MDM – Discovery
The Discovery phase of the MDM typically begins as part of the sales process and
includes an orientation of all the MDM phases. The main objective of the Discovery
phase is to ensure that all parties understand the intended project scope and approach.
Business Goals
Identification of key business goals and an initial definition of what a project
success would look like - It is not uncommon, at this phase, to have multiple departments
involved, each with their own business goals and definition of success.
Business Sponsor
A principle business sponsor or champion is critical to the internal success of
a software project - An effective business sponsor has the knowledge and seniority
to communicate project requirements and internally resolve issues.
High Level Functional Requirements
Functional requirements are typically segmented by user type and, at this stage,
are a broad brush depiction of main functional areas of the application.
Stakeholders
A stakeholder list includes all parties that are expected to participate, directly
or indirectly, with the project. This may include the business sponsor, end user
staff, 3rd party vendors/partners or even willing customers. Stakeholders will be
included in the project communication plan at the appropriate levels.
Preliminary Budget
Every project must include a preliminary budget range to ensure that the necessary
project ‘reality’ be taken
into consideration during the planning phase. It is not
uncommon for stakeholder wish lists and nice-to-haves to push a project out of its
funding range. Preliminary budget visibility helps all parties to prioritize functionality
inline with its respective business value.
Preliminary Timeline
Just as important as the preliminary budget, the preliminary timeline is necessary
to ensure that expectations are met.
Planning Proposal
At the conclusion of the MDM Discovery phase MethodFactory is prepared to deliver a fixed-price or defined price range proposal for the MDM Planning phase. This proposal
also includes a good-faith development effort range, based on the information that
is gathered during the Discovery phase.
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Planning