phones are worth investing in)
Yes - Advanced orders
44. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
Priority Key Assumption Needs Proving? Experimentation
1
[A key assumption
about the business]
[Whether it needs
proving
[Experiment to
prove or disprove]
1
End users want to log in
and do self-care
Yes!
Instrument adequate reporting,
create awareness,
see if they nibble
1
Reducing the portals
clicks to destination
from 4-6 to 2-3 is good
enough
Yes
- Log and analyze navigation
- Do support calls go down?
EXERCISE: LIST YOUR ASSUMPTIONS
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
45. How do we do this
more efficiently? Are
we implementing best
practices?
Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
SERVICE
STANDARDIZATION
& WORKFLOW
SERVICE
DESIGN
NETWORK
PRINCIPALS
OF OPERATION
CASE 4
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
47. How do we do this
more efficiently? Are
we implementing best
practices?
Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
SERVICE
STANDARDIZATION
& WORKFLOW
SERVICE
DESIGN
NETWORK
PRINCIPALS
OF OPERATION
CASE 4
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
48. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
SERVICE
STANDARDIZATION
& WORKFLOW
SERVICE
DESIGN
PROCESS
AUDIT,
DESIGN
NETWORK
PRINCIPALS
OF OPERATION
CASE 4
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
49. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
PERSONA PROBLEM SCENARIO
Bruce the
Business
Owner
‘We have many customer
management systems
depending on product,
channel.’
Centralize on
CRM
Percival
the Product
Manager
‘It’s hard to spin up
e-Commerce.’
Ties to billing
and focus on
order capture.
Bruce the
Business
Owner
‘We can’t implement your
recommendations because of
our systems.’
PROCESS MANAGEMENT
IMPLEMENTATION
50. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
SELL SIMILAR
CUSTOMERS
Balance to appeal of easy
new business.
TARGET
DRIVE TOWARDS
STANDARDIZATION
Find what’s important;
drive there.
STANDARDIZE
SKILLS PAY BILLS
Drive to product/market fit by
finding work
$
B2B CONCIERGE MODEL: 6 TIPS
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
51. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
IDEATION
Profit
Drivers
Revenue
Drivers
Tighter Proposition (website, pres., etc.)
Finite Cost
Finite Deliverables
Increased Use of Channels
Ease of Entry
Easy to See What's on Menu
Upsell
Intellectual Property Multipliers
Tighter Talent Definition
Simpler Training, Eval., Promotion
Cost of Delivery
Cost
Drivers
Less Consultative Selling
Simplified Contracting
Cost of Sales
Standard Project Management
Comparable Post Mortems
Engagement
Management
52. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
SELL SIMILAR
CUSTOMERS
Balance to appeal of easy
new business.
TARGET
DRIVE TOWARDS
STANDARDIZATION
Find what’s important;
drive there.
STANDARDIZE
SKILLS PAY BILLS
Drive to product/market fit by
finding work
$
CREATE AN
EXTENDED FAMILY
Make yourself bigger than you
are.
EXTERNALIZE
B2B CONCIERGE MODEL: 6 TIPS
BUILD ONCE YOU
SEE THE OPENING
If you’re not sure, keep
learning.
PRODUCTIZE
BECOME A DOMAIN
EXPERT
Be a pro concierge before
building product.
MASTER
53. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
Making Progress
IDEA!
Positioning
Statement?
Field Work & Analytics
Ideation & Design
Product Development
General Management
Pivotal
Assumptions?
Customer
Definition
Personas?
Problem Scenarios?
Field
Discovery
Still Learning?
Field
Validation
Draft
Prototype
Quicky
Prototype?
Yes?
Confident?
No?
Create
User
Stories
Done?
New Learning?
Define
MVP
CUSTOMER
VALIDATION
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
54. Copyright 2012 Cowan Publishing
BUY THE BOOK
A practical primer for anyone
wanting to actually implement
today’s best practices in product
development (available online or
at any major retailer)
VISIT THE SITE
Free talks, tutorials, and
resources for product
development and new ventures.
MORE?
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF