You have a brilliant concept for a software project that will significantly affect your company. It is essential to comprehend precisely what problems the solution solves, who the target audience is, if the solution will bring value, and several other critical considerations before beginning the design and development process. The project life cycle includes a Project Discovery Phase as a result, and it defines success and fills the gap between an idea and its realization.
What Will Happen If You Skip The Project Discovery?
- A Good No One Needs
Poor market fit is why 9 out of 10 startups fail. The validation of the idea is the primary goal of the product discovery process, as I indicated earlier. To find a product/market fit, in other words. You may lower the total failure rate by researching the market, examining your target market, and identifying the necessary needs.
- Unexpected Charges
One of the TOP 5 reasons why startups fail is financial issues. Having enough money isn’t the issue here; it’s spending good money on a terrible situation and skipping the discovery step that results in muddled objectives and untested hypotheses, frequently resulting in increased costs.
- No End in Sight
A product that doesn’t have quantifiable intended results is never-ending. The Discovery aids in setting the course and shaping the outcomes so that you have a defined scope and a timetable for the product.
- Overdue Dates
Missed deadlines are a result of never-ending scope. The need for clearly defined project boundaries for product development should be emphasized more. It would be best if you defined those boundaries during the Discovery phase. If there isn’t one, the development process takes longer than expected, and the release date is delayed.
Who Is Involved In The Discovery Phase?
Depending on the project, the Discovery team could change. However, a few essential team members oversee the software project’s full discovery process.
1. Project Manager
A project manager oversees faultless client and team communication, careful planning of the project’s scope, and monitoring of the project’s progress.
2. Business Analyst
The research is the responsibility of business analysts. To address current needs with a practical business solution, they analyze the needs of potential users and explore various options.
3. Software Developer
A software architect studies the original technological requirements and gives tools and processes for designing a cutting-edge program. A software architect is a person who develops the architecture and logic of your product.
4. UX/UI Designer
UI/UX designer is in charge of two areas. There are two parts to it: research and design. On the one hand, they research users’ demands alongside the project manager or business analyst. On the other hand, they design a user-friendly interface to maximize the attraction of your product.
The ideal situation involves the entire team in the project management discovery phase. In practice, the PM may occasionally mix PM and business analyst functions. Up till it guarantees good performance, it’s okay.
Elements Of A Successful Project Discovery Phase
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Creating the Project Discovery Team
Ideal candidates for the discovery team should have a range of specializations and interests. The kind of project and experience they bring to the table determines whether they are included in the team.
Normally, the discovery team shall include the following:
- A project manager
- A UX/UI designer
- A technical expert/developer
- Project analyst
Conducting stakeholder interviews is the first step. The project manager’s role is to meet with the Discovery Team and answer all their questions after discussing the project’s specifics with the customer.
Ensure that duties are clearly defined, and everyone is on the same page. This will establish the project’s tone and guarantee that everyone knows their responsibilities from the project’s discovery phase onward.
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Gather Requirements
For every project to succeed, it is critical to solicit client feedback. However, many organizations rush to secure jobs and, as a result, don’t adequately collect the requirements. As a result, there are issues with misunderstandings and confusion as the project moves forward.
The best action is to document all client needs before processing them. This will also assist you in understanding things and analyzing what it will need to accomplish the project properly.
Having the requirements allows you to plan the resources that will be needed, the projected timetable, and the expenses. Only start a project after thoroughly gathering the client’s requirements, and you can proceed to the next level, “Research,” once that is finished.
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Research
The project discovery phase must include research as a crucial component. It helps managers and employees gain a better understanding of the work being done on various project components.
Four more categories can be used to categorize research further:
- Customer/Client Interviews
For correspondence and client reporting, the majority of agencies employ a variety of agency management solutions. Conduct in-depth conversations with the client before beginning any work to ascertain the expected flow of the project.
Here, queries are raised, and uncertainties are dispelled.
Interviews with the client are crucial since they assist in establishing project expectations and guarantee that the agency won’t have to worry later about scope creep.
- Industry/Market Research
What is the industry doing about projects like this? Setting project expectations and creating benchmarks involves conducting market surveys and examining comparable projects performed in the sector. An agency can define the projects aims more effectively by doing industry research. More importantly, it also enables the project managers to identify areas where the agency can enhance the project.
Competitive Analysis
While market research focuses on the sector, competition research examines other digital agencies that operate in the same market. Finding out the level of quality that your competitors uphold and the types of items they produce is your responsibility during this phase of the project discovery phase.
You’ll better understand pricing variations during the project management discovery phase, enabling you to set competitive client fees. Additionally, you can discover areas for improvement that your rivals are missing through competitive research.
- Think Like a User
It is essential to put yourself in the position of your clients’ ideal target audiences. While your client interviews should give you a good notion of their target demographic, you’ll also need to research to comprehend this group fully. This will assist you in creating content that the audiences of your clients will value. And isn’t it really what any effort aspires to achieve?
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Presenting the Solutions
You must deliver your findings to the client after conducting the first study during the project discovery phase and identifying potential solutions.
Make a thorough presentation that includes a summary of the dashboards that will be followed throughout the project (if any custom ones are created). During the discovery stage of the project management process, the project manager will present the solution and the value provided by the agency.
Project managers use visual tools, such as wireframes, to express their ideas better. Wireframes and in-depth outlines can be made using various web design tools.
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Establishing the Timeline and Budget
Creating milestones and thorough budget estimates is one of the most essential tasks in the project discovery phase. Create an extensive timeline covering all the project’s stages and identify potential bottlenecks that could cause problems or delays. The agency must also include a comprehensive budget that lists all the expenses anticipated to be expended throughout the project.
Use estimation in place of a precise budget. Before moving forward, the project manager must approve the client’s budget and timetable. The administration of clients will be substantially aided, and the agency’s resource allocation will be made possible. Furthermore, you will feel secure knowing that the client will only break their word once you have a basic agreement.
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Identify and Agree on the Next Steps
When the specifics of the project discovery phase are complete, you may share them with the customer and begin talking about commencing the project. This is usually just a formality, but you never know when a client might provide one of their ideas or request a change. Work closely with the clients and keep them informed of the project’s status and your plans. If they have any suggestions, you should use them to help you save time and money.
How to Nail the Discovery Phase
Making a detailed project map is one of the finest strategies for mastering the discovery phase. The crucial deliverables and the various project stages will be highlighted on this map. The project may be easily monitored at any time by all parties involved, thanks to creating a comprehensive dashboard.
After conducting in-depth research, present it to the clients and ask for their opinions. Get the job done during the discovery phase by working closely with your clients, including their advice, and ensuring everyone is headed in the correct direction.
The ideal time to plan and draught an agency contract may be right now if you still need to do so. Create a copy for the client to review, then receive their approval. In this manner, you will have everything organized before the project starts. Above all, you will know if the client approves the journey map you developed.
The Project Discovery Phase Checklist
The project discovery checklist below will help you determine whether you have covered all essential elements during the discovery phase:
- Have you documented all of the project’s requirements?
- Have you calculated the project’s resource requirements?
- Have the resources been properly allocated?
- Is the timeline complete? Have you allowed for a few extra days in case of unforeseen circumstances?
- Have accurate budget estimates been developed, checked, and verified?
- Have detailed research reports on competitor and market research been produced?
- Has the client been given a road map for how the project will progress?
- Have the client’s suggestions been considered for inclusion in the project?
- Has the company created detailed dashboards to track the progress of the project?
- Have the necessary contracts been signed?
Tools for a Project Discovery Phase
You can use project frameworks as tools to create the project discovery document for your agency and the client.
SWOT analysis: This tool provides a matrix to fill out to clarify the project discovery phase. The matrix’s four compartments are Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
Fill in the blanks with information you have. If necessary, you can also ask your client for clarification.
SOAR analysis: When compared to SWOT, SOAR has two major differences. Aspirations and Results are represented by the letters A and R, respectively. Because it focuses on aspirations and outcomes rather than weaknesses and threats, this is often a better-suited matrix for agencies and clients.
Mind mapping: A tool for visualizing the project’s journey and final results, as well as carefully scribbling points that will assist you in getting there.
Duration and price
Traditionally, project managers divide the life cycle of a project into five phases: initiation, planning, execution, control, and closure. Discovery is a key component of the project initiation and planning phases, bridging the gap between the two.
The Discovery Phase is typically included in the first sprint in the modern Agile management framework. It aids in determining how well a development team and client understand each other from the start.
Depending on the project’s complexity and scope of work, the discovery phase can last a few days to a few weeks or even months. The typical time frames are:
1-3 days for a small project.
1-2 weeks for a medium-sized project.
For a large project, allow at least 3-4 weeks.
Billing is done at a fixed price or on a time and material basis based on hourly rates and the word discovery team membership discovery team involved in the process.
Project Discovery Phase Deliverables
The deliverables of the discovery phase may differ depending on the project’s size, complexity, phase, and level of urgency. You should receive the following items as a result of the Discovery Phase (depending on the needs of the project at the time):
Software specification requires a document that describes the project in detail, including the feature set, recommended technology stack, and architecture outline. Before you approve it, go over it again and suggest changes.
UX prototype in its early stages. You will receive a simplified representation of the future interface and its core features long before the development team begins work on the project. It and the SRS provide insight into how the software will function once completed.
Estimates and a development roadmap. You will be given a recommended team lineup, a development budget estimate (see how we make fixed price estimates), and a deadline. It is unlikely that the final figures calculated during the client discovery phase will change (unless the project scope significantly changes during the process of development)
Proposal for the discovery phase. A development process proposal based on Discovery conclusions will assist the project team in producing a product that meets all of the client’s requirements and needs.
A solid foundation is required for building a great house. A Discovery Phase aids in the clarification of the project vision and the reduction of development risks. It gives the team the authority to carry out the project exactly as planned.
When to Use the Product Discovery Stage Continually
- The initial software development endeavor of a business
Working together with an experienced team during the discovery phase will provide the client with a clear understanding of how to match their business goals with the needs of the end users, achieve the best user experience (UX), understand the stages of product development, and know what outcomes they can anticipate.
A team with a thorough understanding of the industry can identify problems and difficulties that might otherwise go unnoticed, foresee potential risks, and offer solutions quickly.
- Rebuilding an existing system
Reviewing the old code in this example and using other techniques of Discovery can assist in defining the scope of the transformation and understanding the system’s existing condition, strengths, and limitations. Experts will offer suggestions for enhancement, identify potential risks and bottlenecks, and work through the most practical solutions. Critical decision-making by the project team, the company’s upper management, marketers, and others will be facilitated by a clearly defined scope of work.
- The software is new and complicated
A team of experts may offer the necessary consultations, research, and support for cutting-edge software development if the desired solution integrates distinctive combinations of third-party APIs, software libraries, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), smart sensors, or other cutting-edge or complex technology.
- The project’s specifications could be more precise and changing
On occasion, business owners have a fantastic high-level business idea but need help to effectively serve the demands of the end customers. The discovery phase enables future product design from the user’s point of view, assuring user pleasure, retention, and loyalty in the long run.
It makes sense to outsource the project to a reputable software development organization that has created several unique solutions. The best tools and technologies to realize your idea can be found and suggested by an experienced team.
- Proof of Concept is required for the project (PoC)
Proof of concept is evidence that a solution can be successful from a business standpoint. A PoC will assist in determining whether the solution is practical if it uses cutting-edge tools or APIs that have never been applied in this way.
Instead of investing months and money on a likely unsuccessful product, the discovery stage’s research of the business case, the competitors, and the target market enables the quick invention of solutions based on market demand. Real users and investors can give immediate feedback on a prototype created during the discovery phase.
- The project’s financial constraints
Experienced specialists may assist in defining the product’s fundamental architecture and functionality throughout the project discovery phase, eliminating any unnecessary elements.
After assessing the cost of the product development or extension, they can make recommendations for methods to cut total costs and issue warnings about potential hazards and hidden costs that could result in budget overruns.
Deliverables from the project discovery phase will also aid in creating a better case for the board of directors or investors. What is a discovery phase in software development?
The discovery/scoping phase or initial research is the preparatory stage of software product development, preceding software development. It is aimed at collecting and analyzing information about a project to identify its vision, goals, and scope, dispelling doubts, and proving assumptions.
During this stage, the discovery team members collect information about the business and user needs, problems, and expectations, the intended market for the product, the target audience, rival products, etc., define the product’s features and all possible business and technical specifics, and test ideas against the reality. The results of their effort take the form at least of documentation needed to start the development process.
The Bottom Line
A well-executed project discovery phase not only makes things easier for your agency but also helps you gain the favor of your clients. Clients prefer to work with well-organized agencies, and this is an excellent way for you to ensure that everything runs smoothly and the project is completed on time.
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FAQ
Why Is the Project Discovery Phase Important?
For several reasons, the project discovery phase is crucial.
- encourages agency owners to base decisions on evidence and tangible information rather than relying solely on assumptions
- Delivering value to clients is aided by the discovery phase of a project.
- improves the overall user experience
- enables the project managers to work with experts early on to find a workable solution to the problem at hand
- As a project develops, the discovery stage lowers the likelihood that costly changes will need to be made.
- Increases ROI
- Aids in streamlining business operations Assures that before work is started, the customer and the agency are on the same page.
What happens during the Discovery Phase?
Depending on your project, the Discovery Phase might take two to four weeks. What is done now depends on the vendor and what you currently have; there is no universally applicable solution.
What outputs does the client get after that? How would they use them?
As you are well aware, you will receive concrete deliverables after the discovery phase, which continuously varies depending on the customer’s requirements.
Why is the Discovery Phase necessary? What occurs if you don’t?
The Discovery Phase is essential whether you are a startup with just a concept for a project or an existing company wanting to examine and enhance your operations with a broad idea of how you can achieve it.
It will provide you with a thorough understanding of where you are, where you should go, any obstacles to the process, how to overcome them, and how long it will take.
What advantages does a discovery phase provide in the software development process?
Better end product thanks to quicker, smoother, and more efficient product development, early risk avoidance, cost-efficiency, and smoother process.
What research techniques are most frequently employed?
- Meetings with the customer and critical stakeholders to conduct Discovery
User research, user interviews, and the development of consumer personas
Research on markets, trends, technologies, ecosystems, etc.; study of competitors; creation of user stories, screen flow diagrams, etc.
- Development of wireframes
- Building a clickable prototype and testing it with stakeholders and users
- Development of a proof-of-concept document
- Discussion of the deliverables
